Zogby: A Nutty Week for Obama and Democrats

Pollster John Zogby updates our weekly Obama Report Card with a grade on the president's performance. Zogby uses his polling, expert analysis and interaction with major players to come up with a grade and some comments that capture how he see's the president's week ending.

John Zogby on Week 70:

"What a week. A major ally of Obama (Specter) defeated in Pennsylvania by a stronger Democratic challenger in November (Sestak). A wavering Democrat in Arkansas (Lincoln) faces a runoff by a possibly stronger Democratic challenger in November (Halter). Democrat wins Murtha's seat. Republican Souder resigns and creates an opening for a Democrat in Indiana. Numero Uno Tea Partier Rand Paul gives the Republican establishment in Kentucky convulsions. And the Senate Democratic frontrunner in Connecticut caught in two lies--never served in Vietnam and never swam for Harvard (making it harder for him to have captained the team). Whew.

There are some signs in our polling that Americans accept job losses as a permanent fact but expect better days ahead. The president hits 50 percent approval and Democrats are even with Republicans in generic ballot. Add a tough new US-led coalition on Iran sanctions (including Russia and China). A nutty week but really not a bad week at all for the Obama. But still lots of anger against both parties."

This week's grade: B

Last week's: B-

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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