Americans Remain Confident in Obama as President [View All]

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November 25, 2008

Americans Remain Confident in Obama as President

Roughly two-thirds say they are confident in Obama’s ability to be a good president

by Frank Newport

PRINCETON, NJ -- Between 63% and 67% of Americans have said they are confident in Barack Obama's ability to be a good president in the weeks since his election on Nov. 4, a sentiment that doesn't yet appear to be have been affected, positively or negatively, by news coverage of the president-elect's staff and Cabinet appointments, or by reports of his economic and other policy plans.



Gallup Poll Daily tracking has included the basic question, "Are you confident or not confident in Barack Obama's ability to be a good president?" every day since Nov. 5. The results have been remarkably consistent, as seen in the accompanying graph. Almost two-thirds of Americans have said they are confident in his ability to be president, with only minor day-to-day fluctuations, since Nov. 5.

The days since Obama's election have been filled with news reports of projected and actual staff choices, Cabinet member appointments, and his planned economic stimulus proposal, as well as his weekly radio addresses. Some of the news reports, including the probability that he will appoint former rival Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, have the potential to be controversial. Still, nothing Obama has done so far appears to have changed the basic -- and generally positive -- structure of American public opinion about his coming presidency.

Notably, the percentage of Americans who are confident in his ability to be a good president substantially exceeds his share of the vote (53%) in the November election.

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