PrintMay 27, 2009
Obama Supporters Speak
Obama supporters speak in a brand new poll.
Zogby International, in conjunction with The O'Leary Report, recently conducted a comprehensive 100 Days Poll of the Obama Administration's actions and policy proposals. The results show that a majority of those who voted for the President disagree with him on many key issues.
The poll was conducted April 24-27, surveyed 3,937 voters nationwide, and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 1.6 percentage points. Only voters who voted in the 2008 presidential election were surveyed, and the sample was weighted to reflect the outcome of the 2008 Presidential Election (i.e. 53% Obama voters and 46% McCain voters). 2,087 Obama voters participated in the survey.
Tax Hike on Americans Earning Less than $250,000
Twenty percent of Americans who voted for President Obama (roughly 13.9 million people) would be less likely to vote for him if he breaks his promise to raise taxes on those who earn less than $250,000 per year.
Q. If the President has to drop his promise not to raise taxes on people earning less than $250,000, would it...?
Obama Supporters
Make you more likely to support Obama............10%
Less likely to support Obama.............................20%
No difference.....................................................65%
Not sure............................................................. 5%
Note: President Obama received 69.5 million votes in the 2008 Presidential Election.
A Majority of Obama Voters Do Not Support the President on Issues Concerning: Gun Control, the Economy, First Amendment Rights, Religion and Abortion
According to the Zogby/O'Leary Report 100 Days Poll, a majority of those who voted for Obama actually oppose him on several hot button issues. For example, more Obama voters (50 percent) think that government should enforce the gun laws we already have on the books, as opposed to passing new gun laws (44 percent).
On the economy, 49 percent of Obama voters prefer a system where wealth, and the means of producing it, are privately owned, while only 28 percent of Obama supporters prefer a government owned or controlled system. This means half of all Obama voters do not agree with the President's current crusade to inject government control and ownership into various private industries.
Seventy percent of Obama voters disagree with an effort underway in the Democrat-controlled Senate to grant the President of the U.S. the power to shut down the Internet in the case of an emergency (the Senate legislation fails to clearly define what constitutes an emergency). Only 9 percent of Obama voters would like President Obama to have this power.
Elsewhere on the First Amendment front, more Obama voters (41 percent) oppose the Federal Communications Commission's institution of community advisory boards to police the content on local radio stations - whereas 39 percent of Obama voters favor this FCC action. So-called "localism" standards and community advisory boards are seen by many as a thinly veiled attempt to bring Fairness Doctrine-style censorship back to the airwaves.
With regard to religious matters, 45 percent of Obama voters disagree with the President's statement when visiting Turkey that America is not a Christian nation. Forty-eight percent of Obama voters disapprove of the Obama administrations purposefully concealing a symbol for Jesus Christ prior to a speech the President delivered at Georgetown University.
A clear majority of Obama voters (61 percent) do no think that doctors and nurses who disagree with abortion should be compelled to perform abortions against their will - a threat that is evident in the Obama-supported "Freedom of Choice Act."
Below are the full questions and results from the poll:
Gun Control
1. Do you think new gun laws should be passed or do you think we should enforce the laws already on the books.
Obama Supporters
New gun laws should be passed........................44%
Enforce the laws already on the books...............50%
Not sure............................................................ 7%
2. The President's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, recently stated that the 1 million people the government put on the "no fly" list should be prohibited from purchasing a gun, even if they are not guilty of a felony or crime and they may not even be the correct person who is targeted by the list. With respect to the "no fly" list which statement do you support: A or B?
A: People on the no fly list should be prohibited from buying a gun
B: People on the no-fly list should be prohibited from buying a gun only if they
are convicted of a crime
Obama Supporters
A..............................29%
B..............................59%
Not sure...................12%
3. Some U.S. shipping company owners who ply their trade in the pirate-infested waters off Somalia are considering arming their U.S. crews in an effort to combat pirates and defend themselves. Other U.S. ship owners worry that their company might be held liable for deaths or injuries by someone on the vessel. Which course of action is best to safeguard shipping in pirate-invested waters?
Obama Supporters
Arming the U.S. crews so they can deter pirates.......................65%
Leave U.S. crews unarmed and let the Navy take care of it.......24%
Not sure ..................................................................................10%
The Economy
Q. Which of the following do you think is a better economic system: A or B?
A: A system in which the public or the state have ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
B: A system in which wealth, and the means of producing wealth are privately
owned and controlled rather than state owned or controlled with the state regulating them.
Obama Supporters
A..............................28%
B..............................49%
Not sure....................23%
First Amendment Rights
1. Four members of the U.S. Senate recently introduced a bill that would allow the President of the United states to turn off the Internet nationally in the event of an emergency but without defining what constitutes a national emergency. Do you support or oppose this bill?
Obama Supporters
Support..................... 9%
Oppose.....................70%
Not sure....................21%
2. The Federal Communications is entertaining the idea of re-instituting advisory boards to determine the needs and interests of their communities, to promote localism and diversity. These boards, appointed by the FCC and would monitor what is said over the radio and report back if they were offended by the talk show hosts and their guests. Critics argue that such a proposal is nothing more than a back door implementation of the Fairness Doctrine. Do you support or oppose the FCC's efforts to reinstitute advisory boards?
Obama Supporters
Support......................39%
Oppose......................41%
Not sure.....................21%
Religion
1. While visiting Turkey recently, President Obama said America is not a Christian nation. Do agree or disagree that the US is a Christian nation?
