Monday, February 3, 2014

Hope & Change: 8% spike in the number of Americans who hope Obama's policies will fail, who share Limbaugh's sentiment













In January of 2009, conservative talk radio host, Rush Limbaugh, told his radio audience that a major American print publication asked him and a handful of other prominent individuals to write a 400 word essay on their hope for the Obama presidency. Limbaugh went on to tell his audience: "I'm thinking of replying [to the print publication], 'Okay, I'll send you a response, but I don't need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails.' "

Limbaugh's remarks have received a heavy dose of criticism from the White House and its allies in the mainstream media. However, according to a new CNN/ORC poll, over the last twelve months, there has been an 8-12% spike in the number of Americans who've begun to see the light and who now share Mr. Limbaugh's sentiment.

In January of 2013, when CNN/ORC poll respondents were asked the following question: "In general, do you hope that Barack Obama's policies will succeed or do you hope that his policies will fail?" 70% said they hope the President's policies will succeed, 26% said they hope his policies will fail, 2% had mixed feelings, and 1% had no opinion on the matter. [Of course, these favorable poll numbers, were from CNN, a Liberal news media outlet]. However, in January and February of 2014, just one year later, when CNN/ORC poll respondents were asked the very same question, only 58% said they hope the President's policies will succeed, 34% said they hope his policies will fail, 5% had mixed feelings, and 2% had no opinion on the matter. That's an 8% spike in the number of Americans who hope Obama's policies will fail, and a 12% decline in the number of Americans who hope Obama's policies will succeed.

Barack Obama has always preached the message of "hope", but for many Americans the only hope they have right now for their future is the hope that Obama, and his policies, will fail.

An 8-12% change and spike in the poll numbers; that's "change you can believe in"; that's "Hope" and "Change", all wrapped up in one.

When CNN/ORC poll respondents were asked in the latest poll whether they "think it is more likely that Obama's policies will succeed or more likely that his policies will fail?" 37% said they think it is more likely that his policies will succeed, 56% said they think it is more likely that his policies will fail.

When the CNN/ORC poll respondents were asked "how much of President Obama’s [State of the Union] speech did you happen to hear or watch -- all of the speech, some of it, only a little, or none at all?" 16% said they heard all of it, 17% said they heard some of it, 14% said they heard only a little, and 52% said they didn't hear any of the speech at all.