Obama's Faces Reality on War, Health Insurance

Pollster John Zogby regularly updates our Obamameter. Each week, Zogby uses his polling, expert analysis, and interaction with major players to come up with a rating of between 1 and 100. Unlike his polls, the Obamameter is his judgment on the performance of the president once multiple factors are considered. In this week's Obamameter, Zogby considers what the president faces as he figures who his friends are in the debates over the war and healthcare reform. He gives Obama 85 out of 100. Zogby says:

"It was a week where the president was sorting out his allies from his enemies. Are Pakistan's Asif Ali Zardari and Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai friend or foe? And how about all those healthcare moguls who now want to help cut costs and have a seat at the table of reform legislation? Will they help pass Obama's plan, or are they there to block a government health insurance option? His grades on those tests are far from final. But he does get an A for his stand-up routine at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Who knew 'no-drama Obama' could be a comedian? However, his bipartisan message did take a hit."

This week's Obamameter Rating: 85

Last week's rating: 91

John Zogby is president and CEO of Zogby International, a public opinion, research, and business solutions firm with experience working in more than 70 countries. Founded and led by Zogby since 1984, Zogby International specializes in telephone, Internet, and face-to-face survey research and analysis for corporate, political, nonprofit, and governmental clients. The firm is headquartered in Utica, N.Y. John Zogby is also the author of The Way We'll Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream (Random House).

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