What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Rasmussen Reports™

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Rasmussen Reports™: "The second week of August turned into one of the toughest yet for the still new Obama Administration. On Thursday, the President’s Job Approval ratings fell to a new low at 47% and support for the President’s health care reform also fell to its lowest level yet. Just 42% now support the plan working its way through Congress.

On both the President’s approval ratings and health care reform, Democrats remain supportive and Republicans opposed. But, those not affiliated with either major party have been drifting away from the President’s team.

As the Administration tries to paint insurance companies as the villain, most Americans (51%) say they fear the government’s role in health care more than they fear private insurance companies. To ease the concerns of many Americans, the President said he does not support a single payer health care system. That puts him in an awkward position with his base since 62% of Democrats do favor such an approach. However, among all voters, just 32% favor single-payer health care while 57% are opposed.

The debate has taken its toll on perceptions of the President. Just 45% now give Obama good or excellent ratings as a leader. That’s down 19 points since January. Dreams of a post-partisan nation have also faded. Sixty-seven percent (67%) now expect politics to become even more partisan over the next year. That’s up from 55% a month ago and from 40% when Obama took office. Most now believe the President is governing as a partisan Democrat.

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