Faith in Obama at an All Time Low

Poll: Obama begins second term facing pessimistic public. As President Barack Obama heads into his second term, he faces a pessimistic and weary public, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll released late Tuesday.

The percentage of Americans satisfied with the direction of the country stands at a paltry 23 percent in a poll taken Dec. 14-17. By a margin of 50 to 47 percent, respondents said the country's best years are over.

Fifty percent of respondents said it is somewhat or very unlikely that today's youth will have a better life than their parents.

That pessimism and negativity extends to the president, according to the poll.

When respondents were asked to choose adjectives to describe their feelings about the president's re-election, the poll showed the excitement and pride many Americans felt about the president's first term has diminished.

Sixty-seven percent of respondents in November 2008 said they felt optimistic about the president's election and the same percentage said it made them feel proud. Last month those numbers fell to 52 percent for optimistic and 48 percent for proud. Forty-three percent of Americans surveyed also said they feel pessimistic about the president's re-election and 36 percent said it made them feel afraid—both increases from 2008.

The president's approval rating, however, hovered at the 50 percent threshold in the USA Today/Gallup survey. This is 1 percentage point above George W. Bush as he headed into his second term, but below the 58 percent rating held by Bill Clinton and 59 percent held by Ronald Reagan.

The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Cowboys and Tea Parties Comments: If only 23% approves of the direction Obama is leading us in, then why was he elected President again?

Obama received 70% of the vote in the demographic group of people who made around $40,000 or less. Did this group vote for continued deficit spending? No. Did this group vote for adding more debt to the incredible $16.4 trillion in debt we already have?  No.  Did this group vote for a continued failed foreign policy? No. Did this group vote for higher fuel prices? No.

No, they did not vote for the above or the status quo, but that's what they got with Obama.  What they did vote for was simply......stuff. Welfare and checks. We are at the time in the history of this country where those who live off of others now outnumbered those of us who foot the bill.