California liberals remain hopeful about Obama despite setbacks, Times/USC poll finds

Much media attention has been devoted in recent weeks to disappointed liberals — Obama supporters disillusioned by the problems the new president has had in converting his campaign promises into legislation.

But how widespread is that phenomenon?

Has disappointment spread throughout liberal ranks or are the disaffected still a rarity?

At least in California, rare is the answer, according to a new Los Angeles Times/USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences poll of the state’s voters.

The poll gave voters a list of emotions — anger, disappointment, anxiety, hope and pride — and asked them which most came to mind in connection with some political figures.

Among those who identified themselves as liberals, only 6% cited “disappointment” as the emotion they associated with Obama. Among self-identified liberal Democrats, the figure was 4%. The predominant emotion cited by liberals when they thought of Obama was “hope” at 57%, followed by “pride” at 28%.

Conservatives, not surprisingly, see things differently. Among self-identified conservatives, 30% said they were disappointed with Obama, while 21% cited “anxiety.” Another 21% cited “hope,” while 6% cited “pride.”

Another personality type often cited in news reports, conservatives angry at Obama, seems considerably more common in California than the disappointed liberal. Among conservatives, 19% cited “anger” as the emotion they felt in thinking about the president.

The survey, based on interviews of 1,500 registered voters from Oct. 27 through Nov. 3, was conducted for The Times and USC by two nationally prominent polling firms, the Democratic firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner , and the Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies.

The results for the full sample have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. See full results of the poll and text of the poll questions; find other articles about the poll results at Times/USC poll.

--David Lauter

Photo: President Obama last month in Copenhagen. Credit: Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images.

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Comments

[little italy]

i don't care what people say in my eyes he can do no wrong he has helped the poor and disadvantage

[Tornadoes28]

That only means that California Liberals are delusional.

[WilDaMA]

Wow, thats great news, California's Liberals are still behind Obama. So how long until the entire country becomes bankrupt like CA?

[WilDaMA]

Wow, thats great news, California's Liberals are still behind Obama. So how long until the entire country becomes bankrupt like CA?

[Joanna Jenkins]

I'm a registered Democrat, and I have nothing good to say about our 2 Democrat (liberal) Senators and about our President. They have put us on the road to bankruptcy, but apparently only illegals, bums, welfare cheats, and extreme liberals approve of it. When you have to know a foreign language to live here you might wake up. I'm worried about tomorrow in this country. Yes, it sounds so rosy, but roses die and all you have left is thorns.

[WilDaMA]

Do they still have Hope in the Change They Can Believe In?

[WilDaMA]

Did the poll also include the question: "How many Obama bumper stickers do you have on your Prius"?

[avwrobel]

If only Obama were behind them.

[Michael]

Can't we all just get along?

[Pilar]

None of the setbacks in California are as a result of Obama-- they are as a result of an actor that people assumed would do a better job than Gray Davis...and is also a REPUBLICAN. The people that are delusional as Tornadoes28 points out are the people who think change happens overnight. Too many people like to talk, but unfortunately not many people LISTEN to what's going on. I'm neither an illegal immigrant, a bum or a welfare cheat as Joanna Jenkins points out, but I do have hope and still approve of Obama.

The guy's been in office for 8 months and he's responsible for everything that happened in the past few years? Who's REALLY the delusional one?!

[Your opinion]

Joanna, you are not fooling us, you are a card-carrying republican trying to create the image of a disaffected democrat. Not working. IF you are right, we are FINANCIALLY bankrupt (your word) because of eight plus years of an un-winnable "war" charged to a credit card, lack of regulation of "too big to fail" financial institutions that exist to funnel greater wealth to the extremely wealthy combined with massive tax cuts to the wealthy which has increased the gap between the haves/have-not's. If we are MORALLY bankrupt its because of watching republican elected officials demonstrate their "family values". But actually, most of us real progressive democrats are willing to admit it will take some time to undo the damage of the past eight years of Bushco and even some of the financial damage by Clinton before that. Obama, and we are doing fine. Hard though with the screaming minority of crazed extreme rightists on his back though. Stay calm people, its gonna take time. Breathe.

[Joey]

I read in here that Obama has helped the poor and disadvantage. I wish you would please explain your answer on that one. Does his attempt in distribution of wealth make you get up in the morning with hope?

