CNN

My confidence hasn't gone up or down since the election. I know he has a ton of crises to deal with, and that he's expected to do the impossible.

But didn't he do the impossible by getting elected?

Absolutely not!!!

Yes, only because the situation has become more dire. Wait a minute, it just got worse!! If it gets any worse G-d may suffer a loss in confidence. So far Obama has been as good as its been in a long, long time.

Nope. Not a bit. If fact, I am more confident in him now.

absolutely NO....he is doing fine job so far....we need to fix economy, for this immidiately pass STIMULUS package....Health care to all americans...is a must and ought!!!
protect environment pass energy efficient laws....
I am glad, i voted for him.....
when someone asked about gaza war...he told it is imprudent to discuss right now...excellent answer....I have full trust in him....jack...god bless you and our great nation, the USA.

I would say No! He has not had a chance yet to establish his policies and place his people in their places yet. We all need to wait until he does that before we look for fault.

I think it is way too early to make a judgement, lets give him a chance, he won't be president till Jan. 20.
I know the "Right wing nuts" would like to shoot him down now, like they tried with Bill Clinton. They failed then and they will fail now. Americans can only be fooled so many times. I hope I am right.

Jack,
No as a matter of fact he's doing better than what I thought. Joe Biden was so right the world will test him and man they have! But the sad thing is Bush the world and the country don't even care what he thinks.

Not my confidence in him. I think he's doing a great job.

Mississippi

I never had any confidence in him. All he has done since winning the election is prove that I was right to not have any.

I haven't had the opportunity to experience him as President. Why even ask the question?? But I can say he is trying to begin his Presidency in the right direction by choosing people to work with him
to clean up the present admistrations mess. I do feel confident that
President-elect Barak Obama will fix some of the economic problems
we have today. I personally would suggest to lower all prices throughout the nation and freeze them!

No, we got more confidence and felt proud of him

First, congress should not get salary increases, they above all people should agree to bypass the salary increase that they voted for. We don't get to vote for a salary increase, that is if we have a job at all. They answer to we the people but I think they have all forgotten that.
Also, if we don't need it, don't spend money on it, (Whatever it may be)

Absolutely not! This must be the media scandal du jour. Poor Obama hasn't even been sworn in and apparently – according to the talking heads – he's made a mess of his chance to lead the country. Give it a rest. Let's be optimistic for a change and maybe we can turn this country around. Obama is probably the most intelligent being to inhabit the White House and could be one of our very best leaders whether the media likes a happy story or not.

Probably, since Americans, at heart, are spoiled and juvenile, chafing at having their ready money and good times, interrupted! Here's an "upstart"...and, a "minority", at that...who tells them that there will be things akin to "suffering, ahead", and that we must all share the burden! This is where Europeans and Asians have it over Americans: they know what "lean times" are...they know that they must tighten their belts, in order to make it...they realize that the world does NOT owe them a living...and they know that the good times don't roll, forever! Now the inate smugness of Americans, as well as their tendency to be crybabies when they don't get what they want...must be set-aside, and the tough job of fixing all that has been neglected for so long, must begin...or we will all perish...period!

My confidence in President-Elect Obama has been high since I saw his reaction to the New Hampshire primary and increases with each cabinet appointment. He's an incredibly intelligent man who is surrounding himself with incredibly intelligent people.

Once Congress re-establishes it's pecking order we'll see how intelligent and they are.

yes. with the rick warren outrage, and hawkish picks for national security, the CIA guy, Brennan back in the picture, bill richardson and howard dean getting the boot, the picture is not coming together for a progressive agenda. on the upside, he did pick leon panetta to clean up the CIA. do i still support President Barack? yes. Is my confidence waning? yes. i must be honest. i still have hope ,tho.

My confidence in our new president has increased. This dude is not gonna play games. After taking entering the Oval Office he will take charge and do what is necessary to bring the economy under control and the office of the presidency to a state of where it was before Jan. 20, 2001.

Absolutely not! I had no confidence in him at all to begin with. He has no where to go but up!

NO.

Jack, my confidence in President Obama has risen since the election. He has assembled smart people and put them into positions where they can do the best for the country. He has laid out his plans on economic stimulus and other important positions all while creating government transparency and accepting feedback from the American people. I cannot wait until he is calling the shots.

Absolutely not. He will be great President!!!!

No, it has not. Obama is not yet in office. It isn't his place, nor his responsibility, to be commenting on Gaza or on anything else that is still the responsibility of the sitting president.

The criticism will be falling on Obama's head soon enough. It doesn't see fair to create negatives before he has had a chance to positive moves.

Molly from Tama, IA
No! If anthing, my confidence in him has increased. I base this on
his choices of cabinet members and other critical positions. His
honest, thoughful speeches and replies to the press indicate to
me that he is working 24/7 to resolve the many problems of the
country and it's people. Many people say "Well, he can't solve many
of the problems". Perhaps this may prove to be true but with the
many highly intelligent, knowledgeable people he has chosen to "run with"
the many problems, he'll get much accomplished.

Not at all. In fact, as I have watched him fill his top level positions and go through the transition process, I am more confident than ever that we elected exactly the right person at the right time (something we haven't always done as a nation).

Jack,

I'm starting to believe what the far right is saying about you guys... Stop trying to create drama over nothing; I think it's somewhat comendable that Obama stepping on Bush's toes during these last few weeks. (Did I just stand up for Bush? what has my world come to...)

The point is: In 2000 we wanted George W to stay as far away from the limelight as possible, prior to innaguration. Just because we actually LIKE Obama does not mean that we can get him in to office any sooner.

What was that line my mother always told me about virtues?

Jack
Barack Obama should have stayed in Illinois, he would have gotten more accomplished. He has become bogged down in Washington DC politics.

Good grief! The man hasn't even been sworn in yet.Shouldn"t we wait ?

Not from me. It will be a breath of fresh air to get a president who will tell us the truth instead of lying for a year and then tell us oh we are now in a recession. Please leave now Mr Bush. You are useless and always have been. Go back to Texas and cut brush.

Come on! The guy is not even in office yet. Give the man a chance before you start "nit picking". Hey Jack I thought you were better than that.

Todd Jamieson
New Brunswick Canada

My confidence in the president elect has not gone up or down. President elect Obama has not been sworn in, is not able to affect any policy foreign or domestic, and has, in my opinion, selected competent people to be members of his cabinet. I admit to voting for McCain but from what I have seen of Obama I am gaining confidence and faith in him. Could President-Elect Obama order Senator Reid to have a brain transplant? That way the good Senator Reid would at least have a brain. Can a majority leader be removed from the position of being a majority leader. Are the stitches from Senator Reid's lobotomy still visible?

Jack, I didn't vote for him in the first place, as I had no confidence. That hasn't changed. The bungles over Richardson, Panetta and Burris just show that we, sorry, YOU have elected an amatuer. Hopefully he's a quick learner, because the stakes go up exponentially in 12 days.

When some people were enamered with CHANGE – undefined, I said electing Obam was a crap shoot because we really did not know what to expect – we still don't know. I supported him when he was nominated because the choice was more of the same.

Not at all Jack! I like everyone else are "still in love" with the idea of what the next four years can bring. People are always saying "be carefull what you wish for" but in this case............

Not at all. Even though things have gotten worse since he was elected, I believe he's just the person we need to pull this country together and start our ascent back to prosperity. He's smart and deliberate and his cabinet and advisory choices seem to be well thought out. He's the first president-elect that I can remember who is accessible and seems to care what the citizens think. He actually communicates through the internet and asks for suggestions. I have more hope than ever that if anyone can get us out of the recession and out of Iraq, he's the one. He has a lot of work to do, but he'll be on duty 24-7. No clearning brush at the ranch for Obama.

Isn't it a little early to be asking this question? Most people are allowed to start work before they get their first appraisal.

Allen

Obama is not yet the President. How can anyone rate the job he is doing when he hasn't done it yet?

How could we possibly lose confidence in President-Elect Barack Obama when he has not even taken the oath of office. If anyone in this country or around the world thinks that they still have confidence in George Bush how could you possibly think that we would not have confidence in a man who graduate from Harvard at the top of his class and Bush came out near the bottom.

Stephen Butler
Pittsburgh, PA

Jack, no. What has happened is that the media have been treating him as if he were already the president since the election and have ignored Bush since that time. No one can expect Obama to solve the country's domestic and foreign policy issues overnight given the disastrous mismanagement by the Bush administration.

Everyone that voted for OBAMA still has confidence and HOPE>
Those that didn't are racist and the usual whiners!!!!!

I don't think so. The first post-election euphoria has worn off a bit. Give him a break–he hasn't even taken office yet. He seems to be taking all the right steps to start out strong.

Troy, Ohio

I maintain the same level of confidence in Preident-elect Obama. I have never expected him to be superhuman or a messiah. He will soon be faced with heavier responsibility than perhaps any past president or that any of os could bear let alone fully comprehend. Obama has shown us intelligence, diligence, strentgh, and determination. He has shown good judgement in choosing his staff.
Let us pray he can show us atleast equally good leadership during the next years!

No. I expected the impossible, and I still expect the impossible! But I'll settle for steps in the right direction. We've been off course for quite a while now, and it will take time to turn this ship around! I just hope we don't hit an iceberg in the meantime!

I don't know that confidence in him has decreased; it just seems like such a looong time that we must wait for him to take office and be able to start "our" work! It's like waiting sooo long for the election – I just want to get started! I wish Bush could have left office on Nov. 5th!

Nope. I am as happy with him as I was in November. I realize there will be some bumpy roads ahead of us, but I feel optimism and hope that wasn't there for a long time. We just need to give him some time, let him get everything organized.

No. My confidence in you has- since you're asking these dandy questions!! By the way did Wolfe really mean you are the problem in the SR?

How? He's not even in office yet! I think it took George Bush 8 years to screw everything up. I think giving Obama a year or two to judge him is about adequate. He's got more on his plate than an all you can eat crab at Red Lobster.

Wildwood Crest, NJ

The ephoria of the election has evaporated, turning Obama back into a real person. You can't cause much excitement by standing around waiting to get sworn in. The confidence is still there, but not the excitement.

NO I( don;t thing so

I fell in love with Barack Obama about two years ago after reading his book THE AUDACITY OF HOPE. I was attracted to the way the man thinks and he continues to show a depth and breadth of thinking that is awesome. I think that we chose the right man at the right time. If anyone can get us out of this mess, Barack Obama can. I guess you could say my confidence hasn't wavered even a smidgen – it grows the more I see and hear from him.

He's getting a little centrist for my taste, but my confidence in his ability is actually growing. He appears to be a man who will not be intimidated and is dedicated to solving problems. A good combination of traits for anyone, and especially fortunate for a person with immense power facing immense problems.

No – but there are certainly a lot of loud-mouth blow-hards all over TV trying to kill the hope.

Not at all Jack. The more he talks, the more secure I feel knowing that intelligence has returned to the White House.

My confidence has not declkined – it was nver very high, but I am hopeful.

My confidence in Obama has remained. My lack of confidence in the useless Democratic congressional leadership is at an all time high though.

I had no confidence before the election, during the election, and not surprisingly currently. I guess the answer would be No. It has not declined or diminished, it was never there in the first place. It is and will be politics as usual, and little or no change other than the occupants in the White House.

Of course not. I voted for him to get this country moving again. He
has made some great Cabinet picks and will hit the ground running
on Jan. 20. My confidence in him has gone up even higher with the
people he is picking. It's going to be a long hard fight to get things
moving but he is the man who will get it done. He is surrounding
himself with some of the nation's smartest people and that's what
we need. A government that works smarter for a change.

Confidence in President-elect Obama has not declined, in my opinion.

I don't recall any other incoming president working as hard at the transition as he and his team are.
Being able to ask questions, and read/vote on issues on their web-site, http://www.change.gov is another example of their initiative.

If he ends torture and rendition, the US will have made significant gains, not to mention apparent transparency.

No, my opinion of Obama remains unchanged. I didn't like him before and still don't. So, no change at all.

I am more impressed with Obama every day. It's kind of like watching Luke Skywalker learn how to use "The Force." I think we will all be amazed of the things he can accomplish.

No it has not, I think it has went even higher, and the republicans had better be lisenting to the american people and don't do anything stupied to go agaisnt this new President.

I am more impressed with Obama every day. It’s kind of like watching Luke Skywalker learn how to use “The Force.” I think we will all be amazed by the things he can accomplish.

My confidence in Barack Obama could not be higher. I have watched this country decline for the last eight years and I am definitely looking forward to the changes he plans to implement.
I am also looking forward to seeing the rest of the world looking to us for leadership instead of looking down on us. I, for one, am tired of being thought of as "The Ugly American".

The President Elect, has refused to even comment on Gaza because "there is only one president", He has refused to comment on Burris because "it is the Senate's business" He has refused to commnet on Blagovanich because of "on going investigation"

Yet he is willing to consistently beat down economic hopes by telling us how dire it is, and selling us on yet another .8 Trillion in spending on top of a 1.2 Trillion dollar budget deficit.

The PEOTUS has shown zero ability to lead, substituting his name on Bush's economic stimulus package is a verdict on Obama's abject failure to provide a better plan.

Yes, my confidence in his leadership has waned, and his nomination to head the CIA broke his promise not to hire people outside of their area of expertise, something he campaigned on, and has a pledge on his web site. Something he criticized Bush for at FEMA........

Same Game, Different Day, Different Party......

No Jack it hasn't. He is at least addressing the issues head on and not ducking the shoes that the press and other groups are throwing at him. The real acid test will be how does he handle himself with the economy, Iraq, and other groups like the thieves on Wall Street.

The President Elect, has refused to even comment on Gaza because “there is only one president”, He has refused to comment on Burris because “it is the Senate’s business” He has refused to commnet on Blagovanich because of “on going investigation”

Yet he is willing to consistently beat down economic hopes by telling us how dire it is, and selling us on yet another .8 Trillion in spending on top of a 1.2 Trillion dollar budget deficit.

The PEOTUS has shown zero ability to lead, substituting his name on Bush’s economic stimulus package is a verdict on Obama’s abject failure to provide a better plan.

Yes, my confidence in his leadership has waned, and his nomination to head the CIA broke his promise not to hire people outside of their area of expertise, something he campaigned on, and has a pledge on his web site. Something he criticized Bush for at FEMA……..

Same Game, Different Day, Different Party……

Jeff
Suwanee, Georga

No – I thought he was an empty suit during the election and he has not disappointed me.

I am more confident today that I voted for the right man then I was yesterday. With the speech that he gave on the economy today and the way he explain things I found it to be very refreshing. I am not used to having a president talking intelligently on what he feels needs to be done. I feel that this man is on top of things. I haven't felt that way in eight years.

Come on Jack, the question should be, has the nation lost it' confidence in the news media. Fred Livingston, Al.

Some of the luster has worn a bit. Since Obama hasn't actually assumed office yet this is understandable. But it seems he has done more in the last month and a half than the Bush administration and congress has done in the last eight years. It remains to be seen if can institute the things he would like to get done because of obstrucionists from the Republicans and from those within his party. He has an admirable vision but little or no political capital to invest in it.

I believe it is declining some and people are now seeing him for what he is (all blow and no-go). Of course being sixty one , twenty years in the military and coming from a poor beginning and never asking for a handout or food stamps in my entire life and being responsible i did not ask for them. I never believed his crap in the first place. You had to be an idiot to believe that (Hope and Change in the first place. All politicians are crooks and a lot of people will always vote for you when you promise them the moon free. As I said when he ran his hope and change bull, hope is a four letter word and change is a six letter word. Both mean nothing if you expect free handouts and accept no responsibility. You liberals thought the last eight years were bad get ready for hell for the next two years.

The Obama team has asked for a delay in the switch from analog to digital, talk about proactive, since the government coupons are on hold, and those most in need with analog signals would be impacted.

Unlike Katrina, consideration for the masses, not just big business and the rich what a difference and administration makes, and no my confidence is in tact.

Some of the luster has worn a bit. Since Obama hasn't actually assumed office yet this is understandable. But it seems he has done more in the last month and a half than the Bush administration and congress has done in the last eight years. It remains to be seen if can institute the things he would like to get done because of obstructionists from the Republicans and from those within his party. He has an admirable vision but little or no political capital to invest in it.

Other than filling positions in his cabinet Barack is still pretty much warming the bench. Once he’s in the game then I’ll start paying more attention. It’s kind of hard to pass judgment on a player who is still suiting up.

nope!..i am counting the days when bush is out..i still believe that president elect obama will do fine for the country..obama has to deal with national debt, two wars,housing crisis,healthcare,economy etc..alot is too much on his plate but i believe that he will make it and do what is best for the country..all media outlets need to chill and let him do his job first instead of criticizing as well whiny...

How can confidence in him decline? He is not even in office yet. Sheesh, give the kid a chance.

No, if anything he is doing better than I expected

Has my confidence in Barack Obama declined? Come on, the poor man isn't even President yet. I do not expect him to be perfect after he takes office and neither should anyone else. But I think he will be much better than anyone who has held that office in a very, very long time. So no, my confidence has not declined (it is pretty strong, in fact) but I am realistic given the dire situations our new President will face.

No, he cannot act until he takes office so its kinda early to be judging him. Not everyone one will agree with his decisions but hey, can it get any worse for you folks down there in the good old US of A?

No, I am still confident that he is the best person for the job of President at this time. It is going to take him longer to accomplish his goals than first thought, but I am rooting for him.

Not really, but some of my faith in Bush has been restored. He seems to know he isn't popularly wanted any more, so he's trying to make things easy for a seamless transition of power.

No Jack, my confidence in Obama hasn't declined. Just like in the Tom Cruise movie, Obama so far has "All the Right Moves."

Jack: No it hasn't.........my confidence in Obama will be determined after he is sworn in........that is when the rubber will meet the road and campaign promises are no longer valid--–Big "O" will have to prove himself with "action" and not "words."

Not here. We believe in him, in ourselves, in the American people and the capacity of the world to forgive. Downunder the Kiwis say, "She'll be right, mate."

Keep Bush on his bike and away from the option of further screw ups for 13 more days and then we'll start the clean up.

Not one iota.

This guy will have the toughest job on the planet cleaning up after the carnage of Bush and the Republicans.

He's exceeding expectations.

Jack R

Princeton NJ

No I have not lost confience in President-Elect Obama I just think people are coming to grips that it is going to take more than a week for him to correct the mistake that we as americans have at this moment.

Nope ;
Only when government is going to get to work and fix this mess. It wasn't this administrations doing but there are many there beholding to special interests who will fight tooth & nail not to change things . There is so much money to let the problems fester and not address the problems at hand fighting the dirty PAC money insurance industrty control of congress is going to be very tuff and this problem no no party or idology.

How could anyone have confidence in a man who actually has done nothing;promises sound good but taste lousy compared to a real meal;

no not at all. it is growing everyday, so far. it all looks good, lets hope the implementation process is still looking as good as the planning and transition process.

No, I leave all of the declining optimism to the pundits, and the media. I remember something that my father once told me. "Not even Jesus Christ could win a National election unless he was either a Republican, or a Democrat". He also said that "the media can, and would always find something to question HIM about". What we should all do instead of questioning Obams loyalty, maybe we should just take a very good look at our own. I'm sure of one thing, and that is that Obama can, and will do a lot more good for our country, than any of us will. I know that is hard to believe after the last eight years, but lets give this man a chance before we bury him.

Yes, everytime I hear, "Obama sells his stimulus package." I think of Obama trying to sell a taxpayer crack. This "Stimulus Package" needs to be called exactly what it is. A "State Government Bailout Package" and the entire concept should be shelved, ASAP.

The first step to getting out of a hole is to STOP digging.

I haven`t geven up on him completly yet, but i am highly dissapointed. Useing his own words, i think we have been "bamboozeld". If you wan`t change, the "change we need" it can not possibly come from the center. Already, we are seeing rotten apples fall from the tree. Times are too dire to be picking players from the same old loosing team. I don`t wan`t this to sound raceist, but we needed to change more than just the color of the president`s skin.

I'm afraid that words being translated into action will leave us all thinking we just missed the bus. But, the best of luck to him.

NO Jack! My confidence in President-elect Barack Obama have gotten stronger.

Hubie Nelson Bartom, MS

Since I didn't have any confidence in him before the election, I don't think it could decline any further!

