Ominous new Gallup findings for Democrats: Blacks still love Obama, others not so much

The good news for President Obama is his popular support among blacks is holding steady at 91%.

The bad news is no other group of potential voters likes him that much.

In fact, 29 days before his first midterm elections, the Democrat's approval ratings remain mired below 50%.

A new Gallup Poll this morning finds his approval rating for September was 45%, almost the same as August's 44%. Obama's not exceeded the crucial 50% level in a single month so far this year.

Since Obama's name is not on any ballot Nov. 2, the proportions of Americans who like or dislike the fellow on Oct. 1 of a midterm election year shouldn't matter, in theory. However, history indicates otherwise.

Presidents with approval ratings below 50% at midterm time see their party suffer substantial losses in its congressional membership, regardless of how much explaining and blaming the president attempts in the campaign leading up to what becomes, in effect, a referendum on the president.

And since Democrats currently hold substantial majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives, they have substantially more seats to lose. A switch of 39 House and 10 Senate seats would give control of both houses to the Republicans for the first time since they lost it in 2007.

Democrats (79%) and liberals (75%) still like Obama a lot.

But after that, his approval percentage goes to the deep south. Support among even young people is down: 57%. Hispanics: 55%. Moderates: 54%. Unmarrieds: 53%. Easterners: 52%. Women: 47%. Midwesterners and Westerners: 45%.

Men: 43%. Southerners: 41%. Independents: 40%. Marrieds: 39%. Seniors: 38%. Whites: 36%. Conservatives: 23%.

Amazingly, among Republicans Obama still manages to hold the support of 12%.

-- Andrew Malcolm

New research indicates 100% of the 53,000 global readers who clicked here, now follow The Ticket with Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item. Or follow us @latimestot. Our Facebook Like page is over here. We're also available here on Kindle now. Feel free to share this item on Facebook or ReTweet using the buttons below.

Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo / EPA

Comments

[D-Fresh]

Hmm this poll is in alignment with the typical notion that only 9% of blacks are smart while the other 91% are thrusting this country further and further into a "racism coma." They're doing it to themselves and blame it on us. Hey, United States, wake up. Our country is screwed. Things need to change. Vote in November.

[RobbieK]

Martin Luther King, Jr. didn't say "vote for anyone who is Black". MLK Jr. said "don't just a man by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character". If you do that, Barry Obama suddenly becomes highly unfavorable in the United States.

[Ruth Rose]

I would argue that it is skin color over self interest. That is Black Liberation Theology at work. Doesn't matter how badly the person who subscribes to it is personally harmed, just as long as those who don't subscribe to it are harmed too. Payback is the goal, not salvation. Of course the race whores, like Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Wright, and Obama, always benefit - everyone else suffers.

[RobbieK]

Oh James, c'mon! You are pretending to be a Black American.

[CB]

The sad thing is - no one is brave enough to say that about 90% of the 91% vote along racial and not ideology lines. Because that would make the person a racist for even writing such a thing - opps!

[Uawguy]

Detroit here. We have had a taste of Black government here since the riots of 1967. The leadership that was elected year after year did nothing to help this town. it got so bad here that it took the state AG and the feds to come in and clean up this mess. But nobody is left, everybody moved to the suburbs. Funny ain't it? the blacks keep electing crooks because the color of their skin is the same as their own. the town is broke and deep in debt dirty, and vacant. The people that elected this crap over and over left for the suburbs. They wanted them in office they should have stayed with their chosen elected.

[RobbieK]

Did Gallup perform the poll in all of Obama's 57 States? Or, was the poll only taken in the real America made up of 50 States?

[Homer Simpson]

It's nice to know that this 91% of people aren't racist or think of race at all in there decision like everybody else does.

[Layla]

Blacks in WHAT COUNTRY? NOT this one! You must have been polling the Congressional Black Caucus.

We are not stupid. We are homeless and out of work and the same is about to happen to him.

[CB]

And if you don't think Rangel doesn't get back in - you're nuts. He'll do it because he has been Harlems "Home-Boy" for decades - even when a a police officer was killed in the early 70's, and Rangel knew who did it.

[Uawguy]

And if Kwame Kilpatrick was released from prison today and ran for mayor tomorrow he would win by a landslide. Detroit just fired a Black police chief , it's been said he was too tough on criminals and was always seen with white people.

[CB]

"nader paul kucinich gravel mckinney" - You're an idiot - go back to your hole in your parents basement!

[RayRubbernose]

This poll illustrates the worthlessness of today's polls in general. Any poll that claims that 23% of conservatives support Obama has no credibility whatsoever. End of story.

[Mike]

I don't know where they are getting their results because ALL of the educated Black Americans I talk to do no favor oblahblah at all.

[jeffo]

so plain to see the racism in this. blacks support obama ONLY because he's black. everyone knows it.

[mickeymat]

The fact that African Americans still support this president will hurt their standing with white Americans. I, for one am sick and tired of their refusing to think and instead to revert to basing all their decisions on race. It is despicable.

[Gary]

So I guess that proves that 36% of whites are insane.

And 91% of blacks care only about race.

[Tyrone Jackson]

I don't think anyone is surprised by this. As a group, blacks consider the candidates race quite a bit and are more forgiving of public figures lack of performance or improprieties than other groups. That is why black felons such as Marion Barry were easily re-elected in predominantly black cities.

[Hubert Smith]

This is our "post-racial" president, right?

[RL Morrison]

This isn't news. The percentages of people who think OJ is innocent runs about the same.

[Arnold]

Said how blacks hate the USA so much they would support some one who is doing some much damage to the USA.

[Mike Cleary]

Definition of RACISM
1
: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2
: racial prejudice or discrimination

[edword]

So what will happen when a white Democrat challenges BO for 2112? And wins?

