Public Opinion Strategies

The Michigan Consumer Confidence Index numbers for August are out: 65.7, or one of the 33 worst months on record. The University of Michigan started the Index in winter of 1978 and has released data monthly ever since.
While not as predictive as one of our other favorite indexes, the Misery Index, the consumer confidence index [...] Read more

Here at Public Opinion Strategies, it is axiomatic that a president’s job approval is held captive by the mood of the country.  Between President Obama’s swearing in and early June, national right direction numbers ballooned from 28% up to 46% while his job approval hovered in the low 60s. Since early June, right direction numbers [...] Read more

My partner Glen’s OCD is well-placed when it comes to Independent voters; where they end up will decide the 2010 elections.  But, their swollen ranks have not just come by way of GOP defections.  Thanks to the total, complete, consolidated, and dominating power of President Obama and Congressional allies in Congress, they are now coming [...] Read more

Predictions of the Grand Old Party’s demise are exaggerated, the numbers show a party clawing its way out of the grave. Look at the simple chart below. It’s an amalgamation of two sets of numbers, all taken from a huge data of information taken from NBC News-Wall Street Journal surveys. It explains a lot.
The first [...] Read more

Our most recent national survey asked a battery of questions on President Obama’s economic policies and the stimulus. In a nutshell, when it comes to Americans: Read more

55% support it;
56% support it and either believe it will work or hope it will work;
57% believe it will help most Americans, and
50% believe it will help they and their [...] Read more

When POS’ Obama: 100 Days In survey asked Americans how they felt about President Obama’s economic polices, most American found themselves hopeful but firmly in the middle.
Only a handful (13%) count themselves among supporters who are confident that the new president’s economic policies will work. SHOCK: The new president can only count on one-in-four (25%) [...] Read more

The current Misery Index (the unemployment and inflation rates combined) is 8.34 and rising. The unemployment rate alone was 8.1%. While history shows the unemployment rate can drop one point in three months once it comes off its peak, it also shows that it then takes six to nine months to drop every point thereafter.
Do [...] Read more

Everyone knows President Bush left office with record disapproval rating of 67% (from January 2009 NBC/WSJ survey). And it’s been part and parcel of the Democratic strategy to continue running against the former president. The Democrats who run campaigns aren’t idiots; they did it because it worked.
So, how long will the Bush Hangover last?
Combining the [...] Read more

President Obama: “What I’m looking at is not the date-to-day gyrations of the stock market…” Well, he should be. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has dropped more than 2,500 points and lost 27% of its value since November 5. Why is this important?
The market isn’t just for rich people anymore. And, it hasn’t been for [...] Read more