No, not at all. Obama's stuck between a rock and a hard place, damned if he does, damned if he doesn't say something. President's have Christmas lists, you'll never get all you want. On the 20th he'll begin to have the discretion to adjust the course of the country, not before.

I'm not sure about Obama, but I call tell you that my confidence in President Bush declined every since the economy fell in the toilet. And my confidence for him was already at about 0.1 percent, so that's saying something.

Jack,

The Republican naysayers are just warming up. Despite their current warm and fuzzy appearance of cooperation they have to drag him as low as they can before the elections in 2010 or they become an extinct irrelevant party. Stand by!

Only in one area: his decision to invite Rev. Warren to the inauguration makes me question Obama's commitment to equal rights for gays and lesbians. Otherwise, I still have the same confidence I had in Obama at the time I voted for him in November.

Not at all.
Everything he's done is precisely like he said he would do. We don't expect miracles–but we do expect: engagement, collaboration, compromise for the common good, and open government–and so far he's going out of his way to make sure he delivers.

Jack:

After the last eight years I am just glad we have a leader coming into the White House. I am still confident that Obama will do all he can to start turning the country in the right direction. Since he hasn't even taken the oath of office yet, I think we should give him at least three or four months in office before we talk about losing confidence. We didn't get in to the mess we find ourselves in overnight and we won't get out of it overnight either.

my personal confidence in President-elect Barack Obama is still high BUT with "Hands Up Harry" Reid running the Senate and "Citizen Nancy" Pelosi running the Congress, my confidence that he will actually be able to implement his programs has gone down substantially.

I fear we will see that same old partisan politics of the last two decades between the "RepubliCAN'Ts" and the "DUMBocrates".

How can you really have confidence in someone that really hasn't "done" anything yet. He said all the right things in the election. The amercian people may realize now he may not be able to "walk the walk"

Chaska, MN

not to me, I'm more affraid of congress,Harry Reid and Nancy are so arrogant,

Not in my house. He is the most grounded and rational person I have ever encountered. If he fails to accomplish his goals for this country it will be because of those who choose to obstruct his efforts.

Not at all Jack. For one thing he hasn't even taken the oath yet and beyond that he's doing what this administration hasn't and that is to make this country a priority and communicate to the people what the problems are and the steps needed to get this economy back on track.

As long as he makes this country and its citizens his priority and doesn't get lost in the land of reality he'll have my support because he's about to have four very bad years.

Mine has not! The poor man can't even sit still for a minute with all he has accomplished since winning the election! Plus trying hard to jump start the economy until he ran into the Congress!!!!!! No I trust and believe in him and I hope others do too!

Yes. And it has declined dramatically. He's appointing people to his administration who are responsible for a good portion of the economic mess we're in now. He wants to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He voted to give taxpayer money to filthy rich people. He's proposing tax cuts for filthy rich people. He's promising millions of jobs and stimulus money to millions of Americans without telling us where this money is coming from. And, he has not said one word about Isreal's annialation of Gaza. So, it looks like business as usual. Nothing will change. We're doomed.

I don't think so. If I am wrong, it would be like "putting the cart before the horse" or counting him out even before he has a chance to began the race.

No, my confidence has increased. I'm looking forward to Obama being an FDR like leader that we haven't seen, nor needed more, since the great depression.

I am more impressed with him now than I was when I voted for him. He is intelligent enough to know a real crisis from a media circus created crisis and, I might add that so are most Americans. The question is, is the media intelligent enough to realize that just because they are pushing for ratings, that we, the people are more interested in what is actually happening that will affect us? "It's the economy stupid !" If the media actually read the comments on some of the blogs of the rediculous postings they put up for us to respond to, they would note that they are being attacked for the stupidity of the post as much or more so than what the post is about. Not you, Jack, your posts are at least more relevant than most.

No, from where I sit, polls show his approval rating at 82%. I don't recall any past Pres. Elect with a comparable rating, not even JFK. Mr. Obama has not yet taken the oath of office and people are all over the place, jumping up and down already. Give him a break. He's doing a magnificent job with his transition teams. He's allowing the current idiot/occupant of the white house space to be the "one-presient-at-a-time. We should all take a lesson from Mr. Obama: stay cool, sit down, shut-up and listen.

he is being faced with realities now and he is now seeing the difference between campaign talk and realities. america will appreciate bush oneday. he kept us safe after 9/11.

Nope, we can't assess someone that hasn't had the reigns. Keep the faith Jack this man has good ideas and knows how to implement them

Well, Jack, from what I hear from family and friends, no. We are all waiting for President-elect Obama to take office and begin to lead. And no one who voted for Barack Obama believes it will be EASY..... no.

Thanks to George W. Bush, we are facing an enormous, nightmare of an economic problem! Not only the Bush...... double... our National debt, we are continuing to spend ...... $10 billion a month in Iraq!

We need to stop, and take care of our Nation first. This includes NO MORE AID TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

My confidence in the president elect hasn't wavered. However, I can understand how the deteriorating economy and his lack of any real power during the transition, as well as the sitting president's mishandling, has taken it's toll on some people. It's unavoidable because of the way the system is set up.

I am seeing a lot of support for Obama on the blogs. Those that oppose his plan don't seem to have any better suggestions and are being shot down pretty quickly by theothers. It looks like you've got a winner.

Joan
Canada

Of course not the question should be has things got worse a definite yes. Another question is do we have an alternative to Obama maybe we should turn to someone like our yes man Kyl I don't think so. I say just try to relax as much as possible and hold on for a bumpy ride.

L.M.,Arizona

How would we know, Jack? Its only fair to at least let him be sworn in
first.

Jack
I cast my independent vote for President Obama. His speeches and choices for his aides and cabinet members have confirmed my choice as the best possible. Yes We Can!
Jack Martin, Boynton Beach Florida

Never Never Never not after the 8 years we just had.....look at the numbers, Jack.

He's suffering from overexposure in the press as supply is exceeding demand. His economic master plan is being questioned: No catch word to describe it, like "Let's Rebuild America!" Too much reliance on government spending on maintenance intrastructure. Too little on re-industrilization. You need at least a $1 trillion dollar plan ($550 to $750 villion is too small). Too much on tax cuts that well end up buying Chinese goods. Too little on telling the Chinese you buy our stuff or we won't have the jobs and income to buy our stuff in the future. Ralph, Yakima, Wa.

Cut the guy some slack, Jack ... he's not even in yet! Jeez.

Obama is a brilliant, articulate, thoughtful and compassionate man, but he doesn't walk on water. I suspect the first two years of his administration will be rough, as he tries to undo the carnage of the last eight years. If Americans are willing to starting thinking in terms of "we" instead of "me," and show that we can work together and meet President Obama halfway for the greater good, then I feel he will go down in history as one of the most remarkable Presidents ever. If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't have voted for him.

I don't believe that MY feelings have changed concerning Mr.Obama's qualitications, and intelligence. I believe he will tell us the "truth", unlike the past 8 years. I also hope all the 24 hour newsnetworks will give him a break and stop trying to second guess his intentions. We all have to realize that we now have a intelligent, qualified person who will lead us through the next 4 years. One who we can believe in and admire. What a change over the last 8 years of President Bush, and Cheney. We will all have to learn to trust again.

Jack,

I do not think confidence in President-Elect Obama has declined. I've seen more leadership from Obama since his election than I ever saw in eight years from President Bush. The big difference is that Obama is working on the "peoples agenda" not his own.

Robert
Forest, VA

I'm waiting for him to actually complete something before I judge him and I'm not holding my breath. This is the worst condition I or my parents have seen in our US history. Which goes back to before the great depression. We have always had scoundrel's running our country and big business but today there are to many to count.

My confidence in the President-elect continues to rise, while my confidence in Congress continues to diminish. It's starting to look like the captain has a mutiny on his hands, before the ship ever leaves the harbor. It is a real shame that such capable man will have to preside over such a dysfunctional government.

President-elect Barack Obama needs to do something before we can access his presidency. One can't lose confidence this early in the political game. He simply needs to match actions with his rhetoric.

My confidence in Obama is not eroded in the least. I'm still holding my breath in hopes we can survive the current bunch of dolts. They may have one more major screw-up left in them. And by the way, that whole notion that daddy Bush want his OTHER son to be president is horse manure. The Bushes have done our nation enormous damage. They should consider themselves lucky to leave office with whatever dignity they can and leave it at that. History is going to paint a very bleak Bush family legacy.

Gee Jack, would it be alright if he takes office before the press starts polling and slamming the guy? Do you think this mess took a few days to make? Far as I can see all that trickle down economics only trickled us into the toilet, hopfully Obama's going to bring a big plunger with him, until he does something as stupid as Bush, I'd say he's going to work out.

Obama has no experience. It's begining to show. The People got snookered by the liberal press. We need to give him a chance, we'll see how he does. After he screws up big time, we need to bring back Bush, Jeb Bush that is in 2012.

No my confidence in PE Obama has not gone down. Today's speech showed an accurate and courageous analysis of where the economy stands and how it got there. It is the total package of his stimulous plan, his close overhaul of the budget and his apt. of strong people to begin to implement reasonable oversight of fanancial institutions.

It is the press' and Congress' inability to see the big picture that perhaps going to bring his vision down. Congress on both sides of the aisle are now back to their partisan politics ignoring the fact that nothing gets done without compromise and that the American voters voted for bipartisan action.

Listening to President-elect Obama, today only reinforced my belief in this intelligent person and his ability to lead this country. He will lead this nation in the correct direction. The one thing he says is that it will not be easy; however with hard work and working together we as a nation will come back.

Well i think that he is being viewed as someone already in the oval office. What he says and dose effects everything and everyone. Lay off the dude!

If we constantly listen to the media harp on the pollsters numbers, we can only hear a noisy buzz instead of perspective. Obama's up 3 points, down 4 points, up 6 points ad nauseum. Understanding his proposals and goals, as in anything else, requires stepping back and observing over a period of time. My perspective shows he's doing great from campaigning through organizing his administaration. I plan to give him a few months at least before I make another judgement.

It hasn't declined any. From the moment he was elected it was obvious that Republicans would throw up as many roadblocks as possible to make his job more difficult. And, despite progress made in this country, there are still racists that will try any number of things to deter him. Ending slavery was one thing but it doesn't change the hysterical thinking and prejudice of some people.

No, I have every confidence in him. Obama is the one with the brains in the outfit. I have to say though that when it comes to some of the input he is getting from Pelosi, Feinstein, Reid, McConnell and others, he may want to wear the "I'm with Stupid" T-shirt instead of his customary silk and wool tailored suits.

No. Those who think that Obama has not done enough should remember that he is not yet president and that George Bush has nine days left and could do more than issue new regulations and pardons. Put the pressure where it belongs.

EJM Granville Ohio

No. While I don't agree with everything or everyone that he has done or appointed, I still feel that he can make a huge differenct in how things are done. The transition has gone very well and he has used sound judgement (Richardson and possibly Panetta not-withstanding). Besdies, as you say, he's not even president yet.

It has because of his choice of, CNN's favorite son, Dr. Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General. He appears to be the status quo of the medical industry. He appears to oppose alternative medicine, vitamins, herbs and suppliments. He appears to approve of the pharmaceutical corporations, surgery, doctor power (including no-fault medical practice) eating any and all "food stuffs", including all of the chemicals used to produce these "food stuffs". It looks like more power for the medical industry and less for the consumer.

NO, you can not rate a person until he assumes his job. the rating system is just a way to create division among the people of this country.

Not at all, Jack – the president-elect is human like the majority of us & will not do everything perfect nor will he be able to please everyone. He hasn't even taken office yet & we're worried about his approval rating dropping????? Considering where the Current administration's approval numbers are, Obama's numbers look really good!

Nope, still confident but wary. I call it being realistic.

NO !!! The more I here PEO the more I'm impressed.

Hey Jack....his actual poll numbers aren't down.....the 5 % that he "lost" is actually because more middle class people lost their jobs and can't afford a phone.

The rich, white, old folks (the McCain Base) are still doing very well.

With all the problems our country faces now, especially with a declining economy, jobs, etc. and President-elect Obama still wants this job, makes me more confident he is the man for the job.

Not at all. What has happened is that our perception of how bad things really are is becoming more accurate. I don't know who could actually fix all our current problems. I believe he will rise to the challenges with grace and dignity, which is all we could ask of any president, and is less than we have had for the last eight years.

I have always been skeptical that Barack Obama can single-handedly take on a congress that overwhelmingly represents their corporate contributors over their constituents. Obama will need to come to the people regularly and often to build public support for his policies. And he will need to spotlight those who stand in his way. I hope he does. He will find us out here waiting and willing to help him help ourselves.

My confidence in Obama has NOT declined though the mess that Bush is leaving for us all keeps getting worse. It's hard to see how any mortal can dig us out.. Like Obama says, we'll have to all work together.

Too bad Bush is not required to clean up his mess before he leaves. There should be some punishment for Bush for all he has done to this great nation.

The way things have been going down the tubes for the past six months I'm not sure I'd have confidence in anyone turning this country around. It will be a long haul and a lot of work and the biggest hurdle will be petty politics as usual and Congress has already shown plenty of that since the election.

president elect should ask the american people to write, call or email there respective sen. and rep and let them know they want them to put there egos away and get to work on solving the big econ. problem. quit fighting and get busy.

Obama told us that, we might not like some of the things we hear but, he would be totally honest to the American people. I have full confidence with his vision, and this is part of the new politics that is going to take place in Washington and move America forward cautiously!

I was disappointed with president elect Obama's speech. I was hoping to hear more about the working class people. Such as unempolyment benefits and keeping american jobs in the USA.
I was just laid off from my job its going to INDIA (go figure). I can not collect unemployment benefits because I'm entiled to severence. This rule varies from state to state. This stinks. I guess I have to tell the bill collectors I can pay because I'm not entiled to my money I worked for.

Hi Jack,

my confidence has actually been confirmed because of his handling of the transition and the nominations!

Jack: Not only no, but hell no. The confidence is with the Obama Administration. There is no confidence in Congress or Wall Street has we move over the next couple of years. The people of this nation want a tax cut that will be large enough to move the economy, and jobs for themselves and their children. Business needs a 10% cut in the corporate tax. I believe anyone or any organization that gets in the way will be swept under the rug of history.

John
Alabama

Jack – How can you ask this question already? He is already using one word I like that I never heard out of the Bush Administration. Execution. Get er done!

not with me i trust him 1000 times more than DUBA. and he hasnt even took office. Glen,Ky

Nope.

I will try on this one.,.,. You have show the people.... Not just talk...
You have to get involved yourself, not tell other's.. Mr Bush Jnr did his best.... You show by doing..... I give you 20$ for aone Race at Arlington.... You come back with a Profit your a winner...

Hi Jack,

forgot to add..there will always be bumps on the road ahead but how we handle these bumps makes the difference in people having continued trust in their President!

No. Why don't we give him a chance to take office and settle in before we start the disapproval ratings. I think after giving Bush 8 years in office before we decided to disapprove of him we should give Obama at least a week.

Dear Jack,
I find your question disturbing. You will no doubt now have many people questioning their opinion of Mr. Obama. Why must the MSM always attempt to stir up controversy? Oh, I know – ratings and viewership.
The man isn't president yet, and he has to walk a very fine until he is.Give him a break, can't you? This question would be more relevant in a years time.
Allison Sloan
Vancouver, B.C.

Are you serious? No. It has not decreased.
Stop asking stupid questions and be thankful that after 8 long years we're about to get a President that doesn't need to go see the Wizard and get a brain.

Nope, he hasn't had the chance to do anything.... until he makes some decisions and we see if they work give him the benefit of the doubt... hell we gave Bush 8 years... how'd that go....

No, I'm more confident than ever being a former community organizer will give him the skills to help the country. President-elect knows about helping the disadvantaged and right about now that applies to most of the country.

Jack, not at all. My fear is the rest of government. He seems to have a realistic handle on what's going on. The republicans are still trying to sell the old policies that didn't work and got us in this mess and democrats still are afraid to take the big step to make things happen. Hopefully Obama can use all his great skills to wake all these guys up to start bringing this country back. Obama is our best hope so I'm giving him a wide berth. As far as mistakes, he is still human and as long as they are little mistakes I can live with them. So far they are.

Not yet. He's not President yet. So far he seems to still be saying all of the right things. But, until January 20 and there after, we won't know if he'll deliver. And let's not hold him to that stupid 'First 100 Days' model. Our problems are much more serious than any President and Congress have faced since the great depression. Anyone that thinks we'll get intelligent answers and responses to these problems in 100 days is full of BS.

NO if anything it has risen. When you look at what he has accomplished in the short time since he has been elected it is more than Congress did in the past 8 years! And the outgoing (thank god) president's accomplishments are shameful. He was silent about the economy he is leaving to Obama and the American people. Obama listens to people, plans his strategy, gets the necessary input and information he needs before he finalizes his plans. What a refreshing change and most americans I have talked to (including republicans) are very pleased with what he has done in such a short time.

I think everybody wants to have someone to blame if things dont work. However nobody wants to take the blame for the problem that made us need such an urgent solution in the first place.

The American public is being to realize that Obama is a creation of his handlers and the Mainstream Media.

Now that the luster is wearing off of Obama, Americans are now seeing that he's a typical politician that parses words and goes back on promises when they are no longer convenient.

At the end of four years, history will not be kind to Obama.

Ever sincer Obama turned up to vote on the Senate floor to let the telecommunications industry off the hook for illegal spying, my confidence in Obama has been diminished. That said, I do not have any confidence that there is any person better equipped to deal with the mess Bush/Cheney have left the American people. Obama is carrying all the hope of a nation on his shoulders. He deserves our full support and that of our congress and anyone who criticizes him or his ideas needs to first put forth a better one or shut up.

Jack from Broomfield, Colorado comments:
Yes, some of the confidence has declined. After reviewing Obama's appointees, the voting public now realizes that Obama's idea of CHANGE is really just a different adminstration, not a revoltionary new approach to governing the country. And the tone of Obama's speeches (like todays) smacks of lecturing, reprimands and doom's day phrophecy. Obama's salesmanship is less impressive than pitches overheard on Chrysler Showroom floors.

Not with me. I would rather base my opinion on what he does once he actually takes office and has some official power. Hopefully he can get enough egotistical politicians (republicans and democrats) to at least try to work together. Bush didn't even try – he was the "decider".

My confidence in Barack Obama hasn't declined: if anyone can solve it, he will.

It's my confidence that anyone can solve it that has declined.

As a Canadian, I like what I see and hear with Obama and I wish I could vote because it is soooo important for us Canadians also. If the USA is in a mess so are we. Obama cannot do it alone and he needs help from everyone even us people from the North.

The politicians should leave old dirty politics aside, for once, forget about their own gains and work with Obama and the rest of the Country in order to climb over the bumps he is encountering and will for a while still.

I think perhaps the public is awakening to the incredible difficulty of getting the Reid – Pelosi congress to do ANYTHING. The horrible stench of the leadership in congress is wasfting over to the Obama camp and the public is confusing the source. It will get worse.

A bit.

No. If anything it has gotten stronger. He witheld comment about the Gaza situation even when Reporters tryed pressuring him into making a comment. To me this shows respect for the Office of the President.

Congress, yes. Obama, no.

My confidence in Obama is as strong as when I placed a vote for him. He has everything I want in a chief executive – brains, education, common sense, truthfulness and good old horse-sense. After eight years of George Bush, Obama is a gift from heaven. If I learn that the Republican senator from my home state of North Carolina, Richard Burr, is in any way standing in the way of Obama's recovery plan, I will do everything in my power to be sure he is defeated in the 2010 election even standing with a sign on Raleigh's main street urging my fellow citizens to vote him out of the senate permanently.

Valerie

Although my election buzz has ebbed somewhat during this electio period, I am willing to hitchike to Washington DC and stay awake for 72 hours straight to see the inauguration if I must! I think this may mean that my confidence in Obama is at an all time high because each day that passes is a day closer to Obama actually being THE PRESIDENT!

Jack, President-Elect Obama was and still is the best possible person who will take America into the 21st century. Obama did'nt create this mess but he's committed to cleaning it up. I have all the confidence in the world in his ability to get the job done. We should all get behind the new Preident-Elect because America does not have the time to play games with it's future.