[Rob]

And these are the people that will re-elect that crook Charlie Rangel

[Politically Incorrect]

Why is this poll at all surprising? I did not need a poll to tell me this, we are racially divided in this country and Obama is feeding the divisiveness. He is an incompetent community organizer who is in way over his head but of course blacks love him, he's black, I mean it does not take a genius to make this conclusion.

[FreemonSandlewould]

Now we know who the real racists are. Obama is clueless yet blacks like him. They are the real racists.

[GrannyRob]

I guess people are really deathly fearful of being labeled a racist if they express disapproval of Barak Hussein Obama. Apparently, name calling labels affect high school popularity contests greatly. However, as long as voting is done in secret, at least for the time being anyway, the ballot boxes will very likely say "I don't give a shoot what name you brand me with, I'm voting against your Marxist leader in every election bid I can!"

[Mark]

But one STILL cannot call them what they are lest one's post be deleted.

[Hondo]

I don't know where you got the blacks for this poll. The north pole maybe. All my friends, family are tired of his lies and his color is irrelevant. More wars, wiretaps, patriot act, same economic team as Bush, more drones killing innocent brown people, more drill baby drill. We see what's up....

Posted by: Bulldogg | October 04, 2010 at 04:39 AM

Totally agree Bulldog.

President Obama is definitely not a president for Black people.

[rashid]

Political, social, and cultural immaturity will manifest itself with group approval of anyone or anything of that cultural group. Blacks will support very substandard candidates, celebrities, athletes and so on simply on race . Obama's a good guy, but 91% approval? Look at the status enjoyed by such DBs as Jackson and Sharpton. No other cultural group on the USA would support those hustlers. Time to grow up.

[Long Beach Mark]

Barack Obama is supposed to be the President of the entire nation. Clearly he doesn't understand his job description when one demographic loves him almost universally and the other demographic mostly doesn't. Gosh, I wonder what he's doing wrong?

[Al]

Well,well they sure do like to accuse republicans but now we can see more and more which political party has the "plantation" mentality. They'll always do as they're told like good lemmings.

[rplat]

Blacks couldn't care less if he's an incompetent failure . . . as long as he's black. This poor sick Republic is deteriorating at warp speed.

[David]

So much for all patriotic Americans uniting to defend and honor the Constitution that is under attack at this very moment.
At what point does our black community as a whole choose to protect their Constitution? Before or after America is conqured by the enemy! Thanks be to GOD for the many that are rising up to the treason committing regime occupying the executive branch of the peoples(this includes black Americans) U.S.Government.
The democratic party political organization(not to be confused with patriotic democrats)are not the least bit regretful of how they have been stokong the fires of racism and manipulating black Americans.
With GOD willing more black Americans will step forward to defend America!
This is not about any one person or even a group,this is about The United States of America!

[pynaetlb]

This just shows that America blacks are extremely racist. They still like a guy (just because he's black) who is making their everyday lives harder. Everything costs more, our freedoms are being stolen from us, he's put out great grand children in debt, and he's greatly weakened us in the eyes of the world. But those needy racists still love him. They're either racists or stupid.

[Buck N Farack]

Such stats are clear indicators the poor job the black community school systems are doing and the divisive job BHO is doing.
A sorry state of affairs.

[Steve]

Who are the racists now?
Most blacks will vote for some one because they have dark skin even if the country is going down the toilet.

[Jeff]

And of course it's whites who are basing their opinion on race.

[chilepepper99]

He is still popular among blacks because he is black and that is the only reason.

If he were the exact same person but was white, I'll bet his popularity among blacks would be well below 50%.

I worked at the polls on election day 2008 and do you want to know what was the most asked question by black voters: "Which one is the black guy?"........

[Darrel]

This proves that there is indeed still rampant racism in America. Blacks are racist and will vote for a person based solely on their skin color. Blacks have proven their racism once again.

[Will]

Why?
Because most (91%) black folks in amerika today are obsessed with race. Most whites are not, they just want our problems solved.
Who is really racist?
Problem solving is not gonna happen with this batch of clowns in office.

[Bobby]

If the average overall approval rating for the president is 42%, and 91% of blacks approve of Obama, does that mean that 49% of the black population that approve of Obama approve of him just because they are racist?

[Nancita]

Are we to assume that if Obama were white, 91% of white voters would support him? I think not.

[Davidtoo]

And they base this support on which attribute of the candidate?

[theduck6]

So I guess democrats are racist now, huh? Seems you can't disagree with Pres Obama for any other reason than you are seething beccause a black man was elected President. DAMNED RACIST DEMOCRATS!

[Jarbo]

Obama can still count on the support of the "OJ is innocent" crowd.

[Mike Cleary]

He is the best black president ever and the worst president ever. But he shouldn't be the example of what a black president could be. Vote for Herman Cain and then Wacko BarackO would be the worst black president in history.

[ras]

91% like Him? wow, what a surprise ? No racial issue here. very open minded group.... And he's done so much for them too? amusing... Is that the big Grey elephant in the room? 91% of blacks support him?!

[will]

It just amazes me how many black people still like this guy after all he and the democrats have done. I am not sure if this is considered racism or not on behalf of the american people. But the president has made it clear while he calls on his fellow black brothers that he is racist against whites and other races.

[Adheeb]

If 94% of whites voted for McCain, would that be because of racism? If 91% of whites still wanted McCain as President, would that be because whites are racists? No, the answer is absolutely No!

Does that mean whites are not generally biggots & racists? Again, no. They show themselves to be racists because only 36% of white men approve of our first black President.

So, does that mean 'blacks' are racists? Again, No! Blacks are not racists, they're just smarter.