IN FOCUS: STATS

• Obama's Approval Slide Finds Whites Down to 39% Support has declined much more among whites than among nonwhites: In his first full week in office (Jan. 26-Feb. 1), an average of 66% of Americans approved of the job Obama was doing, including 61% of non-Hispanic whites and 80% of nonwhites. In the most recent week, spanning Nov. 16-22 interviewing, his approval rating averaged 49% overall, 39% among whites, and 73% among nonwhites. Thus, since the beginning of his presidency, his support has dropped 22 points among whites, compared with a 7-point loss among nonwhites. - Gallop, 11-24-09
• SPIN METER: 'War and Peace' in 209 pages?: Republicans are using everything short of forklifts to show Americans that Democratic health care legislation is an unwieldy mountain of paper. They pile it high on desks, hoist it on a shoulder trussed in sturdy rope and tell people it's longer than"War and Peace," which it isn't... - AP, 11-25-09
• The harris poll (r) President's Job Approval Ratings Hinge on Good, Bad Element of Change Some think he is trying to do too much; others say his efforts are positive.: These are some of the results of The Harris Poll(R) of 2,303 adults surveyed online between Nov. 2 and 11, 2009 by Harris Interactive(R).
  Right now, more than two in five Americans (43 percent) give Obama positive job approval ratings. When these people are asked why they think some people like the job Obama is doing, the highest response, given by 13 percent of Americans, is that he is trying to bring about much needed change. One in 10 U.S. adults (9 percent) think people like the job the president is doing because he is working for the people's best interests and doing the right thing. Further down the list as reasons are that he seems to care about everyone, or the common man (7 percent) and the same number say people like Obama because he is not George W. Bush. In fact, 5 percent each say people like the job the president is doing because the country needs a fresh outlook with new ideas. - The Ledger, 11-24-09
• AP Poll: Americans fret over health overhaul costs: It's the cost, Mr. President. Americans are worried about hidden costs in the fine print of health care overhaul legislation, an Associated Press poll says. That's creating new challenges for President Barack Obama as he tries to close the deal with a handful of Democratic doubters in the Senate. The poll found that 43 percent oppose the health care plans being discussed in Congress, while 41 percent are in support. An additional 15 percent remain neutral or undecided.... - AP, 11-16-09
• Michelle Obama's poll numbers slide: When Michelle Obama moved into the White House, she instantly became one of the most famous first ladies in history, a symbol of racial pride, a victor in the battle of the sexes and the picture of a modern woman, mother and wife. But from her days on the campaign trail to her residency in the White
  

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