Obama gives new meaning to full of hot air. This man WILL go down as the worse president in history. Yes G.W. was bad but this man is going to take this country down. Though I never believed a word this man said during his campaign, I did have some sense of something different, but this man is a Marxist and MY country....OUR country was not founded on this foundation.

People talk about UHC and how great it's going to be. I am a Vet and the VA sucks!

He wants Cap and Trade and even out of his own mouth he says it will sky rocket energy prices. All of this during a time when we have a 10% unemployment rate!

A failed stimulus package that is going to have to be paid for way past our existence. Oh yeah..if we passed this unemployment wasn't suppose to go past what was that figure 8% unemployment.

California Liberals are the biggest sheep. Following their sheep herder! Our state is BK because of social programs. We all know it and we still vote people in office who can't even whip their own back side! Now they are putting people like that in the Federal Government. Republicans aren't any better, but we need to put the right people in office. And right now it's people who are fiscal conservative! Rather that person be a Democrat, Republican, Independent or Constitutionalists, we have to do something! Do your research before you vote!

For starters we have the opportunity to boot Senator Boxer in 2010. She is worthless just like the rest. Let's start with that. Arnold is next!

[Holly Star]

Personally I'd like to thank California's liberals for all their efforts over the last thirty years.

Our education system is second to none. Well actually it's second to the bottom but at least you've left something to aspire to- Mississippi!

Our energy infrastructure is really exciting. I'm glad Pasadena gets 57% of it's electricity from coal burning plants in Utah. Those pesky clean burning nukes were always such a problem here. I can't even begin count how many died from them, and neither can anyone else. I'm going to throw out the plasma TV this weekend right after the SuperBowl too!

Personally I can't wait to plug in my Chevy Volt and see what overloads.

Our transportation system is a marvel of efficiency now. Admittedly there are those pesky weekdays where travel is difficult, but 3AM on Sunday is looking good!

And think of the legions of CPA's that will be trained trying to figure out the state budget!

My favorite place to go is the DMV. Here is Pasadena, they've modernized the place by installing those delightful four inch thick acrylic windows everywhere so the employees can look out to the general public and continue to provide their legendary service. Why doesn't AAA go bulletproof as well?

You were right to shut off the water to the San Joaquin Valley. I think it's long past time we stop growing food in California. Everyone knows it much easier to microwave food trucked in from Ohio.

But the best news of all is we'll all have free health care now, because Nancy says it's mandatory. So the next time you get in a car accident with an illegal alien, ask him to show you his mandatory car insurance AND health insurance cards!

Congratulations to all Democrats once again. You must be ever so proud.

[Gaucho420]

The complainers on this blog can only blame themselves, as the political system in CA is broken due to the voters continued ineptness and poor choices, across a vast board of stupid propositions and laws that tie the governments hand and basically, gives EXACTLY to the voters what they voted for.

And if you don't know what I'm talking about, you just proved my point. Get educated and then launch your complaints at yourself for either not voting or voting stupidly.

[Ramon]

Coolaide drinkers unite!

[Windfall]

Emotion most associated with the Obama presidency?

How about disgust?

[Fred]

I voted for him and am absolutely disappointed.

- He is clearly owned by Goldman Sachs and JPM. The plundering and greed by wall street continues unabated while the dollar gets trashed. I have nothing but hatred and contempt for the financial industry in this country.

essentially, nothing has changed from the former administration. I am so depressed and I hate my country

[kooo]

I thought that most of the reasons why some people began to have less hopes of the President is because he has not yet done a lot of things... so what are the conservatives "angry" about? Regardless of politics, when Bush was in power for 8 YEARS, I rarely heard any body, regardless of politics, yell that they wished that the President failed ( I wished some famous liberal did, just to hear Rush's illogical response)... folks, Obama has been in power for less than 1 year...

[JBuck]

This is a suprise? He is still the most left wing and radical president ever elected. You didn't need a poll to figure this out.

[Liz]

If you look at all the questions in the survey and the percentage of over 60, white, propensity to vote, the survey begins to look seriously flawed. To think that voters/Californians are vehemently opposed to changing the state constitution to allow something other than the 2/3s vote currently required for budgets/taxes is again flawed. Sure, people are upset with the gov. and the legislature, and with good reason. This doesn't mean that we are all stupid or uneducated out here. The survey is only of people who list their phone number on their voter registration. Bad data, flawed information.
There are more of us who think out here....

