Barack Obama approaches the White House with a deep well of public support, even though many doubt the president-elect can fulfill some key promises, according to a new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll.
Less than six weeks before Obama's history-making ascent to the Oval Office, the country is torn between hope for the future and concern about the present. Nine in 10 of those surveyed say the economy is in poor shape, with a substantial majority believing things are very bad. That finding matches the assessment in an October poll, which was the gloomiest since a Times survey taken during the 1991 recession.
There are, however, signs of budding optimism.
Although nearly two-thirds of those surveyed believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, the figure represents an improvement from October, when 84% said the country was on the wrong track. Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed feel positive about Obama's election as president, a figure that includes not just an overwhelming majority of his fellow Democrats but a substantial majority of independents and nearly a third of Republicans.
Overall, nearly 8 in 10 approve of the way Obama has handled his transition to the White House and nearly three-quarters approve of his Cabinet picks. Strong majorities endorsed two of Obama's most prominent choices: Democratic New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of State and Republican Robert M. Gates, a holdover from the Bush administration, as secretary of Defense.
"I think he's intelligent and competent, and he's picking intelligent, competent people," said Ronald Griffey, 74, a retired meteorologist and political independent who lives in suburban Dallas.
Griffey agreed to a follow-up interview. "I like having an intelligent president instead of one you can drink a beer with," he said.
Obama was elected last month in good part because he promised change, and despite some criticism from both left and right, most of those polled feel he has so far delivered.
Nearly 6 in 10 said Obama's Cabinet selections were consistent with his promise to promote renewed bipartisanship -- although Democrats were much more likely to say so than independents or Republicans, underscoring the political division still facing the president-elect.
A similar percentage shrugged off the Washington pedigree of many Obama appointees, expressing confidence that they could help bring about change despite the years they spent working in President Clinton's administration.
