One-Third of Americans Say US Better If Hillary Clinton Was President
A recent Bloomberg poll shows the growing dissatisfaction for the current administration could possibly translate to Republican votes.
The poll revealed that one in three Americans believe the United States would be better off if Hillary Clinton, not Barack Obama, had been elected president.
The survey, conducted with the Iowa-based Selzer & Co., shows the former first lady's popularity has grown tremendously while the president's job rating has declined.
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The majority of respondents, 64 percent, hold a favorable view of Clinton. Ninety percent of Democrats and 63 percent of Independents like Clinton. Additionally, 34 percent of the respondents said things would be better under a Clinton administration.
The data is a reflection of growing disenchantment with the Obama administration.
In late August, the president experienced the worst three-day job approval rating of his entire presidency. More than half (55 percent) of Americans said they disapproved of his performance, while only 38 percent said they approved of his performance.
One of the demographics where Obama's support remains the lowest is among those whose income is between $24,000 and $59,999.
In July and August, the general unemployment rate remained steady, at around 9 percent. In minority communities, the unemployment rates soared to well over 10 percent.
This month, the president's approval rating is still low (40 percent), while unemployment is the most important problem on the minds of most Americans, the recent poll found.
Although the president's job approval rate is down, an August CNN/ ORC International poll shows that 70 percent of Democrats want Obama to be the party's nominee.
Eric Sapp, founding partner of Christian Democratic consultant group the Eleison Group explains, "There's been a lot of sets back over the last two years, many of them out of his control, but there has been a yearning for a candidate Obama who can present a clear vision and then fight for it."
Like many Democrats, Illinois dentist William DeJean said he believes that Obama inherited many problems from George W. Bush's administration. He also told The Christian Post that he believes that some of Obama's policies are to blame for the current economy.
As a result, he and others have signed petitions urging Obama to step aside in the Democratic presidential nominee race for Clinton. DeJean personally purchased and aired ads in 2010 encouraging Clinton to run in 2012.
Democrats who have grown tired of waiting for Obama and those who expected Obama to bring change are now feeling buyer's remorse, DeJean said.
"Most of the people who supported Obama have buyer's remorse, because he made a lot of promises that were impossible to keep," DeJean said of Democrats in 2008. "They got enthralled and they expected him to change everything."
While several of those polled expressed a preference for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a democratic candidate, a larger amount of voters expressed doubt that electing another Democratic leader would make a difference.
Almost half, 47 percent, of the respondents said things would be the same under a Clinton administration.
While the recent poll shows only 29 percent of Americans think things would have been better if McCain were president, DeJean says some Democrats may find promise in a Republican candidate during the 2012 race.
DeJean has donated $2,500 to Republican candidate Jon Huntsman, a moderate he believes has the experience to turn the country around.
DeJean predicts that Democrats will not want to support GOP candidates like Texas Gov. Rick Perry or Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), who are perceived as ultra-conservative. However, he believes Democrats may be swayed to vote for former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman or former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Pointing to Obama's jobs speech Sept. 8, Sapp argued that Obama is showing signs of renewing his fight and will demand change from Congress.
"It would be interesting to see polling after Americans have had time to process Obama's jobs speech, because it was so much more strategic and forceful and what I think Democrats and the country as a whole have been looking for from our president."
Already, a poll conducted by Gallup shows that majority of Americans support Obama's jobs bill. Seventy percent of Democrats said they favor the bill compared to 19 percent of Republicans, and 44 percent of Independents favor Obama's jobs bill.
Sapp said he believes that when more Democrats see Obama pushing for action and when Republicans care more about having Obama fail, Christian Democrats will support the president.
When asked whether or not frustrated Democrats like himself would actually vote across party lines in November, DeJean said, "I think most of it is going to depend on the economy ... I think it's going to be based on how the economy is and the jobs numbers."