My confidence in Obama hasn't gone down, I think I have always had a realistic grasp of who he is. What I am losing confidence in is the American public. Why are we still building one-family homes with garages bigger than an entire ranch house? There are no more do-overs, no more bail-outs, it's time to suck it up and start living smart. This is one man, he can't save a sinking ship on his own. It is easy to jump ship with a life vest, but what about learning how to swim?

I don't know if it's a loss of confidence in President-elect Obama as much as a fear or loss of confidence in any one person being able to turn around this economic crisis any time soon. Every day that passes with Bush in office, doing nothing but whining about his legacy, we get further to the edge of the cliff and our anxiety is rising. Obama is a smart man, but he's not a magician or Superman.

No,absolutely not. Welcome back Jack! Just returned from visiting the grandchildren so, I'll be answering your questions every day again. Always look forward to you and Wolf.

Obama seems to be on the same page as Bush. Bailouts and big government spending. And i don't recall Obama speaking too much about trillion dollar deficits being the norm during his campaigning. Obama has only changed the faces of our leaders, not the ideas. Obama has been a real disappointment. He refuses to comment on the situation in the middle east, but has been fully weighing in on the economic crisis. Obama is teetering on a thin balance beam already and is almost falling off of it.

Obama has been handled the proverbial kettle of fish, almost dead fish in this case! Even FDR had many things going for himself before he took office such as a bottoming effect within the stock market and so forth. Things will get worse before things get better with Obama. Given that great names in investment have gone under certainly is no great honor for Bush nor something that Obama should have to inherit, but inherit it he must! You have to give him time before negativity enters into his assessment, given that Bush wouldn't even allow the president-elect to live in Blair House, maybe due to prejudices within the Bush administration that had Australia's ex-leader Howard staying there AFTER the original Obama request was made.

It has not declined because he isn't in office yet. You can't penalize a person when he hasn't authorized anything yet. He must have the authority alone with implementation before we can judge him.

No, he still has my complete confidence. He's only had about two months to fill his cabinet and other high-ranking positions, so there were bound to be a few snags. When he finally gets into the Oval Office, rolls up his sleeves, and starts to clean up Bush's mess, all of this will seem like ancient history.

Confidence in Obama hasn't declined. Its just that politicians and the media who have been so acquiescent to the Bush administration have finally decided to be as critical as they can.

I'm sure it'll be that way throughout his admimnistration, but voters –this time– will see through it again.

Jack,

Ridiculous! Only those who had unrealistic expectations from the beginning could be anything but impressed with the way he continues to handle himself. We don't need another snake oil salesman. We need a patient, hard-nosed leader who is capable of articulating a strategy for recovery and inspiring the nation to support that strategy. Obama continues to say the right things and hire the right people. My confidence in him increases by the day.

Jim
Reno, Nevada

If it has it isn't because of anything he has done as president-elect or president as he is not the president yet and is not in office. If it has declined it is because of ignorance and a racist attitude which we keep trying to deny exists in America.

Thom
Negaunee, MI

Jack, I’ve lost confidence in Obama actually being a democrat. Of course democrats are famously spineless, constantly caving in to republican hissy fits and bullying, so maybe I'm jumping too fast.

No, I decided I'd wait until Barack Obama is the president to decide whether or not I approve of how good a job he is doing as the president. I mean, my goodness.

My confidence has declined somewhat as a result of the appointment of Leon Panetta. Is this a political move to please the Clinton's? If not it is really a questionable selection. This is like taking someone who has flown as a passenger in a jet and making them the commander of the space shuttle. BAD BAD Move. The other issues are Bush leave behinds and we are finally getting the TRUTH.

Why should it? Barack has not been sworn in to the office of The President of the United States yet. Give the man a chance for God sake!

No
Personally I have more confidence in his judgement.

NO, but my distrust for the congress, and senate has gone off the map...

Too early to tell. He hasn't had the chance to really do anything yet. m Dubya hasn't finished with his envirionmental trashing yet.

Jeez, he's not even president yet! Everyone should stop criticizing and stop praising him for the work he hasn't done yet. Wait until he's in the white house!

Not in the least. He is doing just what he said he would do repeating more than once that it would not be easy nor would it happen quickly. Our country is in a very bad place & it is going to take someone with an awful lot of courage to fix things and it takes courage to request the enormous amounts of money that Barack is requesting.

I remain confident that Barack Obama is the best possible choice to lead our country through all the many challenges we face. I think too many people are judging him as if he were already president when he is in fact still locked into the November 4th to January 20th twilight zone.

H. E. Double tooth pick NO!! Every day I see Obama in action, I grow more confident in his ability to lead our country and to help us all as Americans to reach the true potential of this country. Wow. He's everything advertised and a bag of chips. Can he just start tomorrow?? Please??!!

No. I think President elect Obama is handling things properly. 1. He is right in deferring the Gaza situation to the present president (George W. Bush) until he is officially sworn. 2. He voiced his opinion over the Illinois senate seat, but he is leaving the matter at hand to the officials in charge of dealing with it. 3. Addressing his economic plan, is just that (an address). Nothing can take place until 01-21-2009 but at least the house and senate knows his plans and can gauge the expectations of the American People. Since he laid it out so well, it puts the ball in congress's court.

No. My confidence in the soon to be President Obama has not declined..at least not yet. He looks determined to do the right thing that said, the only thing that would disappoint me if he doesn't deliver and i doubt Obama would want to put himself in that type of situation. Obama will do great. I know it.

Hi Jack,

Barack Obama has a lot on his plate. He nor President Bush can do anything about the situation in Gaza. Bush is a lame duck, and Obama doesn't have control yet. Until Obama takes the rungs of power, no one can have the ground to distrust him anymore.

No. I still believe he is the only person who can pull off any kind of economic help for all of us. He seems to have approached this insurmountable task with much thought. He's not one to run around like Chicken Little crying that the sky is falling, rather he gives things their due consideration and then procedes with a plan. I can go for plans. Granted, plans don't always work out, but you can always see what went wrong and change the plan – something we didn't see much of in the last administration.

NO! If nothing else it has improved. Even the republicans are starting to look up to him for help!!

I hear Obama saying things that I've thought for years, but never heard a politician saying. Just one example, today he talked about the paradox of there being so many people who need good jobs, while there is so much in America that desperately needs to be done. I alway used to wonder if politicians knew things like this.............

No, its improved. He keeps showing how incompetent the current president is by not being incompetent and that is a plus in my book. He was always tops with me but he is even more so as time passes. It’s too bad he couldn’ have taken over about December 1.

No, He is only starting to get his plan put before the public. He won't be President until January 20, 2009 and people are thinking that he has not made anything happen yet. Wait until he can sign bills and ask Congress to act on his plans. I think he has one of the toughest acts to clean up after than anyone in the past has had to deal with. The Bush Administration is attempting to place all kinds of tricks in the parh of a successful Obama administration that they can by changing Regulations and Altering procedures in order to complicate the work of the next Administration. They are being disgraceful and how any Republican can take pride in that is more than I can understand.

Jack, are you nuts? The man hasn't even taken office yet.

The news is full of what President-elect Obama says, thinks, and does. Never in my 38 years since becoming a voter (21 way back then), do I remember any president-elect being such an important figure. Everyone is waiting for Barack Obama to be sworn in as president. Why would anyone think that our confidence had declined?

My confidence in our President Elect is growing every day. I am worried about if his confidence in the American people is warranted. I hope that the citizens of this country will take what he says to heart and start changing things that need to be changed from the ground up. We were on a collision course with this crash. Many things need to be changed at the grass roots level.

Not at all. The guy's not even President yet and people are already trying lay all the world's problems on his shoulders and measure his performance. I think he's done pretty well for a guy who hasn't even been sworn in yet.

No , actually it has gone up . I am a republican and did not vote for Obama. However I have been impressed with a lot of things he has said and the way he has conducted himself since the election. Now if he can just get the idiots Reid and Pelosi and the rest of congress to start working together like mature adults they just might be able to accomplish something.

I think Obama is doing a wonderful job as President-Elect. It's Congress that's all over the place giving Mr. Obama a hard time. Congress better get their act together and help Obama do what he was elected to do and that is clean up this mess left by Bush and the rest of the Washington croonies who sat around and did nothing.

I don't think so. He is confronting and soon will have responsibility for issues that are so huge and complex the average American's head would explode from the stress of dealing with them. It's going to take a long time to fix and that's if everything goes right.

Maybe some people are coming to the realization that Obama is not the miracle angel, or "the one", they thought he was.

No as a matter of fact it's grown when he speaks to the people you can see and hear that he has the intelligence to understand the problems that we face and he has a plan of action to solve our problems and most important he is being honest and sincere with us.

Absolutely not Jack. Running a tight and disciplined campaign is light years away from running a decimated government in which every sector has been devastated by the Bush Administration and shattered by partisan fighting, obstructionism and Abramoff-styled corruption.

Between two wars, the nightmare in Gaza, the busted economy and difficult, megalomaniacal Congress people, I would not be surprised if President Elect Obama sometimes wonders why on earth he signed on for the job. The pay grade certainly is not commensurate with the seven day a week, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year work load. Not to mention millions of bosses (we-the-voters) who want everything fixed yesterday.

If anything, President-Elect Obama has my sympathy, understanding and patience.

The euphoria of the successful campaign is yielding to the harsh light of day. Pres.-elect Obama has been honest regarding the economy. I appreciate his candor as his bipartisan team of experts work towards possible solutions and I remain confident that his team will find a reality-based path to a better economic future. People need to give Obama a chance and keep things in perspective. FDR is lauded for handling the Great Depression which lasted almost a decade!

Alex in Seattle

I would definitely say no. Obama has already began taking initiative, winning over supporters who prior to November 4th, did not support him. If anything, we have gained confidence. His stance on the economy, the nations most popular issue, has already begun to strike assurance in the president-elect's constituents. With that being said, Obama has a lot on the line with this plan. His credibility and popularity relies a lot on this issue, dictating his support in the future.

Willie Brewster
Mississippi State, MS

NO JACK! If any my confident has grown because Obama will be President on 1/20/09 and he's working his butt off NOW to get this country back on the right track!. He is doing more in the few weeks since the election then President Bush has done in his 8 years and its despicable for any sitting President to walk away free & clear after the lies about invading Iraq AND allowing this economy to fester for years culminating to the crisis America is in today & will be for years!!! I wish PE Obama ALL the blessings I because he sure is going to need it.

We are feed up with the same cynics that have either could the problems that we are currently in, or these who has remain silent why it were being done. Please forgive me for saying this Jack, but the hell with their opinion on this matter!

Jack,
Its like playing Boomer Sooner every day since November 4th. Everyday Obama scores a touchdown with his confidence, patience and diplomacy as he addresses the American people. His knowledge of the game is unbelievable!! He will bring a National Championship to our country. And you don't even have to be a Sooner fan to believe in this.

Go Sooners!!!

No, though my confidence in the congress has gotten even lower. The constant fight between parties is annoying at this time of his history. Noone has presented a plan from the Republican side, why complain?

Are you kidding, Jack? My confidence level was at Zero during the campaign and on Election Day because I took time to study the candidates, their positions, and the promises they broke so I don't see how my confidence level could drop any lower. The bright side is that it can only rise, that is, if President Obama does anything that is positive during his first administration.
Brownwood, Texas

NO! Now you guys quit pickin' at it, or it will never heal!!!

No but I wish he would remind the country that the Republicans got us into this Trilllion dollar mess whenever one whines about the Trillion $ rescue A Trillion dollars did not seem like much to them when they were spending it. And what's with John Kerry? Where is this idea of supporting our Democratic president gone? What is he doing, an upstage, sore grapes, ????? Peg
from Chocorua NH

No.

Jack As A Democrat My answer to this question is simple NO.it is stronger than ever.
Ronald Holst
San Antonio
TX.

No...he's not the president yet but he is obviously more refreshing than the present President!

I haven't really had a lot of confidence in him to begin with...so I can't really say it's declining. With the deficit at 1.2 trillion and he's still willing to cut taxes...? Where is the revenue going to come from?

Green Bay, WI

My confidence has actually INCREASED since the election–and to even ask this question is disengenuous and potentially fractional to the party and country.

Obama was just elected and is not even in office. The media pushed for his election, and now they want to control him like a puppet–but that will not happen. That silly Campbell Brown, especially. She thinks she actually is intelligent. All for Obama and then coming down on the man.

My confidence for him has always been low. He is inexperienced.

Jack

The man has not taken the oath of office, this mess will take years not days or months. This is America we will be fine, we have a leader not a dictator!

My confidence in Obama is as strong as ever. My confidence in the democratic-controlled congress has greatly declined.

Jeff, Washington DC

My confidence has actually INCREASED since the election–and to even ask this question is disengenuous and potentially fractional to the party and country.

Tampa, Florida

The more rapid the climb, the faster they fall... we're already seeing the limits of PE Obama's capacity to enact change, and more amusingly, his own Democrats are turning against him on the tax cut plan (Kerry too!?)

And Jack, why is Obama bothering himself with the issue of the delaying the switch from analog TV to digital?? Some lobbyist must be on his cabinet

Makes the Republicans look pretty good right about now

I had none, so it's not "lessened."

Jack, what in the world are you talking about? Look at this paragraph from today's Rasmussen poll:

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Daily Presidential Approval Index
Thursday, January 08, 2009
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The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Approval Index for Thursday shows that 42% of the nation’s voters now Strongly Approve of the way Barack Obama is handling the role of President-elect while 13% Strongly Disapprove. Those figures give Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of +29, matching his highest ratings to date (see trends, see Obama By the Numbers). Obama’s party has a six-point advantage on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

Of course our confidence has not been swayed nor has it dropped. We all know the monumental challenge facing his administration so let's get behind our president before immediately criticizing him. Of course he needs to defer to Bush concerning Gaza otherwise, it would be a diplomatic disaster.

a) The guy isn't even in office yet.

b) He is inheriting the worst possible situation in almost a hundred years.

c) He is going to be forced to make incredibly difficult decisions every day for the next 4 years and we are ALL going to pay the price for the last 2 decades of greed and complacency.

We need to ALL step up and support our leaders instead of criticizing their every move and comment.

Don't be ridiculous! He has to at least take over from the group of incompetent criminals who have been running things for the last 8 years before people can even think about whether he is up to the job. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were working for Fox News.

Not one iota. That 5% simply represents the 5% of people who can be swayed by idiots trying to connect Obama to Blago or who listen to bitter whiners like Feinstein spout off at the mouth and other nonsensical garbage. Forest for the trees.

no..I am more confident than ever about Barack Obama!

I think it is a silly question Jack. In hindsight, it would have been tremendously useful to monitor Bush's actions so closely.

My confidence in Obama is firm. He is smart, thorough, inclusive, passionate, savvy and has integrity.

This confidence was based on all talk no substance to begin with... No wonder it is declining ...

Barack Obama has acted exactly how he should in deferring to the current President. Bush may be an inept, quickly-becoming-irrelevent leader, but he IS the President.

Obama has been steady, respectful, and has surrounded himself with people ready to hit the ground running – ON JANUARY 20th.

Until then, situations like Gaza are not his to meddle in. Yes, his opinions, views, etc are important, but until his hand is on the wheel, this is not his bus to drive.

Change we can believe in? He has hired a lot of Clinton's staff with him and he has hired lawyers that prosecuted for the RIAA. No more mention of Iraq withdrawal and wants to have bigger escalation of troops in Afghanistan. Thats no change its a small re-organization you see in corporate America everyday.

The main issue that concerns me with President-elect Obama is that he has not been forthcoming with where he stands on the Israeli-Hamas conflict. Understanding he is not yet President, he needs to signal to the world where he stands and what we can expect going ahead.

Danbury , Ct.

While not the biggest Obama fan. Maybe we should allow him to hold office for at least a couple of days before we start to decide if our confidence in him should be shaken.

ABSOLUTLY NOT. If anything it is accelerating...the sooner he can get in and start working the better. Too bad the inaguration isn't tommorrow !!!

jack: the man has not yet been sworn in. the old-guard obstructionists have already declared him a failure (and their own failed decisions our only hope).... and anyone's buying this? this is one stupid damn country, if so,

The initial shock of the historical election is over and the breaking of that particular glass ceiling is over. Everyone's 'good will' is still there, but the hype has gone down quite a bit as reality's problems start to come back.

Not at all. My expectations were never that high – a few of us actually understand that the hype which got him elected was exactly that – hype with a side of smoke and mirrors. American Idol could take lessons.

Mobi Tripp
Andrews AFB, MD

Questions like these, Mr. Cafferty, will serve to derail his attempts to securing our collective future. Instead you and the entire MEDIA community along with the rest of this nation should be thinking of ways to get the nation's support behind Obama. His success is OUR success. Never before have JFK's words rung more true than now: ask not what the country can do for you but what you can do for your country!!!!

I never had any confidence in him to begin with.

Denison, Texas

Our people have short memories and short term attitude; we want quick results and we have no patience. We all forget patience is the embodiment of trust and hope. We have to have patience and trust in Obama to deliver his promises.

Not at all, it has increased. He's not even in office yet, researching and trying to put his economic plan together. He's already working as president. Truly a great roll model for our youth. When you change anything significant, there will be reluctance. Even if a person changes their diet and sleep habits its not easy.

I suppose the confidence in his (Obama) ability to really change anything is where I have very little confidence in. I want to hear everything I heard during his campaign...health care reform, increase in taxes on the wealthy, so on and so on...I want to hear the drive and determination that I had so much hope in during the election.

I want to see the president that I voted for...where is he?

Lathrup Village, MI

Yes,

I've lost near total confidence in Mr. Obama, he continues the no questions asked idiotic relationship with Israel through Rahm Emanuel, who served in the Israeli Military. Mr. Obama has backtracked on leaving Iraq and Afghanistan, and supported the bailout for the banksters. He continues to show alegiance to the Federal Reserve system, which got our economy to the point it is now in the first place, NOT capitalism.

-Hans Z.

Branson, MO

nope!!! he hasn't got started yet!!!

not at all. he's still our best chance at having a democratically elected president for the next four years, with a mandate from whoever didn't vote for the other guys to do whatever he's going to do.

Are you kidding? He's going to be 1 Million times better than the bafoon in office today..

No way. He is great , Let it be known that no matter what ,so far all indications are showing he is doing great– much better than the outgoing one at this stage.

He promised the moon and new blood. All I see is the insider's still in place in new positions. As everyone else asks "Where is the money going to come from?" Clinton created jobs in Arkansas by building curbs and gutters on country roads. I know because I saw it personally and got caught in the road blocks. This is a waste of money even if it does create jobs. Obama is going first class all the way, including his vacation abode in Hawaii and now the big expensive hotel. I think Conde is right, we are going to realize just how good Bush was down the road. Obama is a typical democrat as they are the "give me" party. What happened to the good old hard work ethic. Kids sit on their rears and expect it to be done for them as their parents are teaching them. The baby boomers spoiled their kids rotten and now we pay.

NO!!! I listen and hear truth and ways to solve problems. Some are shocked that our new president shows truth good and bad need to be told to the American people so we can work together and solve the problems. What a breath of fresh air.

The man hasn't even been sworn into office and already people are expressing unhappiness with his performance. I really believe that we need to give this man a chance to do his job and hold off from passing judgment for a few years. The overall economic and foreign policy situations facing this country are huge and it could take years to turn things around. In all fairness, President-elect Obama deserves to be given time to confront these issues and hopefully they will be resolved in due time.

No, I didn't have much confidence in his ability to be a good president before the election, and the most recent problems (in a long line of his problems) have only confirmed my skepticism.

Give the guy a chance ... I think he's doing all the right things, including staying out of the Gaza mess. He'll inherit it soon enough. Besides, you're trying to judge from what you see and even you don't know everything that's going on. I'm sure President Elect Obama and his staff are not simply ignoring the situation but are we'll connected within the current administration and will be prepared to step into the fray day one.

John Ray
Phoenix, AZ

i never had confidence in any liberal's role in government and it cetainly won't change with Obama/Pelosi/Reid at the helm. They will drive the ship of the USA aground faster than it takes a liberal to whine about global warming (which is another liberal rouse) even though the arctic ice is already back to average levels.

No, my confidence in him is not shaken. However, the deterioration of the economic situation is tempering my expectations of what he can accomplish.

