The latest national survey from Democracy Corps finds an electorate that gives President-elect Barack Obama strong marks – even stronger than on the last occasion when the country turned to a Democrat to lead in 1992 – and with even higher expectations. The decade of polarization and the intense election just completed leaves Obama with more intense support and the potential to build upon it. Nonetheless, a large portion of the public is waiting to decide whether Obama is doing a good job, and the country is more determined than in 1992 and early 1993 that the Congress play a role advancing the new agenda.
This memo is based on a national survey of 1,000 likely voters conducted November 19-23, 2008. But uniquely, this survey compares the current results to surveys Greenberg-Lake: The Analysis Group conducted for President Bill Clinton at a comparable point after his election in 1992.