Obama Supporters
Agree........................44%
Disagree....................45%
Not sure....................10%
2. President Obama recently spoke at Georgetown University, a Catholic-chartered university. Prior to his appearance, presidential staff requested that the symbol of Jesus be covered up. Do you approve or disapprove of the White House's actions?
Obama Supporters
Approve.....................36%
Disapprove..................48%
Not sure......................16%
Abortion
2. If the Freedom of Choice Act passes, do you agree or disagree that doctors and nurses who believe abortion is murder be exempted from being required to perform abortions?
Obama Supporters
Agree........................61%
Disagree....................29%
Not sure.....................10%
A Substantial Number of Those Who Voted for Obama Do Not Support Him and Democrat Leaders in Congress on Several Other Issues
The Zogby/O'Leary Report 100 Days Poll also discovered that there many issues where a sizeable percentage of Obama voters part ways with the President.
On the issue of marijuana legalization, 69 percent of Obama favor legalizing the drug, while 21 percent oppose legalization. In recent weeks, President Obama has wavered as to exactly what extent he would be willing to go to decriminalize marijuana use - if at all. As of this writing, it is unclear as to whether the President sides with the majority of his voters who favor legalization, or the minority who oppose it.
On the tax issue, 22 percent of Obama voters strongly support or support the efforts of the April 15 Tea Party demonstrators.
Twenty-one percent of Obama voters would prefer that the President pursue all U.S. sources of energy, including offshore drilling, nuclear power, and drilling for oil in ANWR. Twenty-four percent of those who voted for Obama oppose cap-and-trade laws to limit carbon dioxide emissions.
Thirty-seven percent of Obama voters disagree with the Administration's decision to rescind 200 scholarships previously awarded through the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, a school choice program that allows low-income students to attend private schools. Despite this sizeable opposition from his own base, the President is still pressing to end the popular scholarship program entirely.
Twenty-eight percent of those who voted for Obama disagree with his Department of Homeland Security report that focuses on the potential terrorist threat from war veterans and people dedicated to a single issue, such as abortion and the Second Amendment. This sizeable portion of Obama voters think the report is inappropriate and that such people are not a threat to America.
For the upcoming Supreme Court vacancy, 31 percent of Obama voters do not want the President to appoint a judge who will take the laws and customs of foreign nations into account when crafting his or her opinions.
Full questions and results are below:
Marijuana Legalization
1. Scarce law enforcement and prison resources, a desire to neutralize drug cartels and the need for new sources of revenue have resurrected the topic of legalizing marijuana. Proponents say it makes sense to tax and regulate the drug while opponents claim that legalization would lead marijuana users to use other illegal drugs. Would you favor or oppose the government's effort to legalize marijuana?
Obama Supporters
Favor.........................69%
Oppose......................21%
Not sure.....................10%
Taxes & Spending
1. Thinking about the Tea Party demonstrations that took place on April 15th to protest the growth in taxes and federal government spending, do you...?
Obama Supporters
Strongly support the beliefs of the organizers........ 8%
Somewhat support them......................................14%
Somewhat oppose their beliefs.............................22%
Strongly oppose them .......................................51%
Not sure............................................................. 5%
Economy
Q. Sen. John Kerry has called for Senate hearings on failing newspapers. Do you think the government should bailout the newspaper industry?
Obama Supporters
Yes..........................16%
No...........................63%
Not sure...................21%
Energy
1. Which course of action should America take with regards to energy policy?
Obama Supporters
Make energy cheaper by developing all sources of
U.S. energy, including coal, nuclear power, offshore
drilling and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge................21%
Reduce America's production of fossil fuels that might
cause global warming................................................................70%
Not sure.................................................................................. 9%
2. President Obama wants to impose cap-and-trade laws that would limit the total carbon dioxide emissions allowed to be released into the environment. These laws would turn carbon dioxide into a commodity allowing those that pollute less to sell credits to those that pollute more. These credits would be traded on commodities markets. According to congressional testimony given by the Director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, "decreasing emissions would also impose costs on the economy - much of those costs will be passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices for energy and energy intensive goods." Some have estimated these costs to be $800 to $1300 more per household by 2015. Knowing this, do you support or oppose cap-and-trade laws?
Obama Supporters
Support.......................56%
Oppose.......................24%
Not sure......................21%
Education
1. President Obama's Education Secretary recently rescinded 200 scholarships previously awarded through the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, a school choice program that allows low-income students to attend private schools. Despite a Department of Education study that showed the program is a great success, the Obama administration wants to bring the program to an end and return those students to public schools in Washington, D.C.. Do you agree or disagree with the Obama administration?
Obama Supporters
Agree.........................38%
Disagree.....................37%
Not sure.....................25%
Homeland Security
1. The Department of Homeland Security recently issued a report to 850,000 law enforcement officers that focused on the potential terrorist threat from disgruntled veterans and people dedicated to a single issue, such as abortion and the Second Amendment. Do you think...?
Obama Supporters
This statement is inappropriate and these
people are not a threat to America...................................28%
This is a good warning and these people are dangerous....49%
No opinion.....................................................................24%
The Courts
1. For the next Supreme Court Justice appointee, would you prefer a judge who takes the laws of other countries laws into consideration, including Islamic Sharia law and laws in socialist countries, when crafting his or her judicial opinions -- a practice frowned upon by Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts but supported by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer?
Obama Supporters
Yes...........................47%
No............................31%
Not sure....................22%
Brad O'Leary is publisher of "The O'Leary Report," a bestselling author, and is a former NBC Westwood One talk show host. His bestselling book, "Shut Up, America! The End of Free Speech," is available now in bookstores.
