Pollster: Voters like Obama, hate economy, will ignore Blagojevich
The public is bullish on Barack Obama, pessimistic about the state of the nation, and unlikely to change its view of the president-elect as a result of the alleged attempt by Illinois鈥� governor to sell Obama鈥檚 US Senate seat.
That is the assessment of Peter Hart, a noted Democratic pollster, who spoke at a Monitor sponsored breakfast for reporters on Thursday.
Post-election honeymoon
In the latest , which Hart helped conduct, the approval scores for Barack Obama 鈥渁re indeed stratospheric, and I think as much as anything the nation is hoping for better times,鈥� Hart said.
The public鈥檚 feelings about the president-elect - what Hart called the feeling thermometer - are 鈥渁 very robust 66 percent positive, 11 percent negative."
"That represents his highest mark we have ever measured,鈥� he said.
Good bye to a bad year
While the public is filled with what Hart calls 鈥渁n excess of hope鈥� about Obama, the view of the nation鈥檚 condition is less favorable. 鈥淥ur mood about where the direction is is exceptionally negative,鈥� Hart said. 鈥淲e feel this is one of the worst years we have faced. Half of the American public, 48 percent, feel that way.鈥�
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on federal charges that he allegedly tried to sell Obama鈥檚 recently vacated Senate seat. When asked what impact the scandal surrounding the Democratic governor would have on Obama鈥檚 standing with the public, Hart said 鈥渮ero. "
"When I say zero, I just don鈥檛 think this has any relationship to Obama," he said. "I think what has happened there, happened in Illinois. It may dominate the news for a period of time but I don鈥檛 think it is Obama-related and that voters are going to see it that way.鈥�
Craving national unity
Voters are eager for a sense of national unity, Hart said. 鈥淭his is a country that is desperately trying to come together and is sort of looking for a unity of purpose, a unity of direction,鈥� he said.
As evidence, Hart noted that 52 percent of those in the NBC News poll said they feel that in 2009 the country will find Congressional Democrats and Republicans in a period of unity, working together and reaching consensus. That is up from 27 percent who felt that way in 2004.
The polling data Hart referred to was collected December 5-8 among 1,009 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.