My impression is that Obama is still in the campaigning mentality. He continually plants blame on the administration of the past 8 years in his speeches. I think we have all gotten the picture and it's not doing any one any good to be pointing fingers at this time. Unless he wants to supplement the blame with a thoughtful analysis of how we can learn from what went wrong, I don't want to hear it any more. We need to move on.

If he continues to point fingers like this, my confidence in him will decline.

No my confidence has not declined. But then I never had confidence in him to begin with. It's not just Mr. Obama but Miss Pelosi and Mr. Reid. They SCARE me.

Not at all. The mess he is inheriting is getting worse by the day. It takes a special person to want to take on such a disaster.

Nope, however regarding the children in both Houses- If the condidence slips any more, it will be in the basement

For crying out loud let the guy get sworn in. You morons in the media love setting a guy up only to tear him down. I guess when you have nothing really interesting to talk about you have to invent drama for ratings, but at what expense?

I have never had confidence in Obama. America still does not know who he is. When you start talking about giveaways to people, we are starting on the wrong road.

His experience is not coming through.

No. Wait til he's in and give him about 2 years to make a dent in the catastrophe that's been assailed upon the American people for the last 8 years by Bush and the Republicans. If things are worse at that point then i'll lose a little confidence.

Not at all. He does right to defer comments about what's going on now. Don't forget we "only have one president at a time" and who in their right mind would want to take over this mess before s/he absolutely has to.

Nope... I didn't have confidence in him to begin with... he is all talk and told the people exactly what they wanted to hear. In the end however, he will probably end up being like every other modern day president. Hope he has the backbone to stick by his policies. – Jerry Mascoutah, IL.

Not at all. People need to give the Obama/Biden Administration
some space and some time to get things resolved. Don't do what the media always does – raise someone up to unnatural heigths and then try and tear them down. Please, for this nation's sanity and good health, don't put your ratings before what is actually good and productive for all us citizens. Obama didn't bring this Country to its'
knees – Bush did that. Now Obama has to clean up the mess. He will do that, but he's not even in office yet, and you're criticizing him already. STOP!

Its too early in the game!!! Can we all be patience and let this man start his presidency!!!! We are too impatience in this country. This guy is up to the task. Another thing I noticed is that people are expecting too much from this guy. He is human and he is bound to make mistakes. Give him a break and let him do his job

I never had a lot of confidence in this man based on his lack of any real accomplishments. He is a great at talking a great game but now is the time that he must deliver the goods. If you like socialism you should be very optimistic about the PRESIDENT ELECT. He will make Jimmy Carter look good when all is said and done. That in itself is scary

Not at all – We are, of course, relieved to be getting a president who values competence, and that relief brings both hope and high expectations. We elect mere mortals to this office and then hold them to a standard of perfection. I am finishing up The Audacity of Hope, and I am more confident now than when I cast my vote.

Jack , Let's not bury the guy before he died. I continue to be very hopeful despite the tremendous problems we face.

Of course not. However, I think the expectations are unreasonable. It seems people are holding Obama to a "super-human" standard, and I don't think that's fair. Given the fact that he is not in office yet, he hasn't even had the chance to really put anything into action. Yet people are constantly looking at him with a critical eye waiting to pounce. It's like he has to do every single thing perfect, or people are like "oh... you aren't doing what you said". Let's give this smart, intelligent man a chance. It's in our own best interest as a country and part of the human race.

Of course it has Jack.

There are still far too many of "us" out here who have not yet been personally affected by this economic crisis and are still far more content to continue the old "us versus them" political squabbling and bickering. Those who really need help and fast see the same old storm clouds brewing in Congress and on the talk shows and lose faith by the day that any new ground could be covered.

That the media machine has done nothing but chew on the bone since November 4th leaves us with endless speculation, "controversy" and what if thinking. When you get enough of that, even the most hopeful among us begins to question: "what really has changed". Very very sad, since I fear we get few more chances to fix this thing.

My confidence has not declined. My awareness of just how bad things are has reached new clarity, I knew it was bad, really bad, but it's worse than I knew so my worries are even greater now.

Yes. He is not prepared for the job.

I can't understand why Obama hasn't commented on the Israel/Gaza conflict. He's ok commenting on the economy before inauguration, but defers to President Bush on the Mideast conflict. I'm worried about this hesitation. He should make his position known soon.

Absolutely not. The American people are realizing that the President-elect, while he has named his Cabinet, has not made any true accomplishments. How can you approve of the job of someone if they haven't done anything yet? Obama's honeymoon hasn't even started; he hasn't even been married yet. Just wait. After January 20, and the new Congress gets the ball rolling, and he starts signing bills and making decisions, his approval rating will shoot straight up again.

If any one believes that Obama can pull a rabbit out of his hat, to fix this Econimy then they had better go to Disneyland, thats where dreams come true. Without the excess in congress cubbed and all this greedy ceo's and alot of prayer, were in for a big , big !!!!!! depression not just recession. God is upset with the way we live our lives in this country and we need a national day of prayer. I know no one wants to ere that, but until we ask for forgiveness arounfd the world were in for a tough time.

My confidence has declined slightly on the international affairs front. I see Obama's refusal to talk about the crisis in Gaza as unsettling, and more of a political stategy with Washington. Obama has been the symbol of hope and peace for both the US citizens and those abroad wanting the injustices of the failed American foreign policies to right themselves. His refusal to speak up on this topic has already broken the honeymoon amongst many in the international community, which is vital if we want to improve our image around the world.

My confidence in Barack Obama has not wavered, in fact it has increased since he seems to be getting together the right team to tackle the worst problems our country has ever seen. Our economy is terrible, we are in two wars, and our status in the world is the worst it has ever been. He isn't making excuses, he is looking for answers and getting the mechanisms in place to reverse the horrific damage the Friedman economic model and the Republican Party has done to the United States since 1980.

My confidence couldn't possibly decline. He's a democrat: I have zero confidence that anyone voluntarily sporting either a democrat or republican label can provide anything citizens might recognize as "change". We've flipped back and forth a few times from republican to democrat since Newt Gingrich first offered us change with the contract on America, and we haven't gotten any change from any of them.

I think President Obama will do just great. Just be patient and give him time and the American support.

Its crazy how much attention is payed to Obama for failing to act on things he isn't legally able to deal with. He is "President-Elect" of the United States of America. The job of "President" still lies with G. W. Bush.

Give him a break already. There will be plenty of time to judge his actions starting on Jan. 21, 2009.

Not at all. I didn't expect miracles, only leadership. And, he's showing good leadership.

Jack,

My confidence has not declined in Obama. It's declined in our government, our congress. What a mess we are in and it all happened before Obama got there. I feel like for the past 8 years, we have not had anyone in Washington working for us. It has all been about GREED. The rich get richer and thw poor, well to hell with them.

God Bless America!

How or why would confidence in "President Elect" Obama decline? He is not even president yet. He has 0 power to do anything about any of these issues until 1-20-09. Please stop trying to stir doubt in people's minds.

It kinda frightens me that you ran a campaign on change but yet you apparently needed the advice from the unchanged. Are you really ready for the job you ran for?

"...down slightly from the 70% approval rating he had a week ago". Wait a minute here. You have two points on the graph and you can somehow already see a trend?? Cafferty, it takes three points on the graph, minimum, before you may plot a trend, draw a "best fit" line.

Also, he's not president yet, and somehow, people want him to prove himself? Bush had 8 years to prove himself. Give Obama atleast his first 2 as President before you judge him.

Cheers!

If confidence in Pres.-Elect Obama has declined (which I doubt)it's because nothing less than the 2nd Coming (or first, if you're Jewish!) could cure the miss that W left behind. Thankfully, Barack Obama has the intellect, the organizational skill, and the drive to be one of our truly great Presidents in these difficult times.

My confidence was never high concerning his abilities. He is nothing more than a standard politician perpetuating his existence.

Hell no! Obama is a smart, honest and open leader.
For the past eight years we found out what a dumb, dishonest and secretive leader can do to us!!

All kidding aside, Obama (and a massive stimulus package) is exactly what we need right now....and quickly.

Wow, interesting that crap like this has surfaced already. While he is the President Elect, what could he have possibly done since the election to increase or decrease our confidence in him? Vacation in Hawaii? Clog up D.C. traffic with his motorcade? Send his daughters to (gasp) a private school? Not sure what we could possibly know about him that we didn't already know....
You are a poster child for all that is wrong with Politics. I would love for you and all the other "Political (pin head) Pundits" to get in the back of the unemployment line....

Happy New Years from Washington D.C.
See you at the Inauguration

No. Anything is better than Bush or any other Republican. Would you prefer we kept Bush in office or better yet John McCain or Sarah Palin? You think we are somewhat distracted with the Demorats and their petty crap, we would be talking about teenage pregnancy, high school dropouts, favortism for jobs, country frist political packs, the magic negro, legacy revisionist and on and on.

I never had any confidence in him in the first place.

How can you have confidence in the person with the least amount of experience to handle our most trying time. I can't believe that as a country we are that ignorant.

No, it hasn't, but my concern over what he is going to face as president has increased dramatically. People need to realize that things are going to get very tough and there is only so much our leaders are going to be able to do to help us.

Not one bit...give the guy a chance before writing him off.!!!

Having a falling approval rating before taking office... isn't that like shouting cattle calls at the pitcher before the game even starts?

My confidence in Obama hasn't declined but my fear of the problems he'll face have grown. It's not that he's gotten smaller, but the problems have gotten bigger.

No.

The shine is wearing off the new, and people are over the euphoria that immediately came after the election. People are looking at our current situation, listening to what Obama is saying now, and remembering all the high sounding phrases Obama used. And things ain't adding up. The term "flash in the pan" comes to mind. Cept if things dont change, we'll be left with nothing but a dirty pan.

Yes. I am not surprised one bit, either. He does not have the experience we need in a President right now and all the people that voted for him for voting for a "dream" and not a reality. They did not have the sense to think ahead and truly think about where this man would take us. It's disappointing to think that Americans could be so fooled.

Approval ratings are overrated. The ratings I give myself often hover little over 50%.

How can we lose confidence in Obama as president when he's not even president yet? Patience is something more of us need.

We're now throwing stones at people who haven't had a chance yet to screw things up?? Good heavens, if we're all convicted BEFORE we get the chance to make a mistake, then our children are the most guilty of all of us! Who are you kidding? Obama should be lauded for simply being able to remain coherent during the excision of the TRUE culprits – Bush, Cheney and the Republican Congress of the last eight years.

Obama reminds me very much of Lincoln or Kennedy – pensive, kind, and respectful of others. Obama, like these predecessors, will find the world a much better place after his service than before he assumed office. He had my vote on election day, and he's got my support today. I doubt that I am alone.

Hi Jack, Nope because my confidence is not in Obama but in the Lord. However, I do believe that God has granted Obama the wisdsom to tackle the things we face as far as the economy. As far as the things going on in Gaza I think that will always be a losing a battle because that will take a heart change and the respect of human life on both sides and both sides seem to be very stubborn in this area. M
My prayer is the Obama makes good choices and that we the people get behind our new president and do what we can in order to make our country better.

No. He is not even in office yet. The press seems to think that he should move Mr. Bush aside in some sort of coup. It took many years of concerted deceit and thievery to get us to where we are today. A good deal of time will be required to extricate ourselves from the self-serving habits of "the unregulated few" and the greedy many.

NO. He is not President yet and we have to give him a chance after he starts. Now is not the time to judge.

There is no doubt that Obama faces some very tough issues. The only frustration I have with the man is that his campaign keeps emailing me asking for more money! Wait? I thought elections were over!

Obama must stop ignoring the war between Israel and Hamas. He finds time to speak about everything else under the sun, including college football, but when it comes to Israel, he states that "we can only have one President at a time". It is time for Obama to take a stand on how he will treat one of America's top allies before they begin to lose faith in both him and our country.

My confidence has not declined in the least ... keep trying, Jack!

Well Jack,

The things that you've listed have not discouraged me any... the one thing that HAS discouraged me though is his appointment of who he wanted to have swear him in. To have a pastor that openly supported Proposition 8... it seems almost un-American. It doesn't give me high hopes for where GLBT Rights rank among the Obama-Biden administration's priorities; other than that, I think he is living up to expectations, no man can be expected to make 0 mistakes.

YES !!!

Absolutely Not! I am still proud of the Vote i cast for the President Elect. He is adressing the country and keeping us aware of his intentions. Much more than President Bush is doing currently. it is very easy to look and see that he is doing nothing right now, but what can he do when he doesn't have the power to do so yet. Come January 20, ask how many more people will be sleeping better that night.

This is the type of report that have people up in arms about drive by media and the emergence of 24-hour news sources with not enough to talk about. Obama is not even the President yet and has done more to aid this nation as the President Elect than the current President has during the entire election cycle, yet we are already bombarded with criticisms. Can we at least give the usual 100 days to see where he's going before we start battling against our own interests in saving the economy?

Give the guy a chance.....

Give the guy a break. Don't try to tear him down before he has even taken the oath of office. Anything is better than the outgoing chief!

I think the rating are due to nerves more than anything else. As 01/20 draws near, we all have high hopes, but reality must rear it's ugly head. A week after he takes office the numbers will prob. go right back up, as hope again takes hold......

Not at all. Mr. Obama is facing very though circumstances for sure, politics of it all aside. Of course he will face criticism from all angles, no intelligent person expects him to please everyone at all times, and no intelligent person expects him never to make mistakes. I still believe Barack Obama is in the best place to lead this country. (Note: I said "Lead" not "Fix") My confidence is high and my expectations are reasonable.

I think that our confidence (in one man) is suffering from the same uncertainties that we are dealing with on and increasing basis with the economy and other world matters. There are just too many unknowns that are going to take more luck to solve than knowledge.

Chicago, IL

I definitely stand behind Barack Obama, but the odds are stacked against him already. Many people seem to have unrealistically high hopes of Barack Obama riding in on a white horse to rescue this country. This country's mess is too big to fix in a month, a year, or possibly year(s) from now, and people need to understand that he faces possibly the largest challenge than any incoming president in our nation's history has. He's a great man, but he isn't magical and there is no quick fix.

lose confidence in barry? never.

Jack,

President Elect Obama is doing an excellent job during the transition
because he has gathered a team of individuals that have the expertise
to handle the economic crisis starting on day one. Jack, Barak Obama is not the President so he can not comment on international problems because President Bush is still in power. We can not have two Presidents at the same time during a international crisis. President Bush needs to wake up from his nap and deal with the crisis because he is the President until noon on January 20, 2009.

David L. Davila

He hasn't taken office yet! My God, get out of the situation room once in awhile!

Seriously, though, you're right, Obama is over, frankly. Collectively, the nation has grown weary of his policies, his ineffectual leadership and his repeated protests of, "I'm not President yet." and, "You are aware that Bush is still the President?" What a whiner! The only thing more disappointing than Obama's presidency is Joe Biden's second term as President that starts in 2020. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we've had enough of Biden dodging Presidential accountability by complaining that, "That's eleven years away," and "Are you serious? What are you, nuts?" and of course, "Can someone get this idiot away from me?"

Sheesh...

No, my confidence hasn't declined, and is this really a quality question to pose?- It sounds like you're just killing time, waiting for him to take office. Commenting on his choices is fair game, for sure, but talking about the honeymoon ending is fairly unreasonable and perhaps inflammatory.

Mat Zucker, New York, NY

Jack,
I still have faith in President elect Obama, having said that, i feel there is still to many old time political leeches hanging around that will be pulling his strings. I feel our government has to gone to hell in a hand basket in the last 8 years. At this point in my life, it's very hard to trust any political figure.
Carl in Illinois

He hasn't even entered the White House, and already you are insinuating he is losing the confidence of the American people?

He is stuck with enormous challenges. We should be doing what we can to support the man.

Give him a break.

Just thank the good Lord we are finally getting rid of Bush!

My conficence in Obama was not very high to begin with. It has declined since the election. I do not think he has a clue.

Of course not, I am extreamelly excited about the inaguration and realising what a diffrence one person in the right place can make!!

Sherwood, Arkansas

For crying out loud, the guy hasn't even taken office yet. Why would my confidence in him have changed one way or another??

No it hasn't, and I think that other people need to be realistic, and realize that this man is being handed one of the biggest messes you could imagine. It's going to take a lot of time, effort, and intelligence to even get things turned in the right direction. It's not going to happen over night, and people should not expect that it will.

With the brains behind him and his own, plus his methodical way of getting things done, he will do great!!

He needs time, american system is the same only head is being switched. i think there is no course for alarm

How can anyone judge President-Elect Obama so soon? He hasn't even gotten his feet wet (or in the door to the White House) and there are already questions about what he and his administration are or aren't doing? What's the matter...no one else to pick on these days? It took years for the challenges we face today to finally reach the surface for all of us to see and deal with and it is not going to be fixed overnight and anyone who thinks it can be – or should be for that matter – is a fool. President-Elect Obama is going to need our input and we are going to have to gather as one America to get this worked out.

Congress: This childish game of "I don't like this or that" has got to stop, and we need to put forth true adult decision making ideas on the table and make them work!!!

No, at least not for me. He isn't even in the office yet, so you can't expect miracles (can we let Bush get early retirement?:). I'm sure Obama will do things I don't agree with, but you can't expect 100% agreement with anyone.

I think he'll do a great job and don't envy him not one bit... people expect a fix for something that took years to break down. Stil has my support!

I remain confident in Obama's pragmatic approach to governing and am counting the days until he is sworn in and can officially begin his presidency.

My confidence in Barack Obama is still as high as the night he was elected. The reason? #1...he is NOT George Bush...and by comparison, any semi-literate individual could do much better. #2....Obama appears to be both articulate (how refreshing is that)....smart and focused on addressing America's problems instead of promoting any personal ideology on the rest of the country. Certainly there will be a few bumps in the road. Not everyone will share his views about how to change the problems we face. But, he truly does appear to be one who will not invoke the tired refrain we have heard for 8 years "if you don't agree with me you are not a patriot". Let's face it, after 8 years of Bush/Cheny/Rumsfeld, we have a lot of cleaning up to do. Obama can get it done...and he'll get it done faster if the Republicans don't fight him every step of the way just because he's a democrat.

Maybe, but I think that is unavoidable right now since everyone is chomping at the bit to get this ship righted. After November 4th, everyone was ready for Obama to take over the next day. Instead, we're reminded that he can't do anything until January 20th. Once he gets in office and we can actually start working on solving things instead of waiting for Bush to get out of the way, I hope we'll see the numbers go back up.

People who blindly voted for "that one" just because he is black, are in for a big surprise! He is not the "promised savior" as thought to be by so many.

Has your confidence in President-elect Barack Obama declined any since the election?

The so-called bumps you refer to are commonplace, not newsworthy in any new administration, however, the primary concern in this ongoing period of economic uncertainty is "spending"...indeed spending proposals thus far suggested by Obama seem unrealistic at best, there is no doubt the nation's economy will get much worse before it gets better, whether or not Obama will weather the consequences of his policies at the conclusion of his his first term remains to be seen...

Has my confidence decreased? Not at all. ANYONE is an improvement over that idiot in the oval office now. Mr. Obama has my full support and desire for success. Best wishes to him, and my thanks for sending the village idiot back to Crawford where he belongs.

If confidence in the President-elect has declined (which I doubt), it's because nothing short of the Second Coming (or First, if you're Jewish!) could cure the mess we find ourselves in!Thankfully, Barack Obama has the wisdom, the organizational skill, and the drive to become one of our truly great Presidents. Give him a chance–he hasn't even been sworn in yet!

My confidence in the President-Elect has not changed much. I think the dip in confidence for some people comes from people looking more closely at the issues before us and realizing these issues are daunting for any President.

I do find hope, however, in Mr. Obama's talks about true bipartisan participation being needed to fix the issues.

No.

He hasn't even taken office yet. Can't you think of any better questions?!

Give him a break. He hasn't even started yet. Obama should be careful not to promise too much. The current economic situation is not his doing and economy may not improve for a couple of years. However, I do agree that the selection of Panetta (however great a manager he is) does not look a good decision. IMHO, you cannot put a round peg in a square hole.

No!

Mr. Obama's start up looks promising. He is facing major problems right now and will face others that will complicate things in the future. Not the least of these problems will be the extreme right wing mentality that they know it all when in reality they know nothing. I pray for him for wisdom to face these problems. As a retired history teacher I know we will have to wait to see what the results are.

