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Obama facing doubts among Americans
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-19 13:09

Pollster John Zogby said the surveys showed that after nearly five months in office, "Americans really are enamored with the messenger," but less so with his message while still willing to give him more time.

"I think it's best to look at Obama in terms of six-month leases," he said. "He's got a six-month lease coming up. He'll get that lease renewed. But during the second lease, Americans are going to have to see some kind of progress."

REPUBLICANS RAISE DOUBTS

Republicans are increasingly trying to raise doubts about Democratic proposals for a healthcare plan estimated to cost many billions of dollars, pointing to the cost of the stimulus plan as an example of why skepticism is needed.

The two-year stimulus plan has had little noticeable impact so far on improving the jobless picture.

"Once again, it's rush and spend, and rush and spend - and a tidal wave of debt," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday.

Opinions were split about Obama's policies among Americans randomly interviewed by Reuters correspondents around the United States.

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Lauren Carter, 27, an account executive in Atlanta, said she voted for Obama and likes what she sees so far.

"It seems that things are going upwards so I would say he's doing a good job. At the beginning people said things were going to get worse. Our economy is still hurting but it's on its way to getting better," she said.

Bill Austin, an executive in the Phoenix valley, said he was tired of hearing Obama complain that he had inherited the economic mess from his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Austin said he thought Obama's stimulus package has had little effect and would create more problems in the future by deepening the deficit.

"The economy would have recovered with or without it (the stimulus)," Austin said.

Nadeem Akhtar, 45, a convenience store manager in a Dallas suburb, said he thought Obama was not out of line to consistently point out the problems he inherited.

"We have a big mess from the previous administration," he said.

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