if that's the worst thing that obama does, i think we can count ourselves lucky.

bush left the country charred.

it's hard to imagine anyone matching the damage that bush did to this country. people gave bush a shot. for way too long. why are you so eager to denigrate positive forward movement, leonidas?

Read some Glenn Greenwald (a liberal constitutional lawyer) and see how much you trust the President:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/…
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/…
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/…
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/…

I think we can trust Obama about as far as we could trust Bush/Cheney

Mainly I feel like all information is now going through one filter or another and the best way to get accuracy is to read a source that slants one way, then a source that slants the other way, and figure out which parts were factual and which were spin.

Your cap-locked comment duly noted. Polls are snap-shots of a moment in time. 66% of those polled think Obama is to be trusted.

Who do you and CS trust?

I mean really, with you implying that voting for one's own self interest is somehow nefarious; and CS's “Past results are not indicative of future performance, and all of that,” you both seem frustrated by the concept that reality sometimes doesn't conform to your expectations. I would have figured you would have learned that with Bush.

The Politico provided a hyperlink (Did I mention it's a PDF?) to the poll's questions, including those about the demographics of the respondents.

See for yourself what they are.

She is getting 40% from the Independents…just sayin…

CO: “IT IS IN THEIR INTEREST to want that miracle. They do not have the ability or the wherewithall to make their lot better on their own.”

That's a pretty broad brush to be tossing around CO. I may not have voted for Obama, but I'm thinking that I kinda want that miracle too. And if it doesn't come, I'm pretty confident in my ability and my wherewithall…

And yeah, that sounds good about 538, and the fact that they aggregate is good. But don't forget that Zogby became well known and trusted when they had really accurate results in the past, and it's been all downhill from there (to the point that many consider them a joke now.) Past results are not indicative of future performance, and all of that.

I don't disagree that Obama's polling well………amongst all those folks hoping he pulls off a miracle…..because IT IS IN THEIR INTEREST to want that miracle. They do not have the ability or the wherewithall to make their lot better on their own. Instead of joining Gandelman with the insults to intelligence and predict that Democrats are going to be on top for the next 20 years, let's wait to see what the polls say when their is sufficient reality to replace what is now nothing more than hopeful expectation.

Come see me around August with your polls.

Are you asking to prove a negative?
“I'd like to know whether or not this agency is playing it straight up, and how can we be assured of that?”

I mean n the results of the past election is not sufficient, what do you deem is? I mean, 538 did have the most accurate polling results to actual vote. Sounds to me like their methodology works.

What I was asking is what the specific complaints were about Rasmussen's methodology and how do those factors compare to this polling agency.

All I'm saying is that if I were going to pronounce a poll as beyond reproach, I'd explain why that is so, yet Joe just gave the imprimatur without any real explanation. I'm not specifically dubious about these results, they may well be accurate- but for future reference, I'd like to know whether or not this agency is playing it straight up, and how can we be assured of that?

First, on Politico, here's a comment further down:

“Because CS, the first thing you do is question the methodology. Joe appears to know his audience.

Here's a link to 538.com and their ranking of pollsters. Of course, feel free to question their methodology too. Rasmussen is ranked third overall.”

And here are a couple more recent polls—of course liberal, biased, etc. I know…

April 6, 2009, 7:09 pm
Latest Poll on President Obama’s Approval Ratings

Americans have grown more optimistic about the economy and the direction of the country in the 11 weeks since President Obama was inaugurated, suggesting that Mr. Obama is enjoying some success in his critical task of rebuilding the nation’s confidence, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Gallup

April 13, 2009
Americans Most Confident in Obama on Economy
Democratic leaders in Congress fare better than Republican leaders April

PRINCETON, NJ — Over two-thirds of Americans — 71% — have a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in President Obama to do or recommend the right thing for the economy, a much higher level of confidence than is given to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, or the Democratic or Republican leaders in Congress.

These results, from a new April 6-9 Gallup Poll, show that President Obama continues to be the individual upon whom Americans are most willing to bestow their confidence when it comes to the economy.

Here's a link to 538.com and their ranking of pollsters. Of course, feel free to question their methodology too. Rasmussen is ranked third overall.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/…

Before founding Public Strategies, Martin was active in Democratic Party politics in the U.S., having reached a near-perfect record of wins as a political consultant in various U.S. Senate, gubernatorial, and congressional campaigns. Martin has served as senior advisor to the Democratic National Committee, a consultant to the U.S. Senate Democratic Campaign Committee and treasurer of the Texas Democratic Party.