My confidence in President-Elect Obama remains high. I don't know of any person who displays more talent and inclination to bring disparate groups and individuals together to solve the massive challenges before us, or anyone else with the mental toughness and equanimity to withstand the stresses of the job. I am touched by Obama's reported reluctance to give up his blackberry. He does not want to find himself trapped by the splendid isolation he knows to be a pitfall of the Presidency. He wants to remain in touch and responsive to real people. I applaud him for his high standards, and I wish him and his family the very best.

Hell no, Jack. Stop the drama. Confidence is starting to wane in CNN.

Absolutely not, my confidence in Obama is growing. We need change and he is the change we need. The people in this country need to trust in him and support him. He is focused on the country which hasn't happened in the last 8 years. Change is not easy but it's necessary.

I am from Granite City, Illinois

Hey Jack,

My confidence in Mr.Obama's ability hasn't changed at all since the election, however, as intelligent as he is and as much as he surrounds himself with brilliant people, let's not be foolish or blissfully ignorant of the fact that he has to be near a miracle worker to turn all of these gigantic problems around quickly. Hey, maybe the conservatives were right, maybe he is the Messiah! Let's HOPE!!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!!

Jack,
Actually, my confidence in Obama has risen even though I didn't vote for him – I think he has handled the transition admirably. My hopes are high that he will lead this country into an era of peace and prosperity – so far he seems to be headed in that direction.

Mell, Phoenix, Arizona, where it is sunny and warm every day.

I am still supremely confident Obama will have a positive impact when it comes to getting the economy back on its feet.

*yawn. My confidence in finding quality news articles has declined 23.7% since the invention of the pencil.

I am still confident in Obama. Why, because he hasn't done anything to shake my confidence in him. What has happened is the situation in the U.S. has not gotten any brighter. I am confident he will do everything to the best of his abilities, but I am not niave in the fact that he has a long, steep and yes, bumpy, road ahead of him. If anyone thinks that the instant he takes office, everything will get better, they need to get their head out of the sand. Anyways, if we didn't critique our president, we wouldn't be doing our job as citizens.

Chapel Hill, NC

Completely, I mean .. think about, he is not even yet in the White House, he has not had the opportunity to actually do anything and things already are going bad.
Man, at least the current President waited to be in the office before screwing the country ...

Oh, just to make sure: you know what sarcasm is, right?
One thing though I think should change: news people should start asking decent questions ... will this happen in 2009?

No, my confidence in Orak Obama remains steady. The problem that I'm having living in Europe now, is that I'm obtaining more unfiltered information, than I would be getting living in the U.S.A. Is it true that war is liked by the superpowers of the world, like the United States, Russia. England, France, i.e. the winning nations of W.W. II since production of military weapontry, arms, bullets.rockets, missles, provides a lucrative business for many, ruthless people! Am I too naiive to have thought that that capitalist quest had disappeared, due to social evolution. and increase in man's self-consciousness? Could it tragically be possible, that the reason that the superpowers mentioned above have in the past, allowed more time for Israel to "overkill", first in 2006, when clearly the fighting and bloodshed could have been stopped weeks earlier, but wasn't. And presently, where Hamas stupidly ended their ceasefire with Israel, and started again sending missles int o southern Israel again! Anything could be deemed or construed as a provocation by Israel and it's friendly superpowers! Well. then this becomes a rational of cruelty, mercilessness, of deplorable lack of a human conscince, and blatant Evil! The fear that comes to mind is that Barak Obama cannot put up even a flimsy fight with these evil people, and they will eventually dictate, what the next president will ne allowed to do! "The road to hell is filled with good intentions."

What do people expect ? Now that the tarnish is off The Messiah, everyone is going to see what a huge mistake they've just made. He is unqualified, and is not going to be able to fake it any longer.

Mr. Cafferty, Please, Mr. Obama isn't even sworn into office yet. Why do you want to stir the pot of discontent before he even has any power? Why aren't you asking why President Bush isn't doing anything about the situation. Let's put the blame where it needs to be. After January 20th you have the right to question his actions, but until then, we only have Mr Bush to blame.

Yeah...I'm a little wary now considering that many of the people who supported him, have been shocked, sickened and insulted by his choice of rick warren to give the invocation at the inauguration. You gotta wonder, why would we do that? Why wouldn't he pick someone who hasn't called gay people child molesters and called women who've had abortions nazis? There are plenty of ministers who are far more compassionate and less right-wing wacko than warren. So what else is he off-base on? No doubt, he'll be better than bush...hell, I'm better than bush! But stil...what was he thinking?

Are you kidding me???? The poor guy hasn't even been sworn in, and you're already asking this question???? Good grief, at least let him have one day on the job before you start trashing him.

And no, I have even more confidence in him, because it appears he will be fully prepared on day one.

My confidence in Obama is not flagging in the least – I was impressed with him as a candidate, and I am even more impressed with the effectiveness of his transition. Compare this to the transition of almost every other newly elected President – his has been exceptionally well thought out and extraordinarily well executed. Clinton took months to get organized, and Bush, well.... never mind. I never expected perfection – the only people who never make a mistake have never done anything. I continue to be amazed at this man's leadership skills and effectiveness.

Nope. Mister Obama will do just fine. The indication that he'll be a great leader is simply the rush to attack him by the right wing pundits. They are trying to create issues where none exist.

First I will say, WHY would anyone want this job??? Second, when his 82% existed, P-E Obama did not have 2 more worldly matters on his platter! Now 65%. When it get below 25%, like someone we know, I'll start worrying. The way I look at it. P-E Obama will handle our Nation the way he handled his campaign. Looks where he's at NOW!
To Jack, smooches. I love your commentaries!

Obama is not a king....he needs congress to get things done. Thus, since I have little confidence in our federal government the outcome will not be good for BO. Like a person who gets sucked down in the ocean waters when a big ship sinks, BO will be sucked down by this congress and world events he cannot control.

Cypress, Texas

Give the man a chance, it took the Republicans 8 years to dump us in this hole while the Democrats stood by and watched.

I think that any elected official should work in good faith with this administration to get us out of this mess and anyone that uses any issues for political gain should be immediately recalled by their constituents.
We cannot afford even one more day of patrician politics and any Democratic or Republican caught not working for the best interest of this country should be gone immediately.

No, in fact, I'm liking the guy (though McCain was my favorite) he is raising the prospect of a serious and realistic president, contrary to that of just idealistic. Perhaps, the most worried people are those in the liberal side, who thought that Mr. Obama would please all their most avid desires. It seems to me that he is moving into the center and that the man, in fact, wants be a good president for all, which of course would cost him to displease some, but specially those in liberal wing that pushed for his election.

To keep it simple....NO

My confidence in Obama has not declined at all, it only increases as I see him inching closer to being a true leader for all of America. Nobody's perfect, and he will make mistakes, but I still think he is the leader we need.

No. Because he has not really started. Before watching the polls on the confidence the american people have of him, let's wait for his presidency to really start.

he isn't president yet.

Why doesn't Obama just push the Fair Tax, and solve a boat load of the problem. Jobs would come back to the states for once!

Nate
Sioux Falls, SD

No drop in confidence. If anything it has increased as a result of his swift, decisive and refreshingly informed actions and decisions. He is the breath of fresh air and fact based "decider" for which this nation is long overdue. Finally, a leader that seeks varied, objective opinions and decides based on facts and empirical evidience and not faith and idealology. We've had enough of that and the accompanying "pseudo" values used to rationalize them.

Jack,
I am having difficulty with the "Change We Can Believe In" part.
How can we have change with the same people in power for most of the last 20 years – only now they are sitting in different chairs?
And the dissing of Howard Dean has really left a bad taste in my mouth.

My confidence in him wasn't very high when he won the election in November!

If he'd stop hiding behind lawyers & produce a valid birth certificate – proving once & for all he's a citizen of the United States of America – my confidence in him might improve. Until then the only meaning "confidence" has for me, with reference to BHO, is "confidence man."

My confidence in him has not declined mainly because he was right in saying that there is only one president at a time. He has not been given a true chance to do anything. Why not wait till he actually gets to be president before we blame him for the past. This is the biggest mess this country has been in for many years and the old school politicians are the cause and center of blame. If anyone else has a better plan why don't they step up instead of hammering his ideas.

Oh, Laura Kiselevach, New York, New York and proud of it!

Not at all, Jack. My confidence in him has been reaffirmed by some of his recent decisions. He is showing that he is strong enough to take on the tasks ahead and stand up to those who try to stand in his way – including members of his own party. I think there are those in the established Washington crowd that are shocked that he is in fact doing exactly what he said. He is appointing people who are up to the task because they are up to the task – not because they are suggested by the establishment. I am very proud of the job he is doing and cannot wait until his presidency begins!

My confidence has not changed at all in President Elect Obama. Bush and his administration have dragged us a long ways down so it's going to take Obama a while to turn it all around. He doesn't have a magic wand but he will make us proud.

Tucker in Saint Paul, MN

I have a great confidence in him, and it hasn't dwindled. Must we forget that you know who is responsible for the way things are now? Why was this even written? Of course lots of money is going to have to be spent to get us out of the hole that Bush got us in to. Alas, we must forgive Bush and what he has done. And I know he isn't ever going to be arrested and tried like he should be, we can at least Tivo Bush leaving office and watch it over and over and over and over again!
11 days, 17 hours. 24 minutes, 10 seconds....
Oh yes! The people are counting. Nah nah nah nah! Nah nah nah nah! Hey hey heyyyyy, Gooodd byeeeee

Geez, Cafferty. Get a life.

I don't think it's confidence in Obama that's declining, it's confidence in everything. Despite Obama's impressive job of handling the transition, it seems that with every passing day things get worse. Middle east conflicts escalate, economic outlooks become bleaker, and unnecessary controversies in Washington continue. Obama hasn't gotten worse, our countries problems have.

-Lee, Nashville TN

I still have great confidence in Obama. The problem I have is with Congress. Imagine how good the country could do if congress put aside all the petty party crap and worked together for a change.

No. Get off his back....Bush did this not Obama!

the man said that things would get worse before it got better. I like Obama, but sometimes he comes off as just another politician. People are still losing his jobs and the problem is that the jobs he is talking about creating rebuilding the country's infrastructure are great for some. The only mention is about roads and bridges. What about the jobs that were lost in the financial and IT sectors in this country. I have not heard much of plan about getting some of those jobs back. I think that he will do a better job than BUSH, but so far his plans seem a little short sighted.

No. My confidence has stayed the same. I voted for him but I dont think I have unrealistic expectations. He is not Superman. The problem is that the Bush administration left this country's economy and standing in the word in shambles. We have more enemies than allies, we have ballooning unemployment, and 2 wars without a way to define victory. I think Obama is the most likely person to solve some of these problems, but how can my confidence in him decline before he has started the job? He is not president yet. And for the record i think Leon Panetta is an excellent choice. You cant let anyone from withtin the CIA lead that discredited dinosaur. You need someone to come in with outside experience to lay down the law and make them accountable, somehting Bush had no interest in.

It is news titles like these which do not help American morale.

I am not saying propaganda and censorship of media is good, but the media needs to stop scaring the American people with bold headlines and apocalyptic news stories filled with "what if's" and theoretic scenarios.

The man isn't even in office yet, let's keep stories that suggest a downfall, for more meaningful and less skeptical analysis.

Please.

My God!!! Give the man a break. He hasn't even been sworn in as the next president. Please report on something a little more pressing!!!

how could anyone's confidence in obama declined? he hasn't even been able to have a day in office yet. he is at least trying to put out ideas that could potentially save us from this huge economic disaster that we are facing. maybe we can spend another few years talking about making changes and not do anything to push them. it is truly sad to see how much greed has destroyed our finanical institution. and what is more terrible, the people who allowed us to get here are getting bailouts and the average american is failing to even be able to take care of their own families.

No Jack, it has not. We have to remember that Rome was not built in a day. We are funny human beings. If we don't see a quick fix, we tend to become impatient and bitter. I truly believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just give him a chance. And this is coming from someone who is hurting financially.

Not at all. Transition periods are not meant to go perfectly, that's why they exist: to give incoming administrations the opportunity to work out the kinks. Obama is not yet President, but I have every confidence that, once in office, he will take immediate action to confront the challenges we face at home and abroad.

No ,my confidence has not declined because I did not have it from the beginning. He will be business as usual like other politicians before him.

If we were to pre-judge Barak Obama before he even took control of the oval office, it would be a preemptive action on the part of the American people, and Lord knows, we don't need any more preemptive actions.

No, my confidence in him hasn't declined at all. If he doesn't make any mistakes, he isn't doing enough, period! Give him some breathing room and quit micro-analyzing his every move.

Nope.

He's not even president yet!!! Give him room for error. He is only human.

No, it's the Democratic Congress that is the issue. He has been on track, clear and precise with his choices and plans. My concern is not about his ability, but rather Congress staying with their same old process of petty bickering. They criticize his plans, and yet they haven't been able to pull together on anything significant without seemingly like a grade school yard fight.
I think he needs to come out boldly with a speech directly to the American people asking us to step-up, get involved and contact our representatives to tell them we are sick of their nonsense and we won't re-elect them if they don't come together, stop the division and work as a whole. His greatest power of support is in the same people of elected him...namely us!

Uhh no. The man has taken on the nation's issues effectively and decisively – and he's not yet the President. It took Bush 8 years to get us into this mess so give Obama at least ONE term to do his job. Be FAIR.

I do not understand why Mr. Obama is getting slammed already when he is not even in a position of power to do a darn thing. Hearing about al-zawahiri saying Obama is at fault for what is presently going on in Gaza is even more infuriating. Barack has had nothing to do with the current battle between Israel and Palestine, yet he is being pointed out as the cause by Al Qaeda. Utter garbage if you ask me.

Mr. Obama has been diligently putting together a powerhouse of a cabinet with extremely qualified individuals from both sides of the isle. He is not even in office and is already speaking to the country, finalizing plans for the economy and putting his attention where it needs to be. In regard to his claim that he will not allow earmarks in the financial stimulus package he proposes is in my mind not only brave but also the right thing to do. It seems lately the only way to get things passed through Congress is to allow everyone get their little piece of the pie. Seems more like they are buying votes instead of focusing on doing what is right. I say we all need to sit back, relax and let the man do his job for at least a year before we can say whether or not he is doing a good job.

I have not lost any confidence in Barack Obama however the mess he is inheriting will take superhuman effort from all of his team and then it will be a long time to reverse the Bush disasters.

This is insane. The guy isn't even president yet, and the media has already celebrated the honeymoon and is now fabricated grounds for divorce. Can we all just slow down?

Confidence in Obama has not declined. His ability to assess and articulate the current and ever changing situation, and his determination to select quality people to work in his administration continue to be a source of confidence. You may be seeing a lack of confidence in the Congress and concern that other politicians may try to derail the incoming administration.

John in Rockville, Maryland

Not an iota.

I did not vote for Mr. Obama, but watching him in action these past weeks has left me very much in support of the president-elect.

I have every confidence that there will be some severe bumps and bruises along the way, but the man has the potential to be a great president.

Are you kidding? The guy hasn't even been sworn in yet! For that matter, ask this question the year after he stops being President. That's when I, or anyone for that matter, will have an informed opinion.

I think he appears panicked and in over his head.

Dear Mr.Cafferty,

Please stop raising such questions and subsequently plant doubts on people's minds. We need to throw our support behind Mr.Obama and give him the time and patience to do his job. Instead ask questions like.. what should we do stimulate the economy etc....

Your questions like this is meaningless, non-value add and absurd.

Sorry!!

MJ

No. I still have faith in his abilities. I'm just not sure how much he can accomplish with the current Senate/Congress. In the end, his plans often succeed or fail based on the Senate/Congress. Shouldn't the question then be – has your confidence in the Sentate/Congress declined any since the election?? YES!

Not at all. Come on he hasn't even taken office yet – give him a break. So far he has been performing in the transition period very admirably. The gloom and doom scenario point out the seriousness of our situation and President elect Obama offers real hope for a better country.

I think he will honored greatly we are allowed once agin to deduct intrest for our auto loans, credit cards, student loans. This will spur the economy, consumers will begin buying. The robust economic musle will begin to flex in America again.

My confidence in Mr. Obama is still high. Maybe it's now tempered with a little reality, though. Things are pretty bad here in St. Joseph, Missouri. And, like the fat guy going on a diet, it didn't get bad all at once and it's not going to get better all at once. I think it's important that we all understand that we aren't going to see the stock market highs of 2007 any time soon. We probably aren't going to see no-money-down mortgages ever again. We'll get through this, but it will be through incremental change and we'll all be the better for it.

Paul Branson
St. Joseph, MO

Frankly, this is the most ridiculous question. First allow him to be sworn in as president, let one year pass, and then ask again.

My confidence is no higher or lower than it was. Perhaps part of the problem is that things just keep looking more and more grim. Economy is getting worse. Now tensions are heating up in Isreal again.

I'm not worried about Bill Richardson. I would have been more worried if he would have NOT withdrawn.

The critism of Leon Panetta as CIA director is not unexpected. It is an ideological difference. Obama is using the strong manager approach whereas others want the expert in the field approach. Either can work, as long as you have the right people on the team.

I have full confidence in President Elect Obama's Ability to turn around the economy as well as the way Americans are viewed around the world since Bush came into power.

I wonder the timing of Israel attacking Gaza, the Israeli Election and the Transition of Power in America.

Bush has totally put Obama in a very awkward position by Approving the Israeli attack at this time just before he takes power.

Thank you,
Thomas Mathews
Toronto, Ontario

It seem that the news media is going to be the death of this country. Obama has not been sworn in as president yet and already you people are taking votes on his performance. Give the guy a break. Bush has been in office for 8 years and have destroyed this country – our security has been destroyed and economically we are in the toilet. People have lost their jobs, their homes, their retirement and investments – he should be impeached for all the ills he has caused this country. I don't hear anyone trying to make him accountable for what he has done. But it seem as if you guys need a scape goat and are ready to attach Obama. At least give him a chance to try and salvage what left of our country. Have some hope that things can be turned around by a black, intelligent person. Or is that too hard to swallow.

It was low and is sinking. He has made some very questionable cabinet choices and has not come across well on the economic issues facing us.

I have to say that I am less than thrilled with his plan to give us more money in our paychecks. You have to give consumers a big lump and make them "feel" rich so they spend more. I am not trilled with his package to help "Joe America: and his family.

Absolutely not!! But the Republicans and critics of Obama from
day one would like you to think so. The man has not even been
sworn in as President!

Things are just horrible all over...and you can thank 8 years of
Bush and 12 years of the Republican controlled congress for
that.

I have alot of confidence in Obama, his cabinet and the democratic congress...there is so much to be done to right alot of wrongs that
have happened and it won't happen quickly.

Not as much as my confidence in the media to shut up and give the guy a chance to actually be president. He hasn't even been inaugurated yet. Why don't you media people give him at least one full day in the Oval office before you start nailing him to the cross? (No disrespect personally intended toward you, Jack.)

Roland
St. George, UT

Jack: This is why I objected to all the fanfare surrounding his candidacy.
No one is going to be able to do everything all at once.
It's crazy to make a judgement (good or bad) before the guy is sworn in. The people elected him, he is getting his staff in place and doing what he must do at this time and deferring to others what isn't his gig to take on just yet.

He is being briefed on pertinent issues by the President, the transition is going smoothly and from all accounts the current Administration has been gracious and accommodating.

What's the problem?

no he is still an empty suit

Obama has a tremendous amount of work ahead of him. During the campaign, he blamed Bush for a failed domestic policy. Bush increased goverment spending and increased goverment involvement in the private sector. Obama is doing the exact, same thing. If/when the bailouts start to work, he will take credit. If they do not work, he will blame the "failed" Bush policy. Once his positions are finally heard, his popularity will plumit. His inexperience will begin to show shortly. He does not handle adversity well and he blames others for his shortcomings.

While I was not an Obama supporter I am hopeful that he will do well, and put my support behind him. That said, give the guy a break. We are already polling the guy on confidence and he's not even in office. Yes he has made some picks that we don't agree with, but if anyone thinks he is superman and will solve all of the worlds problems then they need to get their expectations in order. It is after all a team effort.

