Obama Hurt by Job Losses, Honduras Coup

July 10, 2009 RSS Feed Print
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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. The Obamameter, however, is not a poll-based job approval number. Instead, the Washington Whispers Obamameter is his judgment on the performance of the president once multiple factors are considered. In this week's Obamameter, Zogby sees Obama adoration chilling because of job losses, carping about slow stimulus spending, and the coup in Honduras.

"All in all, not the greatest week in the Obama presidency. He finally got his 60th Democratic senator in Minnesota Democrat Al Franken. However, other crises loom. The coup in Honduras, for example, has the potential for a regional explosion. The economy continues to bleed record job losses, and we're starting to hear impatience about the stimulus plan. Even the president's own party is split on a second stimulus package, and while Michelle and the kids look fabulous in Russia and Italy, the trip saw no adoring crowds in Moscow."

This week: Down to 73.

Last week's rating: 75

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 around the globe. 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 Well Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream (Random House).

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I am apalled by some commentaries, but i do not condemned them.

We have some of the blame of our past history of military coups.

What bothers me is that people can make such comments without understanding or caring to understand what really happened.

Whatever happened to research, is it not the way to make an unbiased opinion?

Yes the president broke many laws. Most importantly the laws clearly stated in the Honduran constitution.

It began months ago when he continously defied the congress,

the court and memebers of his own ruling party not to mention the church and many more institutions. There where many atempts to make him understand the implications of such a course of accion he was taking and withdraw from such attempt.

He was clearly defying the other two powers(judiciary,legislative) and taking the law within his own hand with the pretext of only trying to help the poor.(poor old me)

Checks and balances were at work here regardless of any justificacion the president was taking and using.

It was evendent that the power behind Zelaya was Chavez and with money and drugs coming in by the plane loads it was easy for him to buy many people in key places. It was cristal clear the true nature of his intentions.

Back to the arrest. The high court issued an arrest on the president to be carried out by the military and to be taken in

custody and eventually jailed. This were it becomes tricky to understand and why people think it was a military coup.

What does the USA goverment do when it breaks many laws in foreign countries by abducting their citizens regardless of the imputations against him. NATIONAL SECURITY.

And let me tell you I know because it happened in Honduras

with Raul Matta a drug lord. He was taken by force by DEA officers clearly illegally by Honduran law.Even though it was

illegal I happened to be in favor of this action, he was a bad apple that had gained great power in honduras by giving out money to politicians and especially to the poor, blood money that is. He was very smart to use the poor and defenseless while he destroyed many lives thru drugs. What better way to be the modern robinhood and shield himself with the poor.The poor didnt care where the money came from.

Please do not give me lessons on Democracy.

Getting back again to the"coup" In my opinion the military

may have acted lawfully wrong and gave the world an excuse to use the word "coup".

Ok lets get back to Matta. Why didnt the USA just leave him to be tried by honduran justice? Now lets think a little here.

The poor liked him because he gave them money.The action by the USA was clearly illegal. You think the people would have just stood by and let this happen? Bloodshed maybe, most likely but we will never know because it did not happen for the simple reason he was put on a plane a taken out the country.

Now lets get back to Zelaya and the military action. Can you see the similarity And why they took this course of action.

Denis Barjum 4:41PM July 15, 2009

How does United States not support Honduras for upholding democracy?

What happens the next time a country needs to throw out a lawbreaking dictator that is being financd by Chavez? How will they be able to uphold democracy if they dont know wht side of the fence Obama is on?

--------------------------------

Any country confused about "what side of the fence Obama is on" only has to read the U.S. CONSTITUTION and the UN charter. Last time I checked, military thugs kidnapping a president at gunpoint was NOT part of democracy. Facists, communists, and military governments on the other hand DO approve as well as carry out such methods.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Democracies DON'T follow the: by any means necceassry rule.

Democracies DON'T follow the: the ends justify the means rule.

Again, the problem we seem to be having is more and more Americans DON'T really know what a REAL democracy is and seem to not understand the rule of law. The U.S. education system is going down the tubes and/or more Americans need a refresher course in U.S. government !

TorryNez of AZ 5:06AM July 13, 2009

I find it interesting that EVERY civilized government form Europe to Asia does NOT support the military coup in Honduras. Not even ONE country or government is coming to their aide. Furthermore, I find it interesting that honduras specifically removed IMPEACHMENT from their constitution! Guess what, this country is NOT a democracy. Military thugs kidnapping a president at gunpoint in the middle of the night and flying him out of the country is NOT part of ANY real DEMOCRATIC government. They are no different than Castro of Chavez.

If honduras was REALLY afraid that their president was going to do something bad, arrest him and put him in jail. Then place him on trial. Kidnapping in the middle of the night is something that an uncivilized thug would do. No Longer Honduras remains at the bottle of the list in development.

President Zelaya on his part is not very smart. He should fly back home and ALLOW himself to be arrested. It makes him an automatic victim for his people to rally behind and they can stage protests at his location. Besides his wife (and his kids, if he has any), are still back in Honduras. I'm shocked that the new Honduran government hasn't tried to kill her (them) by now!

Bethann of FL 4:49AM July 13, 2009

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