It is widely agreed that much of America is worried about our nations future while a high majority is greatly optimistic in the matter of economic recovery. This is shown in the Washington Post-ABC News Poll. About thirty questions were repeatedly asked through the dates of January 13-16, 2009 among 1,079 landline and cell phone responding adults. 204 were of the African American population.
Supporting answers in the polls showed that 46% of a net of 80% strongly approved of the way Barack Obama handled the presidential transition, 33% of a net of 52% very high expectations for Obama’s performance as president, 50% think Obama has a mandate to carry out the agenda, 46% say he should compromise with Republican opposition; 71% think he had a mandate for major new social and economic programs, the other 22% say only for small policy changes; in what priorities the people say he and congress should putting order of the must-do list: The economy (76% of 98%), the U.S. Campaign against terrorism (50% of 92%), Health Care (41% of 89%), the federal Budget Deficit (48% of 88%), the situation in Afghanistan (37% of 85%), taxes (23% of 81%), the situation between Israel and the Palestinians (21% of 71%), immigration issues (21% of 69%), and Global Warming (17% of 51%); 63% believe he is on the right track when it comes to dealing with the economy, an increase of 8% since December; 55% support increasing federal spending to try to improve the economy, even if it sharply increases the federal budget deficit; an overall 72% are confident that Obama’s economic program will improve the economy, for those confident that Obama’s economic program wil improve the economy, for those confident of this 91% believe it will take more than a year for the program to work; 53% favor over a smaller government with fewer services, 79% overall have a favorable impression with Barack Obama, 72% for his wife Michelle; in what people believed applied to Obama; an equal 72% say he understands the common people and he is a strong leader, 69%say he can be trusted in a crisis; last year in two polls dating back to September and December, an overall 94% down to 90% saw the country’s current financial situation is a crisis, 76% say he will bring needed change to WA D.C., 75% say he is honest trustworthy, 67% say he is citizens values, and 62% he will be a good commander-in-chief of the military; 69% believe he will listen to different points of view, balanced, 68% say the economy has hurt them personally, 81% are worried of the direction of the nation’s economy over the next few years as 70% are worried about their families financial situation, as to say 59% blame the current economic problems on George W. Bush, 61% think the war with Iraq was NOT worth fighting, and finally 55% think that Obama’s proposal to withdraw five-thousand to ten thousand U.S. forces from Iraq each month over 16 months is a fair paces retreat.It is safe to say that America is ready for this historical president to solve issues concerning banking, housing, and credit. Seven to ten support spending to jump-start the economy with $800 billion.
Though as Obama has warned, the economic road to recovery is going to be long and that it may get worse before getting better. A phrase frequently used. He even goes as far as to say that it could get as bas as the ten year depression of 1929-1939 (though we most likely wont be in it for that long), “our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse.” He has said he is trying to be careful not to “over promise” something you never really hear from a president., “part of the lifting the gloom is to be honest with the American people about the hole we’re in and then project confidence that will dig our way out of it as long as we act sensibly and responsibly. Your confidence is to crash pretty quickly if it turns out that you were overoptimistic.”
Other presidents that made history being sworn in are George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, James, Madison, William Harrison, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.