Absoluetly not! I have more faith in him now than I have ever had for any leader. This will be hard, but he will pull us through.

Fascinating that we have a president that has been such a failure for so long that no expects anything good from him – and he still is, in fact, our president. Contrast with Obama, swept into power on a wave of hope (and disgust and desperation with Bush) – not yet president, and we are already asking if he is a disappointment? Come on, Jack! The media refused to lay blame for anything on Bush – now they are willing to lay blame on Obama before he has had any power to actually do anything yet? What's wrong with this picture?

No, it hasn't. If people have been paying attention and have realistic expectations (hard to do, I know), the appearance of new hurdles shouldn't be enough to lower their opinion.

No, I have more faith in him than ever. I don't expect him to perform any miracles. He only a man, not God. But I believe he will put us on the right path that will eventually get us out of the hole Bush put us in.

Please give him a chance. The polls can drive you crazy. These set backs are not of his making.

It's not so much that my confidence in Obama has declined, as it is the reality of what we're facing has kicked in. We are in for some tough times.

I never had faith in this man. I did have faith in his ability to rally Americans because of the over whelming support. I think people will be disappointed!

Obama hasn't even been inaugurated yet. The bumps in the road you refer to are just a few of the large complicated problems that the President-ELECT is well aware of and has acknowledged with a sober outlook in his numerous press conferences. As for the supposed decline in public approval, any political scientist will tell you this is artifactual-not real- because public opinion simply does not change that much. Encouraging CNN readers to put too much stock in the polls is trying to make something out of nothing, and a lame excuse for journalism.

President elect has lot of stars in his cabinet and hence he would need to elevate his focus and voice to get his promises to a common folks fullfilled. His Success would surely embark success of common people electing a common man, else everything is a big waste...About confidence, if it is increasing or decreasing, there is no other way than becoming succesful infront of President elect. All the best!

correction, sorry.

This is insane. The guy isn't even president yet, and the media has already celebrated the honeymoon and is now fabricating grounds for divorce. Can we all just slow down?

I have differing opinions from Barack Obama on most issues. That said, He was elected and he should be given the chance to do what he can for the country. I do think he will get some of the things done he has said but.... Congress will be the deciding factor as always and how he works and interacts with Congress will be the deciding factor. As long as he works with both parties I think he has the potential to do some good. On the other hand, if he starts with extreme liberal policies, he will be stalled, even by his own party. Congress still has voters to please.

My confidence in Obama is still high. I believe he will one day, be remembered as one of the great presidents of this country.However, with daily reports of an ever-worsening economy and reports of violence worldwide, it is difficult for me to have faith in anything. It is hard to have hope when people are losing jobs, and I see more foreclosures for sale daily. I hear of budget cuts at work, and family members getting laid off from their jobs. I, like many around me have just about run out of hope . . .

The answer is no. My confidence actual has improved in the President elect. He is inheriting a huge mess which did not just happened over night. This current administration dug us deep in the hole and it's going to take the American people to rally behind the new president and hope we bring this country to back what it was in the Clinton admin or even better.

Frederick Washington, DC

No, for me my confidence in him has not declined. I find it funny that we are already measuring the public confidence in a man who hasn't even been sworn in as President yet. I say we let him be in office before we start polling.

My confidence in him remains very high. If he doesn’t make any mistakes, he isn’t doing enough. We need to give him some breathing room and stop micro-analyzing his every move.

Jack, my confidence in Obama has not declined. It's almost impossible to please everybody in this country in the best of times. Given the choices we face today, the best leader cannot help but upset someone with every decision. The fact that Obama has only alienated a few people, and that those people have come from both sides of the aisle, tells me he's still on the right track. He said he'd be a pragmatic, thoughtful, and inclusive leader who would consider people and ideas on merit instead of by ideology. Guess what–this is what that looks like! It's been so long that I think most of us have forgotten.

Joe
Boston, MA

None of the problems listed above has anything to do with Obama. He is not responsible for it. Our current executive branch should carry the responsibility. I think Obama is making some good moves, of course I do not like all of them. I do not think than anyone likes all the decissions that a president makes. I still have hope that he can do a lot of fixing and changing. He will not be able to fix a good precentage of the shelfishness of the rich and powerfull.

No. He hasn't taken office yet and is still finishing up putting his administration together. Why would any of that cause my confidence to decline?

I had no confidence in this faux president elect in the first place. My expectations couldn't go lower than where they began. The Messiah can't be helped even with the brilliant support of Nancy, Barney, and Harry. Sorry for being so negative.

Not really–I didnt have false expectations to begin with. The talk comes easy but we have yet to see if he can work miracles.

Give him a break ~ he's not even our official president yet! Let's give him a chance to actually implement some new policies. Please remember ~ the Mideast conflict, the economy, and the national deficit are all things he is inheriting, not things he created. He has my utmost confidence and I can not wait until January 20th!

Anjum from Newport Beach, CA

His recent "bumps" don't bother me at all, they're to be expected, but I'm not wowed by a single appointment he's made. I think we'll see a lot of Clinton-era solutions recycled, but it would be great if he could just undo the entire bush presidency. The measure of his success will be whether we actually see fundamental change or just hear about it. My confidence has declined a bit, but I'm reserving judgment.

again, sorry, I'm in San Francisco, California

I sincereoly hope that he does well and succeeds for our country sake and for our SAFETY. However, I doubt that he really knows what he got himself into. We are headed back to the "Jimmy Carter" era and worst. May God help us all.

None at all. In fact, my confidence in him has increased. He has worked towards consensus on issues, reached out to the Republicans, put together a bi-partisan heavyweight cabinet, and has ideas and a direction that he wants to take the country. And he has one clear distinct quality - he looks the American people in the eye and tells them the stark truth about our circumstances...Better for us than the last eight years!!!

No – not at all.

Absolutely Not! I am still proud of the Vote i cast for the President Elect. He is adressing the country and keeping us aware of his intentions. Much more than President Bush is doing currently. it is very easy to look and see what he is not doing, but what can he do when he doesn’t have the power to do so yet. A power struggle within would make us look even weaker then we do under Bush. Come January 20, ask how many more people will be sleeping better that night.

Confidance in Obama before he is inagurated is irrelevant. Bush is the president now, and will be for a couple more weeks. Ask this question again after Obama's first 100 days after he has the authority for real action, not just preparations...

Jack are you kidding me? These polls were all over the map in the run up to the elections ranging from 11 points Obama lead to 1 point Cain lead. maybe we are just tired of answering these annoying poll questions every time the sun sets. Obama is doing a phenomenal job. It's just like when you don't feel like having sex sometimes. It does not mean it ceases to be any good.

My confidence in President elect Obama grows more and more each day especially when you hear the things that are still coming out of the mouths of Bush and Cheney.

I think President elect Obama is doing the right thing by waiting til Jan 20th before he makes statesments about our country. It shows the respect he has for the office of the sitting president even if he doesn't agree with him. What message would it send to the world if he was playing back seat driver.

C'mon Jack give the guy a break, he hasn't even moved into the White House yet! Why don't we let the guy get sworn in and actually begin doing the job before we start talking about declining approval ratings and the such. Where is the current president and his Treasury Secretary? They have all but checked out and are turning this shotty economy over to the new guys two weeks ahead of schedule!

Its my confidence has actually increased since election day . We need smart and deliberate action by our commander in chief and hes shown that .

from Chambersburg, PA
My confidence in Barack Obama has not declined as I have had absolutely no confidence in him since he announced his intentions to run for the presidency....

Nope. What else is Barack supposed to do? My disappointment is in the powers that are currently setting in Washington. Please flush the toilet on Bush era before he can do more harm. If not them then I'm asking Mr. Chenney, "take your boss hunting", please!

I just will never fully understand the "media". Why is it that these provocative questions are posed when we are in the midst of a national economic crisis? Do you just want to stir the pot a bit more to raise our anxiety to maximum levels? The man has yet to be sworn in – give him a chance! And by the way – where the hell is our current president – out to lunch as usual?

No. My confidence is up! Sure, every president will hit bumps and make some questionable moves, however, in the grand scheme of the economy, I believe Obama is surrounded by the right people to clean up George Bush's Garbage.

First of all Jack, I love watching you when you read public opinion. To tell you the truth, my confidence in President-elect Barack Obama did not changed. I knew that he will not get done everything he said during his campangin. But I believe on hime he will be better then BUsh.

fayyisaa oromo, Oromia. for more information please visit http://www.oromia.com and see where I came from.

I am waiting to see if I will have confidence in Obama. I am a moderate conservative. I did not vote for Obama. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, both make my skin crawl. I do not care for some of the people he has chosen for important positions, but do find some acceptable. But first and foremost, I am an American that wants our country to get back on a solid foundation, and hope that the President-elect succeeds in a positive direction. I will not be disrespectful and vile like the liberals were toward President Bush. I just hope that should Mr. Obama make some confusing choices, the attack dogs keep their big mouths shut.

Obama's silence about the carnage going on in Gaza, giving the green light to the Israeli govt to hinder outside humanitarian efforts and journalist coverage of those events signals there will be no changes in this area from his administration.

In all honesty, I'm anxious to see what Mr. Obama can really do; It's not so much that I'm losing confidence in him and his ability to run our nation, but rather I'm on edge about whether Obama will be able to follow through with his legislative proposals given the crises overseas and our own economic crisis.

Astoria, Queens

Yew, we can!

NOT AT ALL...I wish he could have taken office back in November...anyone with overly high expectations will be disappointed because they have put him on a pedastal...

Yes, my confidence in him has greatly declined. I am in the energy business and was quite disappointed in his appointment of a physicist to head the Energy Department - our challenge is business/economic inertia, not technology. And I don't like his fear-mongering about the economy - it smacks of GB and his "mushroom cloud" rush to the Iraq war. Frankly, I'd rather the government help the economy through smart policy/regulation - they are incredibly inefficient spenders of money.

I think that your question highlights a major defect in how many in the news media see the world.
Can we really make accurate measurements of very subjective matters such as "confidence" on a daily or weekly basis. And after taking these readings does this really pass for news.
We have elected a man who shows tremendous promise in his leadership abilities. He hasn't even taken office yet. Our next vote on his abilities is about three years and ten months from now.
Although I realize that nature abhors a vacuum and that website such as this one must find something to fluff itself out with, I think that a vote of confidence on Mr Obama's abilities is a tad premature.
John Jordan, New York City

He's doing more than Bush has done in the past 8 years, and he hasn't even started yet... give the guy a chgance, for crying out loud.

Sorry I'm from Kimberly, Idaho.

My confidence in Obama remains strong. He is giving several years of his life to ensure a prosperous future for the American people. In return we owe him more than to second guess his decisions and waiver in our support. It is precisely that type of behavior that needs to be changedy. He was elected to restore a belief that the system works. The only way Obama can properly lead is to rebuild something to be proud of. Of course he will make mistakes, as everyone does. The key is being confident that he is going in the right direction no matter how long it takes to get there. He has done nothing to make me feel that way.

I think the American public needs to wait and see what Obama does after he gets into office. How can he be judged when he hasn't even been sworn in yet? Let's be realistic, its going to take a very long time before we start to see significant improvements - were talking a couple of years. By the way, why are you polling people about Obama's approval when he hasn't even taken office yet? Once again, another unfair assessment.

Anyone who has been around politics will agree the President-elect is handling the transition superbly. He is not perfect and we are dealing with subjective judgement on cabinet selections, etc. Confidence is not slipping however it is startling to me just how much the media tried to tie Obama et al to tainted Gov. Blago–that was disturbing. Mr. Obama is the best suited for the job and America is behind him full force. Time to run this country the right way.

Bowie Maryland

I think the shrinking statistics in public confidence reflect more on the worsening economic forecast than they do on the President-elect. It's not that people feel Mr. Obama is less capable than he was a few weeks ago, it is that the challenges themselves have become more daunting and more people may feel that they are simply too large for one man to surmount. The post-election euphoria may be giving way to a stark realization that one man cannot solve our problems. And that would not be a bad thing, so long as that means Congress would put politics aside and work together for once.
Jersey City, NJ

Well, i guess it should not matter. Whatever he does or does not do – things will take its course.

No. I have been very impressed with the team he has assembled. It would be unrealistic to assume that all of his choices for cabinet picks will skate through confirmation without any "bumps" in the road.

May I remind everyone that he hasn't even been sworn in, yet. The situation between the Israeli and Palestinian people is not new and would be happening no matter who we elected on Nov. 4th.

No, not at all. My confidence in our next president Obama is stronger than before!

Could he be president for 2-3 minutes before you crown him a failure?

I'm sorry I wasted the time to even click on your byline and won't again.

The guy hasn't even taken office yet. People need to settle down. Nothing is going to be instantaneous. A little patience will be required.

Of course not Jack, The man hasn't even been in office yet, so let's give him a chance to make some changes. And anyone who thinks this mess were facing can be corrected in a year is on something Bush has been on for the last 8 years.

Marcus
Michigan

Buena Park, California

With rahm emanuel in there you bet!

I have nothing but optimism regarding Pres. elect Obama but I also realize that we are talking about politics in Wash.D.C.
Democrats have a habit of making damned fools of themselves at the most critical time. Blagojevich, Richardson, Feinstein, etc. make it abundantly clear that once Bush is gone, any change will be relative.

My confidence in Barack Obama's leadership has not declined since the election. He is proactive in all his actions and decisions which is what we need from a leader. We need someone who is willing to take an objective look at the problems that face him. Circumstances will come his way. The road will not be pretty. A man is not measured by the amount of trials he faces. A man is measured by how he responds to the trials he faces. The role of the President of the United States is an enormous responsibility and task to undertake and I believe he will do well at it. Let's face it anything is better than what we have had to deal with for the last 8 years.

It is ridiculous to measure Mr. Obama's approval in tea spoons: let the man get to work and let the little experts here and there be silent for awhile. We don't need a miracle-worker, we don't need a saint. We need a tough, reflective, intelligent, eloquent man who thinks before he speaks, considers possibilities and then acts with decision and firmness. This is my take on Mr. Obama, and nothing he has said or done makes me reconsider. Read his acceptance speech: they are ideas from a grown-up, not a man in a boy's cowboy suit.

Jack,
Barack Obama is faced with a daunting task. Two years into his presidency no one will remember the the fact that Senator Feinstein was not notifed of Obama's pick of Panetta. The US Government is a huge beast that Obama and his staff are postioning themselves to handle. As for the issue in Gaza, Obama has said that it's best adhere to the idea that there is one adminstration at a time. He is however taking the right steps to address the domestic economy with his periodic assessments. To this point I believe he has shown good judgement, so to answer your question – no. My confidence in him remains high until I have a reason to feel otherwise.

It does'nt matter, Jack ! Let the guy come and do something. In a world where nobody has a clue of what is going on with the economy, any step would be better. At least when you look at him it gives you some kind of reassurance. Even that is some kind of relief amid this horrific gloom.

Edinburgh, UK.

No way Jack. This guy is rock solid. He showed it during the election process, and he is steadfastly standing behind his principle that he is not the president yet. He is showing respect for his predecessor. The man is effectively and deliberately plotting his course, and when he begins, come innauguration day; he will astound us all with his logic and reasoning abilities. (he's not a miracle worker, but i'm sure he'll be close) People are expecting him to be the president already, and he's just NOT yet. Doesn't seem that hard a concept to grasp to me.

He's not perfect, but Obama is a thoughtful leader who is willing to work with anyone who has good ideas for addressing our many challenges. There will be ups and downs along the way, but my confidence in him will remain solid. I am so very thankful we have such a calm, rational leader during these turbulent times.

Logic would dictate that his absence from public view during the transition compared to the nightly speeches on the campaign trail would result is a slight drop in his ratings.

Obama is the best man for the job without any doubt. Starting Jan. 20 the world will see the American people got it right this time. I'm a grown man 46 years of age, 6'1, 200 pounds. I can only hope on Jan 20th I won't cry like a baby the way I did the night of Nov. 4th 2008.
GO OBAMA

I still have 100% confidence in the President-Elect. I think that people should let him get in office before we start passing judgement on what he is doing. Right now it is just talk as he is not the president yet.

Possibly a little – if my confidence has declined it is not because of anything Obama has or hasn't done - it's because all these messes that Bush is leaving seem to become worse and worse with each passing day.

I have complete confidence in how he is handling the transition and his plans moving forward. How he handles our economic situation assessment is about 12 months premature. It will not be fixed overnight as it took over ten years to teardown.How his approval rating can drop makes the rating system suspect as he hasnt taken over yet.Results should affect his rating not personal feelings or moods.

Not a bit. It would be difficult to imagine a decline in my confidence in this man as I have absolutely none in his ability to solve a problems. His ideas are old liberalism at the worst. They have failed before and will again.

i think the reality of what we are faced with has sunken in. and thank god obama is telling us straight what that is. and thank god it is obama that is telling us and not someone else.

No, just give the guy a shot.....I have no idea of how our lovely government , who got us in this jam, can think they can get us out...why would I place faith in an attorney? they are the scum of teh earth...Lets see how Obama works this..i wish him all the luck...but the media an dthe politicians can't blaim Bush forever....I predict we'll have a 1 yr honeymoon with Obama and then its all over....we are in for a long and bumpy road...

Jack

Give the man a break! he isn't in office as yet and you're losing confidence already. What should he do? Kicking GWB out of office will not work, unless you have a better idea.

My confidence hasn't changed, because he hasn't gotten into office yet. Approval ratings dropping at this stage isn't losing confidence in him, it's losing confidence that *anyone* can fix things.

Not at all, I just wish it was the 20th already. It took us 8 years to get to where we are, it will not be fixed overnight. I applaud his choice for CIA, they need a new set of non torturing eyes. I applaud Gov Richardson, unlike Blago, he is getting out of the way of the process. No one is perfect including Obama, but his 'bumps' are just that bumps, while Bush's 'bumps' were like craters in the road.

No; my confidence has not diminished at all. But then I've never been giddy with this euphoric optimism that a lot of people seem to have. Optimism is good, don't get me wrong. But Obama is a human being and just one politician immersed in a sea of politicians. He's smart, informed, determined and, I believe, dedicated to solving this nation's problems to the very best of his (considerable) ability. But at the end of the day, he's still just one man who puts his pants on one leg at a time. To me, the real question is whether he will prove to be a good leader (he's already proving that) or a truly great leader. So far, I'm betting on the latter...

No, my confidence in President-elect Obama has not declined. We should wait, at least, until he has taken office before we decide what sort of President he will be.

I never had confidence in this man!!! I did not vote for him. I did not think he was the right man for the job and my thoughts are becoming more obvious.

No. I had no confidence in BHO to begin with and anyone who believed all those promises was a fool to do so. This man promised the world to everyone in America and 54 million Americans bought into it. NewsFlash: Santa Obama is not coming.

Give the man a break. He's not even in office yet. Instead of focusing on Obama, you should look at decider who has already abdicated his throne, and he is still getting paid. That is the outrage!!

No because I never had any confidence in him. And I have no confidence in Jack Cafferty, "Garbage" is how I describe your writing. All I see from you is biased nonsense.

I feel he will do what he said he would do. The bump in the road have not altered my opinion. I applaude Governor Richardson for withdrawing his name and being honest. Mr Obama is righ to stand back and let President Bush leave office before making decisions and statment in regards to Gaza before he is sworn in. I'm proud of him, proud of and to be an American.
I'm from Jackson, MS.

I don't know about people losing confidence in Obama, but have people lost confidence in you since you ran over that bike messenger in NY awhile back? The man's not even in office yet and you can't wait to start the digs. The truth is, this country has gone to hell in a handbasket in the last 8 years and NOBODY can fix it. However, we're lucky enough to have commentators like yourself to remind us that it's all our fault and Bush/Cheney can skate away with no remorse.

No Jack, my confidence in President Elect Obama has not declined. Can we at least wait for him to actually be in office before we start asking questions like this? Good lord man, Obama is inheriting the biggest mess this country has faced since God knows when, give him a chance!

Definitely not, we are in very capable hands. I hope he goes back and reviews what that hack Paulsen did with that Bailout money. Obama seems like a pragmatist using every mechanism possible to resolve a very complex mess left by GWB. I have great confidence in Obama's decision making skills and his team. And for crying out loud – where is George Bush anyway?

Is our confidence level really affected by Obama or by what's going on in the world? It seems like every day there is something tragic going on. Maybe we are losing confidence in America.

