Because of an avalanche of crises buffeting the country, President Obama’s approval rating hit a record low in a national poll released Wednesday.
Public Policy Polling says 45 percent of voters approve of the job he’s doing while 52 percent disapprove. It’s the first time Obama topped the 50 percent disapproval mark in the surveys. The first African American president in U.S. history is losing ground with white Democrats and Independents, an ominous sign not only for his presidency but for the immediate future of the Democratic Party.
Are blacks jumping ship as well? Some already have, while some never boarded the Obama boat from the jump. The likes of Tavis Smiley, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson and professor Cornel West are among a vocal contingent of opponents who have assailed the White House for its lack of a “black agenda.”
According to the poll, sixty-two percent of whites give the president negative marks while 40 percent of Independents disapprove of the job he’s doing.
Poll numbers also show voters are not warming up to the health care bill. Forty percent of voters favor it while 53 percent are opposed. Meanwhile, the proliferation of TV, radio and online shows provides ample opportunities for talented demagogues and racists to spew divisive vitriol designed to confuse the electorate and unseat Obama. It is also a well-calculated campaign to silence Obama’s supporters, which include the majority of African Americans.
But like Public Enemy once stated: “Don’t Believe the Hype.” –terry shropshire