[LA Wiseguy]

Liberals are hopeful Obama won't raise the military budget another 26% over Bush's, won't continue torture in Gitmo/et al, double troops in Afghanistan, and send billions of printed dollars to Wall Street thieves whom he should instead prosecute. Oh wait, he actually did all that, & then won a Nobel Peace Prize!

Lib's need therapy for the Big O. Smoke & sunshine blown from behind are not the change they wanted.

[Pacific Ocean]

So far so good Obama….. considering the mess you inherited from Bush and Dick. The environment and sane people of California thank you. Change and progress cannot happen overnight, give the man some time before criticize.

[dee]

The man can not run the country by himself , this country was in a mess
long before Obama became President.

[Julian B Duron]

Hopeful? Yeah Right, Kool-Aid still has not worn off yet. Just wait until April 15th 2010 when these hopeful's get their tax bill. Time to pay the piper! That hope will all wash away and reality will set in then.

[peter]

How can some of these comments blame Obama or our Senators for our economic woes. How about Bush, Wall Street, Housing lenders who lead us into this mess. Are we that stupid? And is the GOP the answer? After 8 years of lies and spending 10 billion a month in Iraq, we are upset with Obama?
In california we are upset about the ethnic make up of our state? I am 4 th generation Californian. I have no issues with our President or the ethnic make up of our state.
Arnold with his tough talk failed to crush the lobbists that control our state and country. You wan to get mad, go after those idiots, who pay off our leaders.
One more shot at the GOP...the party of no, the party of lobbists, the party that truely destroyed america

[TheBigPicture]

Are the poor and disadvantaged ever going to be more than a burden on society...let's spend our money/time/energy on the productive members of society...That way we can remain a superpower and flex our might at will...the American Way...Our way or the highway...

[Zach]

I suffered through 8 years of George Bush, convinced his social conservatism, military extravagance, and generally big-government ways were going to destroy our nation. I saw great damage wrought, but the end never came. I'm certainly not going to panic after a year of Obama when things are looking better than they did. The man didn't campaign on instant change, and I don't see "OMG radical socialism!!1!" in negotiated healthcare reform.

You can't talk about how great our country is with its resiliency and diversity, then go screaming "The sky is falling!" when someone you don't like gets elected. Get a grip!

[WilDaMA]

Um Zach you said- "You can't talk about how great our country is with its resiliency and diversity, then go screaming "The sky is falling!" when someone you don't like gets elected. Get a grip!"... I dont know what planet you have been living on, but screaming the "Sky is Falling" has been the Democrat Party's mantra for the past 18 months...

[Zach]

That's the "DemocratIC Party," Wil, and I really don't care how you care to pass off such unhelpful and unproductive behavior just because you see others doing it. I see a big difference, though, between "Healthcare is broken and we need to fix it NOW" (Dem position) and "This is socialism and will create death panels to pull the plug on Grandma" (Rep position). The Dems may be insistant, they may be moving forward (as the majority party often does), but they're just not that extreme.

[WilDaMA]

Thank you Mr Grammar police. Typical for someone without any real argument. some of the "the sky is falling" rhetoric used by the Democrats to force through their agenda: "exploding deficits", "economic collapse", "too big to fail", and dont forget all the end of the world scare tactics being used regarding global warming

[Zach]

Hey Wil, you RESPONDED to my argument, then responded to the argument I made in response, so claiming I had no argument just because I took a moment to correct your mistake seems a pretty foolish thing to say.

What did you hope to prove in vaguely citing climate change legislation or economic recovery measures? Both sides make strong arguments about these things, that's not extremism and just because one side disagrees with your ideas does not make them extremists. Even if I thought your blame game was productive in any way, I really don't see how pointing to peer-reviewed science as evidence the oceans may rise compares at all to pointing to a vague passage in a bill and declaring your opposition plans to kill grandmothers.

Like I said, people need to stop this panicky nonsense. I know it makes CSPAN more like SPIKE TV, but it's making our politics practically as fictional and absurd!

[me]

I am glad liberals are still happy, that means that in California we will continue enjoying, marihuana, meth and heroin from our narco friends. In addition, people from all over the world can continue coming to LAC+USC hospital for free care. I really hope that soon, I can stop working and start receiving free medical care, food stamps, and some money to pay my rent. Hope Obama and the liberals pass the legislation soon.

[Jon Stephens]

Ten months isn't near enough time to repair the damage done by the right-wing racketeers. Some damage is unfixable... such as deaths in Iraq in trade for the oil that isn't flowing.