My confidence in the PE has not waned.

My confidence in the media their portrayal of the PE wanes daily. CNN's picture of Obama earlier today was not flattering. And it is difficuIt to take a bad picture of this photogenic, charismatic person. It appears as if the media would like to control public opinion.

I also find it strange that CNN published a poll on public opinion early Wednesday AM showing that Roland Burris should'nt be seated and the that poll just disappeared.

I believe we are fortunate to have Obama as PE and resent the coverage being given by John Kass and Eric Zorn. It is sad.

ABSOLUTELY NOT. In fact, all that he has done, and how he's doing it has done nothing but increase my confidence. He has made good appointments, displayed calm, is following correct procedure by not impinging on the current president's areas, and it is obvious his team is already hard at work developing plans for a number of issues.

I can't wait for him to get into office.

Dawn
Hawaii

Jack, I have always liked your segments, but this is one of the dumbest questions ever. Obama hasn't even taken office yet and we're evaluating his performance. Let the man be sworn in before we start trashing him. However, if I must answer this question, I believe the country's confidence in Obama is growing by leaps and bounds!

No, Obama is inheriting an incredible mess from Bush – he's not even President yet!!!

I expected change from Obama, however, he is appointing re-treads from the Clinton administration. Most of these are moderate to conservative in their leanings.

Also, he is proposing another bailout. This is just a carbon copy of what the Bush administration has been doing.

I am disappointed.

Are you serious........the man isn't even in office yet and your polling to see if people are disssatisfied with his performance...give me a break. I can see judging him after his first week but let the man get actually take the job first!!

He has not yet start driving the car and want to give him a ticket ....please . Let him at least get at the drivers seat and run for a few miles. I have same confidence as on voting day.

Come on folks, are Americans so wishy washy that they can "disapprove" of a man that hasen't even been sworn in yet!!!! Give me a break! Let the man do his job & maybe give him a year or 2 before you start jumping all over him. After all look at the messes he is left with to clean up after the last 8 years. God help him he will need it.

Jack, Americans have an aversion to politicians who tell uncomfortable truths. Had we listened to Jimmy Carter and not turned on re the use of energy, how much better off would we be today? Hope we don't force Obama to choose between popularity and laying the truth on the line. No, his popularity is not declining among those of us who see him doing what we voted for him to do!

Jack, i'm stanch supporter of Obama from day One. My confidence in him handling crisis is not only declining, I no longer have confidence in him. He's just another politician who can't keep his promises. I'm really outraged at fear mongering speech he made today. I don't think the mega bailout money he's asking congress will solve the crisis.

Jack,

For me, no, it has not. My confidence that the rest of the team will be able to stay focused on improving life for the United States and its citizens is faltering a little. No one person can do it all. What Obama has attempted to do before being installed as President seems to me to be more than I can remember most previous presidents trying to do. It seems to me that he knows it is not all about him and he seems to be trying to collect a wide range of people to get buy in and collective skills to solve the nation's growing challenges.

Even when he is the president, he still cannot do it all and it will take a lot of people, both politicians and naysayers to make the efforts to pull together as a people and help our country return to greatness.

I look forward to "uniting" with the rest of America to better serve us all and not serve just myself. I think Obama has a larger vision than I've heard in some time – now if only more citizens can contribute to the solutions, I think we will have a great future.

My confidence in President-elect Barack Obama has actually increased, with the way he's handling all the controversy surrounding Chicago. Can you imagine what a circus things would be if the other person got elected, he probably would have found a way to blame it on Obama.

It's hard to lose confidence in any politician in America today. That's because I and many Americans I associate with have none to begin with. Today in American politics you are almost assured that whatever a politician says while trying to get elected will be exactly the opposite of what happens after he or she is elected. For instance, Barack Obama repeatadly promised not to appoiont nor allow the influence of lobbyists and "washington insiders" within his adminstration. Well, in fact, all he has are former lobbyists and washington insiders within his administration, mostly from the Clinton adminstration.

Anyone's who's lost confidence in a president that hasn't even taken office yet is not very realistic. I think the initial euphoria of his victory, and the novelty of the man, has worn off somewhat as we wait for George Bush to ride off into the sunset. During that time we've been bombarded with a ton of bad news, with no-one to lead us. We're stuck in between a man who wants to act, but can't, and a lame duck who could, but won't.

It was zero to begin with. I live in the Chicago area. Obama got elected to the Senate by having his opponents removed from the ballot. He distinguished himself by taking up space in the Senate and running for President.

While he inherits a lot, the economy is the responsibility of the people in this country. Buy cars and the automakers are solvent. Buy houses and mortgage companies and builders will be solvent. Put your money in real accounts in banks and they will be solvent. Bush didn't cause it, and couldn't fix it.

Do not expect a miracle from Obama. He already performed the only miracle he could.

I haven't lost confidence in him one bit. But also anything he wants done has to go through congress and senate for anything to be done. I feel for him because he is under scrutiny, we as a country are at one of our worst times ever, also the world is at it's worst with all the problems going on, and he has to come in and try to fix all this. I feel sorry for the guy, cause i don't know any one man can fix all these problems we have.

some of us have always thought he was more talk than actions. I hope he does well, than we all do well, but I'm not impressed. He seems like a typical politician to me

Too early to judge, let's give the President elect a few weeks to settle in. There're some bright people he's picked. There will always be bumps along the way.

Let's get the youth of this country energized into policy and planning by drawing some energized young (minded) people who will actually be around a few decades from now when the Nasdaq will be back at 5040!

Jack, I voted for the other guy. But how is it possibly fair that we are already beginning to judge Mr. Obama's presidency before he has taken the oath of office! Our instant-gratification-I-expect-it-right-now culture has completely lost track of the length of time it takes for somethings to work themselves out. The current crisis traces its beginnings back to the mid 1990's. It took us about 15 years to get in this situation, it's going to take several years (and probably at least a couple more) to get us out!

I am fully confident in Barrack Obama's abilities to handle what he will be inheriting on Day 1 of his term. He has shown his abilities time and again.

Not one bit. In fact, the actions taken by the President-elect during the transition have made me more confident in his ability to lead. When faced with a bump in the road, he's applied the ABS on his brakes when others would have skidded into disaster (e.g. deftly getting Richardson to 'wihdraw' and deferring to Bush to avoid entanglement in the insolvable Mid-East crisis). Before November 4 we knew he was an efficient cool-headed campaigner, now we know he'll be a skilled cool-headed leader.

Jack, I'm not losing confidence but the daily reality of our economic situation is my dampening expectations. I do believe that Obama is the right man at the right time to deal with this.
Anyway, it'll be great having not having that guy that said "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job" during Katrina trying to navigate this crisis.

Simply put in a complex time...no.

Jack,

Definitely not. I dont think there is anything this president can do to take the country lower than where it stands currently in the world right now.

I don't believe my confidence is better or worse. More and more people are getting away from the excitement of the election and perhaps some are looking at Gaza and the failing economy. I'm not as excited as I was when he won the election but his choices for his cabinet look very exciting.

Predicting how well Barack Obama will do at this point is tantamount to predicting what the stock market will do in the next 12 months. As opposed to predictions we as American's should focus our attention to what we can do to help ourselves. If you voted for Barack Obama or any president for that matter because you felt he was going to save you from your own bad habits then you have a distorted view of the Presidency. Support our tropps no matter what you think of the wars..our troops didn't start the wars but they have to fight them..so support them and stop sending the message to our enemies that we are weak and only support wars against weak enemies that don't put up much of a fight. Take responsibility for our own financial well being. No matter what you think of Bush and his adminstration he didn't run up your credit cards and didn't force you to buy more house than you could afford. It is time to stop the finger pointing and take responsibility of our own lifes. If we can't do that then we are truly weak as a nation and our enemies will win and our future is not bright. Barack Obama is not the savior..he will soon be our president and deserves our support but he cannot improve each individual life in America. Only us as individuals can make a difference in our own lifes.

Obama’s silence about the carnage going on in Gaza, giving the green light to the Israeli govt to hinder outside humanitarian efforts and journalist coverage of those events signals there will be no changes in this area from his administration.

Jack, with all due respect, the guy hasn't even been sworn in yet! But, no, my confidence in President-Elect Obama has not declined since the election. To the contrary, my confidence in him is stronger than ever, and I am looking forward to January 20th, when he can begin steering our country back in the right direction.
Pam
Atlanta, GA

What frosts me is....all the good old boy blogs that constantly and everlastingly panned and flamed Hillary...AND GUESS WHAT, obama has appointed more members to his committees, his cabinets that were in Bill Clinton's administration that ever....Guess again, those good old boys and their blogs were women haters.

How can my confidence in President-ELECT Obama decline if he has not even become president yet?

I believe Mr. Obama Will Become one of the greatest president .

Oh hell no!
The road to the "Whitehouse" is booby trapped by quicksand thanks to GWB and the current reigning dictatorship.
It will take time and patience to maneuver around or get out of them.
Our PE is not a miracle worker. I don't believe that anyone who voted for him thought he was. The word "messiah" was coined by the republicans not the Democrats. They, the Reps threw the party and the Dems are left with the cleanup.

My confidence in Mr Obama is as high as ever. Actually, it is higher than when I voted for him. He's not officially the President yet and already is doing his job, his clean up job that W is just walking away from.
He has clearly shown his leadership skills and his steadfast passion for his work.
For all of you that do not have any solutions to offer, quite whining. Let the man do his job.

President-elect Obama may have made an historic campaign largely based on implicit promises of hope and change, but he did not let the public in on the fact he has discovered a time machine and used it to staff his administration.

There is a pressing question I believe may soon be asked by citizens, "Who is John Galt?"

Each day Obama is looking more like a single A player, faking his way through a major league game. As Joe Biden said last year- "America cannot afford Obama's on the job training"- well, we are getting a first hand look at a President elect with training wheels- and it is not good.

E. Jonathon Kelly
Spring House, PA

Not at all. I think every small detail is over-analyzed by the media and no one can make so many decisions in a short time and please everyone. If the media would just report the facts and not use headlines that distort the story, we would all be in a better position. Just because a senator in the democratic party does not agree with everything Barak wants does not mean "even members in his own party are breaking ranks with him". It means they are not clones and do not agree on everything, duh. Isn't that what we want? No more W agreeing with Dick about everything!

This country is, and always has been, bigger than just one man. "We the people" determine the course of this great nation, and we can all start by just living our normal lives and ignore all the recession hysteria thrown at us by the mass media. Remember, when we consumers spend our money, we are helping other people earn theirs. SPEND MONEY people, it's really not that bad!

Well the numbers tell the story and that would be yes. And I'm willing to bet they will go down quit a bit more when he can't deliver on all his promises that got him elected. He's already been backsliding on them and he's not even been sworn in yet.

I am reserving judgment on Mr. Obama. he will not be our president until January 20, 2009. I hope that people do not think President -elect Obama can wave his magic wand when he becomes President and fix the years of problems immediately.

No, not at all. He's proactively addressing every problem in his typical no panic , pragmatic, goodnatured fashion. Unfortunately, there's just a hell of a lot of problems out there right now.

I was a little disappointed in some of Obama's appointments–too many people who had not spoken out clearly against the war in Iraq and the use of torture. I was heartened again by his appointment of Panetta. Has my confidence declined? Perhaps a little, but not much.

I never had much confidence in him since day one. That being said most of this has nothing to do with him. In fact if anything, my confidence in him has improved because he has stuck to his guns, and defended Panetta (if Panetta is an effective leader, who cares where his experience is), which is something George Bush would have done.

I'll never be a big fan of Obama's, but if he sticks to his guns you can't help but have some confidence and respect in/for that. On one level it shows he has a good foundation and strong values, on another level I want to be able to wake up every day through his 4 (or God forbid years and know what his position is.

Can't decline when it was never there. I can't believe that everyone fell for the ole "Promise the Moon" line.

i haven’t lost confidence in him one bit. But also anything he wants done has to go through congress and senate for anything to be done. I feel for him because he is under scrutiny, we as a country are at one of our worst times ever, also the world is at it’s worst with all the problems going on, and he has to come in and try to fix all this. I feel sorry for the guy, cause i don’t know any one man can fix all these problems we have.

sorry forgot city and state.

sacramento, ca

Not one bit.

My confidence in Senate Democrats, however ... well, let's just say that it can't get any lower.

No, Nada, None, not any, not one single iota!

Obama has been riding on a cloud for sometime now, so some return to earth was inevitable. Its also a good early lesson for Obama that other Presidents have had to learn, often the hard way. The lesson is that despite the best of initial intentions, events in the real world often blow policy off course and in the end the Presidency can be shaped by these events. The mark of quality is how well a President handles these events and recovers.

I never had confidence in Barack Obama. He's turning to the very people that got us into this mess and ignoring the ones who predicted it (Peter Schiff, Ron Paul). The Ignorant American public who elected this sham into office will suffer the consequences.

I think confidence is still high in the man, but confidence is much lower because of the policies. It's just plain unprecedented to have a newly elected president setting policy, acting as president and submitting legislation long before he's sworn into office, and the policies that are being announced–like a plainly brain-dead economic stimulus plan–makes you wonder if there are any brains among the economic team assembled. Going into massive debt to "cure" problems caused by massive debt is insane, stark raving lunacy. So already I've gone from 90% confidence in Obama's economy team to–zero percent (and it would be a minus percentage if that were possible). Zero confidence. This administration may be at an end before it's even begun.

The country is going down the tubes, not Obama, he hasn't even been sworn in yet! Even if he cures some of our ills, we will be better off than we have been in the last eight years after the stooge brothers. phyllis p. mendham nj

No. The man isn't President yet. Give him the opportunity to present himself with our flag flying beside him 100% when he becomes our President. If he defers to our current President, it shows his honor of not only the man, but the office. It is more than most of us would do. It is more than I would do. I have all the faith in the world that once Barack Obama becomes President, the term, "Yes We Can", will become, "Yes We Did!" Port Angeles, WA

Jack, i was stanch supporter of Obama from day One. My confidence in him handling crisis is not only declining, I no longer have confidence in him. He’s just another politician who can’t keep his promises. I’m really outraged at fear mongering speech he made today. I don’t think the mega bailout money he’s asking congress will solve the crisis

Minneapolis, MN

Jack,
No. Our confidence has not declined. We have an urgent situation dealing with economy. The current president is not doing anything and January 20th seems so long away. People are frustrated.
Sean, San Jose, CA

Give the president elect enough time. Too soon to judge. So far I am impressed with his moves except CIA cheif selection.

We all have to hope for the best,no matter who you voted for.
He is our President.God bless him for wanting to take on this
Mount Everest of a job! We are all Americans and we are all in this together.

My confidence in President-Elect Obama has not faded at all. All he is doing is trying to clean up the mess that the dog left behind! Just give him a chance! The man has a lot on his plate. Don't degrade him before he's even sworn in. Every choice he is making right now is because of the idiots that were before him! He is making great changes for those that NEED it! The rich have had lived for a long time! Can't the Middle Class live a little?

My confidence hasn't waned in Obama, but my fears for the future have sure grown in the last month or so. Everything seems to be sliding south faster and faster. Every month that goes by its becoming harder for our family to make ends meet and there are times when I'm beginning to feel a panicky. While I believe Obama and his team are the BEST team we have to face the challenges, I'm just not sure ANY team can solve the problems our country faces now.

People have said he needs to take action. But the fact is that he is still the president-elect. We can doubt all we want now, but we have to wait until he takes office. Give him time and a month after he's been sworn in let's reassess and see if we can hold him accountable for all the campaign promises he made.

Nope. And I never expected him to swoop in and solve all our problems for us. If you listened to what he said, he knew it wouldn't be that easy. We all need to work and sacrifice and it will be a struggle to turn things around. But that is a reflection on the size of the mess we have created, not a lack of faith in Obama. Obama is the right leadership at the right time, and that is all we can expect of a president.

who cares not me..... i'm doing good and dnt need the government.

Yes, Obama is already starting to get unpopular...

Personally Jack, I think he's doing better than I originally expected . He is up against some real big problems, so I think it natural that he won't always triumph. Regardless, he's still better than the fool we have now!

Approval still high here. Give him a chance, he is not even in office yet.

Goldthwaite, TX

No, my confidence in President-elect Obama has not decreased. I am still very much impressed with the way he has handled his transition. As for the political scandals if they can be called that most of them do not personally involve him. The actions of Blagovisch, the Illinois Governor cannot be blamed on Obama and he shouldn't be expected to have somehow prevented corrupt politicians from their vices. As for the Richardson withadrawal, politicians are always under investigation of some sort, I think it is being given more attention than necessary and I will guess attempts by the Obama team from possible embarrassment has resulted in agreeing to drop Richardson. This is where Bush differed by the fact that he stood behind his people to the last minute. I believe Obama should a lesson from the Bush chapter as in politics you cannot always drop political aides for possible investigations as sometime those investigations maybe politically charged and always distancing from those aides may end up hurting the efficiency of your administration. As for nominating a newbie at CIA, this doesn't mean that he is replacing the entire agency with newbies but an outsider can be good to see what needs to be done as career professionals are often aghast to change. The same reason why the Secretary of Defense is not a former general or admiral. No one seems to complain that placing a civilian in charge of our military is a problem.

I never had any confidence in him anyway, he has no knowledge and no experience.

Mr. Obama is still in the "on deck" cirlce and is making some nice practice swings. We should look at his record after 90 days in the real game to see if his confidence numbers are rising or falling...

Not a chance. The world is hanging on by a thread until January 20, 2009.

Sandra
Victoria, BC, Canada

The problems that our country faces surpass any one living's past experiences. While most of us are very hopeful that our new president and his team can be successful, it is inevitable that there will be problems and failures along the way.

I personally thinks it has been positive that these issues have arisen as it will add a degree of humbleness and reality to the chosen policies and implementation in the years ahead. Sure, the events of the past few weeks have been disappointing, but, heck, he's human.

How could anyones confidence have declined? He's not even the President yet!! You finally have a president that is straight up and telling it like it is Jack and your asking questions about confidence? I would expect that of a Glen Beck or Rush whats his name but I thought you had more on the ball.

Obama hasn't even been sworn in as President and he is already doing more to help Americans than Bush did in 8 years. I think he's going to do a great job. Our expectations need to be realistic – he can't walk on water. I'm 100% behind him.

No.

Its way to early to form an opinion

Come on. If this isn't an attempt to generate news, nothing is.

The 'he'll walk on water" types needed their bubble burst anyway. The realists always knew the mess Obama has inheriteted will take a lot longer to clean up than it took for Bush to create it.

Try the same story in a year, or six months at least. Give him a change to enact some policy before you judge anything.

Barack Obama's great ability to inspire hope allowed him to win the election. I never had, and I think I share this with many Americans, strong confidence that Barack Obama could do the job effectively. Confidence (unlike hope) is earned by a proven track record and Barack Obama does not have that. Confidence that is earned through accomplishments over time can sustain minor setbacks, whereas confidence that is based largely on hope can falter more easily. I think the recent trend is reflecting the difference between hope that is inspiring and confidence that has been earned.

Jack, I think the decline could be, in part, because some people feel the way you do regarding Obama's "silence" on the Gaza situation. But, what you and others obviously do not realize is, Obama is not in any position to make any decisions regarding this situation. Bush IS the president and I haven't heard nearly as many people (in the media) inquire about what will he do.

I don't understand, what was all the hype over Mr. Obama about in the first place. A messiah he is not, yes, confidence has declined. Americans are waking up, (I hope for good this time) and understand that for one man to fix everything, would in fact have to be a dictator. This is still capitolism, I think we are moving into uncharted waters. Mr. Bush, thank you for being a stand up American, I appreciate what you stood for. Jeff in New Jersey.

I'm tired of judging Obama. He won the election. Now we need to let him lead (which means, he need to be sworn in, and have a real period of time within which to accomplish something). Then I'll start judging again (hopefully favorably).

Palm Springs, CA

Obama has been riding on a cloud for sometime now, so some return to earth was inevitable. Its also a good early lesson for Obama that other Presidents have had to learn, often the hard way. The lesson is that despite the best of initial intentions, events in the real world often blow policy off course and in the end the Presidency can be shaped by these events. The mark of quality is how well a President handles these events and recovers.

London, England

It is rather early to loose confidence. The Richardson mess was mostly due to bad info from Richardson. Penneta is a choice; one out of many that people have approved of. The new estimate of the size of the mess is only the first of many ever-growing estimates of that mess. Grow up, people. He's not doing anything drastically wrong, like Bush did almost every chance he got. Nobody's going to make this nightmare go away over night.

You guys do these polls and maybe ask 1000 people. We have 300 plus million people here and I can promise you that we all didn't have a say in any of this. Same as with Pres. Bush's approval rating.Whom do you'll ask these questions to and where do you'll get your numbers from. A big headline for a something you'll cooked up.

An Army Paratrooper

My confidence that one person can fix anything as complex as a country has never been high. Obama is not a God, he is just a man. Saying that, I do have confidence that Obama will approach the crisis with intelligence, and hopefully he will listen to the people that he is appointing to his cabinet as well as other experts, and I do have confidence in his ability to do that.

We had eight years of the current president, to try and fairly judge our incoming president who has not been sworn in may be a bit of the case of jumping the gun. wether he will be able to cut the mustard only time will tell. Iam willing to wait and see

The long and the short: I never had any to begin with, so no.

Jack: No my confidence in Obama isn't waning. This guy is inheriting the worst presidential situation in decades. He has to clean up after the worst president in decades. He's got the unenviable job of having to fix everything the Republicans broke. Considering all the work Obama has already put in, before he even starts, is pretty darn amazing to me. I wish him the best of luck!

Jack, indeed,Obama's confidence is shattered. This is puzzling...

With mediocre pick after mediocre pick, and filling his cabinet with so many establishment and career politicians(like Hillary), I'm starting to wonder if any "change" will be happening in Washington.

This is the kind of question that does no good when we look at the current state of affairs. I cannot understand why you are wasting time on this when there are more important questions you could address. But it is your show.

Could we PULLEEZZE wait until Obama is sworn in before we begin judging him.

Don't you think polls done before any of his appointments have done anything at all is just a little 'hyperventalative', and perhaps not fair to them? Give them a little chance to screw up, then start picking on 'em.

No, I knew he wasn't a miracle maker to begin with, as did most people who supported him. We knew he was really smart and competent, evidenced by his well-thought-out picks for cabinet positions and proposed policies that accommodate both sides of the proverbial aisle. The truth is, he's not the president yet, so the least the country could do is give him a chance to get sworn in before burning him at the stake for media-generated non-issues like Richardson and Panetta.

Can you give the man a chance to be sworn in , at least? Dear dooomsday naysayers! He will proceed in a deliberate and organized fashion, and some of the results will not be so good. But, I can guarantee you, that at least he will be HONEST with us. NO LIES or DECEIT as was the rule with the previous administration! Jack, you disappoint me at times because you almost sound like your sole wish is for failure and for there to be an on-going crisis in this country! GET OVER IT!

I am writing from Rio Grande City, Texas (home of the 3rd poorest county in the United States and we are still surviving!)

Mr. Obama is still in the “on deck” cirlce and is making some nice practice swings. We should look at his record after 90 days in the real game to see if his confidence numbers are rising or falling…

Nope. Not in the least. How can we risk slacking off when we're all so near the brink?

Cafferty, don't be a pin-head... Why are you failing to address the War on Drugs?

I voted for McCain and for Bush both times. That being said, even I find this a ridiculous question. The man is 12-days away from even taking office. Let’s wait and judge him on his actions once he takes office. A better question would be – Has my confidence in journalists declined recently? You betcha it has!

Give the guy a break! He hasn't even officially taken the job yet.

No. Or rather, our confidence shouldn't fall. The people voted for change... but what many of us didn't count on was that change can sometimes be frightening. Despite great clamouring for change, there are many of us who'd just prefer it if we had a president that didn't rock the boat, ie brings us more of the same.

But Mr. Obama will bring us something better in the end... Perhaps it's overstating, but I like to think of this time as the time when Moses was leading the Hebrews in the wilderness. And we are about to enter the promised land (of course, there were many would-be mutinys put down by Moses, folks saying "we had it better in slavery!"

I think his choice of Panetta is an excellent deviation from the status quo. Rest assured Jack, America will be better off four years from now.

This question is ridiculous. The President-elect has not even taken office yet. When Barack promised change, I don't think he meant overnight. He's the president elect, not God. Let's not expect miracles out the guy - just intelligence, hard work, thoughtful decisions, and transparency. So far he's delivered that and more.

From my understanding, Obama will put a 50 cent tax raise on gasoline and instead of using the monies to pay toward the deficit, Obama is going to spend, spend, spend.

"Here’s my question to you: Has your confidence in President-elect Barack Obama declined any since the election?"

Absolutely Not! But my level of hope and optimism for our country continues to grow! I am excited about this new administration and hope everyone will give The President -elect the chance to be The President before judging his performance.

No Jack

I never had high opinion of Obama to begin with so there was very far for him to fall.

During the campaign Barack Obama infuriated Progressives by proclaiming he was against Single Payer Health Care except if he was starting over.

After he was elected Obama declared war on the grass roots by appointing a Health and Human Services Secretary who sees himself as the guardian of the health insurance industry in their quest to confiscate money from the American Citizenry.

Then finally to top it all off Obama appoints Sanjay Gupta as Chief White House Propagandist for Health Issues. This is the man whose chief claim to fame is accusing Michael Moore of cooking the facts in Sicko.

So lets recap Jack, Obama infuriated us in October, declared war on us in December and then flipped us off in January. And you want to know how we feel about him ?

I say my vote for Ralph Nader is looking better and better every day !

I wonder if Michael Moore thinks we are "crazy Nader voters" now ?

Jack, the trend is starting as the American people realize he will not be able to keep his promises. We are already broke and beaten and the dollars they want to spend will ensure my children and their children will live the "New American Dream", broke and depressed needing an 800 credit score to buy a $40 loaf of bread.

NO WAY

he hasn't even stepped into office yet!

No it has not gone down; since it never was that hight to begin with.

It was not high for McCain or Bush either. We need true leadership-You, Mr Cafferty and/or Mr. Dobbs.

We need leaders that are "us".

Frank

Please, confidence in what? The time period that someone is the President-elect? It's just like Obama says almost dailey, you can only have ONE President at a time. He can only pave the way so much before that magic day. Let's not creat a confidence CRISIS before he has actually served as THE PRESIDENT. I know things must be slow right now, just give it time you'll have plenty to HYPE up in two weeks.

So what are the indications that he will be able to turn things around? Is it based on a Gallup Poll? Of course people want to believe that things will get better, but right now all that is going on is a continuation of the ever growing bailout.

Mr. Obama has a very heavy burden, he is tasked with turning this country around, he has defined his cabinet, which from where I sit shows considerable intelligence, of all the people he has named, the nay-sayers have only griped about one! That's pretty impressive all things considered. With regards to the 1.2 Trillion deficit, wasn't it already close to a trillion thanks to the Bush Administration. Give him a chance, Rome wasn't built in a day and Washington will not be rebuilt any faster.

Not at all. Hiring people populate a government is going to create a few snags. I am enjoying the fact that he seems to be able to deliver bad news and tell people what they don't want to hear.
This is a lot different from what we have had to get used to over the last eight years.
Digging out of the mess left behind by Geo. Bush will be very difficult and a lot of people will be calling for Obama's head very soon.
For now it's enough that the President Elect can speak without mauling the English language and appear to have thoughts on his remakes prior to getting in front of the microphone.

The problems stated within this article are problems under the BUSH administration. Like Obama has already stated, he is "not the president", therefore, he does not have the authority to step in and delegate domestic or foreign affairs. As far as the Bill Richardson nomination, would America rather Obama act like Bush and turn a blind eye to corruption and scandal? Richardson withdrew due to prior investigations that he is involved in at the moment. Obama knows that his administration is going to be under a microscope and has to ensure everyone is qualified and focused on their duties. Richardson cannot focus on his duties with issues still lingering in his state.
Also, people have to stop viewing Obama as this SUPERNATURAL being. He chosen as president to LEAD this nation in the right direction, but not to perform miracles. This nation has been in a recession for a over a year (and some say longer than that), and only an idiot will believe that as soon as Obama takes oath our nation will miraculously be out of the debt. That is not how it works. Obama is doing what a lot of Americans are not accustom to in the past 8 years, he is telling the truth. He is not sugar-coating things, lying, deceiving the American public and the world... He is telling the truth. As the saying goes, "the truth hurts", but get used to it for the next 4 years.
So with the Gallup Polls declining, it just reminds me of the famous words of Jack Nicholson, some people "can't handle the truth"

I would say my confidence in Barack Obama to get the job done is waivering at best, but at worst my confidence in him is about as much as my confidence in the term "bailout" used by our government will actually do just that. Both are packaged in glittery wrapping paper and decorated with a bow, but unwrap them and you might get a surprise you didn't want.

Perhaps people don't understand what the word "Elect" means in the title, "President Elect" Barack Obama. His election made me happy too, but it didn't empower me with the powers of clairvoyance.

Let's give him a chance to actually take the office before tracking our confidence in his presidency, k?

My confidence that one person can fix anything as complex as a country has never been high. Obama is not a God, he is just a man. Saying that, I do have confidence that Obama will approach the crisis with intelligence, and hopefully he will listen to the people that he is appointing to his cabinet as well as other experts, and I do have confidence in his ability to do that!!

My confidence has not lessened, but the problems keep getting bigger. Hes just one man, with a good head and seems to be making wise decisions, but what one person can fix this mess.

No....because I never had any confidence in his "abilities" to begin with. Obama gettig elected doesn't change the fact that he has little to no understanding of the economy.

Anyone who says "Only the Government can break the cycle of recession" clearly doesn't understand the situation. Confidence to invest and to spend is what will start the recovery..not another stimulus package.

I suspect in a few months his approval rating will be less than 50% and this time he won't be able to use Bush as his scapegoat.

Barack Obama will be a bit of an adjustment for Americans accustomed to George W. Bush. We got used to an incurious president flying by the seat of his pants; someone who doesn't care for nuance. Barack Obama is different. Not only does he care, he doesn't need words piped into his ear in order to respond to the press. We'll get used to caring competence once again America, I promise!

No, my confidence in Obama has not waned–but I do think we are all coming off the sugar-high of his acceptance speech in Chicago and facing the fact that this is going to be a long, uphill struggle–not only for Obama, but for all of us, as well. No president could assume office in times like these and just immediately whip things into shape, but I firmly believe that Obama's unique combination of intelligence, vision, integrity, and bipartisanship will give him a unique working perspective and a rare degree of support in congress and among ordinary US citizens that will aid him in turning our country around.

WTF? Why are we writing about Obama's approval ratings? HE HAS NOT OFFICIALLY BEGUN HIS TERM YET?

What a stupid subject....please write about something different, or at least allow him one week on the job before we start writing about his ratings.

My confidence in him has not declined at all. He himself has said that he is not a perfect man and he will not be a perfect president. "Bumps in the road" are an inevitable part of the position he is moving into, and there will be more. But in times as distressing as these, those bumps in the road are minor issues. My confidence in Mr. Obama stems from my belief that he recognizes and understands the major issues and is determined to do something about them.

Malcolm Hudson
St. Louis, MO

no. i still maintain high confidence in Obama. however, i wonder about the democrats in congress.

We finally, (after 8 years), have an eloquent and intelligent president who has surrounded himself with among the very best that this country has to offer....There are so many problems that we as a nation face. It is absolutely absurd to think that anyone could be making critical judgments prior to the beginning of Obama's administration...In the weeks ahead, I hope that the politicians in Washington will look beyond their self interests and put partisan issues aside and give this new administration a chance to succeed!...So, losing confidence, No Way, I am optimistic and very hopeful!!!

How can I judge a man when he hasn't taken office yet. What a dumb question. Why don't you substitute the word Bush for Obama. As a matter of fact I'm looking for a breath of fresh air. Hurry up January 20th.

absolutely not!! give the man a chance! I depend on Cnn–please spoil our relationship with these leading questions. I expect
better from you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

no.

Yes. Sometimes he tries to be so politically correct that he really does not say very much.

I do not like his "side-stepping" on the Israel issue at all!
I am afraid that all the forecasts that he would do that in the future may come true.

Israel needs us and we need them.

The man isn't even president yet. How on earth could it be declining?

C'mon Jack. What kind of question is this?

Oh come on, for crying out loud.... this question is ridiculous ! The man hasn't even taken office and people have already began throwing stones? Based on what exactly? It's amazing how the media has to stir things up !

It's WAY to early to gauge confidence one way or another.... Wait until he's been in the office long enough to have answered impromptu questions about HIS ideas and policies that DON'T allow him to deflect to the 'failings of the previous administration'. We'll see how long it takes him to make another 'seances with Nancy Reagan' gaff...how long it takes him to talk in a big circle that goes nowhere... because he's not following a script, because no one is there to pull his strings, and because – unlike in Oz – it will all too soon be apparent that there truly is NOTHING behind the curtain. THEN, sir...ask your question about confidence....

No, my confidence in President-elect Obama has not waned. How could it? He hasn't even taken office yet! It is not fair to judge a man when he hasn't even started his job yet.

I will say this, however .. I am very disappointed in his choice of Evangelical Minister Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation. That decision sent a very sad message to the G.L.B.T. community, and only bolsters the hate mongering that so often occurs within the religious right.

I also question his choice of Leon Panetta as CIA Director. I am hoping that this is not another case of cronism .. something the Bush Administration was famous for. But all we can do is wait and see, and Hope. By the way, I still have my Obama "Hope" poster in my front window. I'll keep it up until the Hope disappears.

Alicia

My confidence in Obama remains the same: very high. I think what we're seeing now is a realization that the country's problems won't magically evaporate just because he comes into office; from reading the blogs, I'm afraid a lot of people had that fantasy.

In fact, the country is facing a lot of challenges, from the economy and our global responsibilities all the way down to the snittiness among high profile individuals who should know better. Obama can't always dictate the situations, but he can control how he deals with them, and so far, I've been impressed. His actions, and the speed and transparency with which he has taken them, continue to give me hope. A few of his decisions have annoyed me as an individual, but I've appreciated his consideration of situations in total.

He hasn't even started yet! How can people disapprove of him when he isn't even President?

I think he's going to be brilliant. He certainly has his work cut out for him, and it won't happen overnight, but I think he has the strength and conviction to turn this country around. He needs all the support he can get. For those of us who work 70+ hours/week, it's refreshing to see a man who not only believes in hard work, but is also a leading example of what that means.

No, my confidence has not declined in President Elect Obama, goodness gracious he hasn't even been sworn in yet and some people are trying to blame him for all of our country's ills and evils. We need to show & voice our support for him if we want our country to heal and prosper!

Jack,

Please step back, and give the man some room to breath.

1) He is NOT president yet.

2) With approval ratings that begin in the stratosphere, the only direction to go is down.

3) ANYTHING will be better than the last 8 years of President Cheney and his stooge W.

Does anyone really believe that Obama will maintain the god like aura of "The One" after inauguration? True fact; Barack Obama is a human being, and mistakes will be made.

Keep up the good work Jack!

My confidence in Obama has not gone down, because it has never been very high to begin with. Too many starry promises, a lack of firm details, and rolling over to the status quo at every opportunity are not the qualities of a President that I can support. Real change would be great, but I am certain we will not get much of it from Obama, which is the only thing I am confident about when it comes to the new President.

I would suggest that it is not so much that people doubt Obama, as much as it that the gravity of the situation is starting to fully hit people. Obama may be viewed as the "White Knight" of the American people, but the White Knight only had the Black Knight to deal with. Whereas Obama has so many fronts that to address that it people feel he is capable but unsure if any single person is capable of quelling all the fires that appear to be in front of him. He is a smart man and the country needs smart people with smart ideas to tackle the issues in front of it. The ability to just handle and turn things around, while perhaps not being defined as "good" given the lofty standards of past presidents, may be a more convincing testament to his ability to lead then any president before him.

Hell No.......

NO! He has not even become president yet! We have to give the guy a chance. He's inheriting alot of baggage from President Bush and it's not like he can make a speech on 20 January and all will be well with the world. It's going to take alot of sacrifice from us the people to make the changes that he has in store and bring this country back from the brink!
Allenhurst, GA

I very little confindence but I never did because he's the wrong man for the job. However, I will have to say that some of the choices of people he's made (cabinet, econ team etc...) have exceeded my low expectations. I guess it could be worse and overall I'm optimistic because this is America and we can weather anything.

President Elect Obama in my view has done a good job so far, he has kept the American people aware of his plans to get us back on track economically on a regular basis and he has not even been sworn in yet, how can you lose confidence when he has not even been inaugurated, I do not recall these kinds of questions about Bush back in 2001 during his transition.

I never had any confidence in him any way

We finally, (after 8 years), have an eloquent and intelligent president who has surrounded himself with among the very best that this country has to offer….There are so many problems that we as a nation face. It is absolutely absurd to think that anyone could be making critical judgments prior to the beginning of Obama’s administration…In the weeks ahead, I hope that the politicians in Washington will look beyond their self interests and put partisan issues aside and give this new administration a chance to succeed!…So, losing confidence, No Way, I am optimistic and very hopeful!!!

I think it's a bit premature to critize Obama's performance when he's not yet taken office. Give the man at least a few months to get some things done before we start talking about approval ratings and his ability to lead this country. Minneapolis, Mn

i have a lot of confidence in our new president. but I dont like recent comments like "it will get worse before it gets better" - not even the best economists can guarantee that. it only jawbones the market lower, ultimately getting a self-fulfilling prophecy. if its a political move to ensure no recovery takes place before he takes office so he gets credit for the upturn, that's a sad and cynical strategy. and costs jobs for innocent americans.

No, my confidence in Obama hasn't wavered, and considering he's not even the president yet I find the question inappropriate at this time. Trawling for fickle opinions for the sake of entertaining commentary isn't going to help Mr. Obama or the country at large, Mr. Cafferty – please keep the cynicism to a minimum until there's time to see results. It's the least we can all do, considering someone as foolish as President Bush had two terms to wreak his havoc – you can't really expect Obama to clean up this mess in the two-and-a-half month period before he's actually sworn in! Rally the troops, people, we've only just begun and there's a lot of work to do!

What I cannot stand is the fact that all of these so called stimulus packages don't just target those that need the stimulus. There are many industries that aren't on the verge of laying off or shutting down operations. But, whenever one hears of a stimulus plan, it has to do with rebates to all or tax breaks for all. Granted, I guess the government has act like they're being fair to all. Of course that never happens. It just seems to me that our deficit projection wouldn't be near 1.2 T if the congress focussed on the specific areas that actual need the help. Why else do you think even the Porno industry is standing in line for a piece of the pie? Heck, if you really think about it, the oil business (that is often a target for extra taxing) should be considered a candidate for part of the stimulus package dollars with the price of oil in the 40s.

I didn't vote for him, but he is our President ,so I am behind him and sincerely hope he can get it done.

I have high hopes for him but I think leon panetta as cia head is wrong, he's a poltiical hack. I'd rather have seen someone with a lot more cia experience. That being said, I have much more confidence in him than in our dumb congress. Does congress ever actually do anything except either 1) rubber stamp Bush, the worst dumbest president of all time 2) hold hearings and squabble about stupid things

Boston
Ma

My confidence in President-Elect Obama has neither declined nor risen since the election. Notheing he has done has surprised me. I consider myself informed enough to not be surprised by him. However, the delicining numbers are an indication that more and more people are realizing that he is NOT what they thought he was. However, it is too late to do anything about it, so whatever he really is, it is all we have for the next four years.....

I have great confidence in President-elect Obama. As he has stated earlier, there can only be one President at a time. If he makes any strong comments on Gaza or any other situation he will be taken to task for speaking out of turn and stepping on Bush's toes. Right now he is in a no-win situation. He has made all the politically correct comments. I feel until Jan. 20th he is doing the right thing. You can not judge someone for a position that he does not hold yet nor has any control of . President Bush holds the floor right now, NOT the President-elect. We are all so hungry for change that we need to remind ourselves, that change can not begin until the swearing in of our new President and not a minute before.

Ginger
Easton, Maryland

My confidence in the Democrats as a whole hasn't changed... I never was very confident in them at all. They have come off of their "high" they experienced in November, and they are being served a big dose of reality and they're not taking it very well.