Public Opinion Snapshot: Public Shows No Love for Tea Party, Bush

It’s no secret that President Barack Obama has taken some serious hits to his popularity that are chiefly due to the poor economic situation. But that doesn’t mean that the public has changed its mind about his predecessor or embraced the ideas of his opponents. Consider this recent evidence.

In the latest AP/Roper/GfK poll, 51 percent still say George W. Bush deserves almost all or a lot of the blame for the country’s current economic problems. That’s followed by 44 percent who blame Republicans in Congress, 36 percent who blame the Democrats in Congress, and just 31 percent who blame President Obama.

It’s particularly noteworthy how public views of the hardline conservative Tea Party movement are shifting. Back in February 2010, 33 percent reported a favorable opinion of the Tea Party, compared to 25 percent who were unfavorable. Today, the favorable/unfavorable relationship is reversed: 43 percent report an unfavorable view, compared to 36 percent who are favorable.

So conservatives shouldn’t assume that negative feelings about President Obama are turning into love for them and their brand of politics. That clearly isn’t happening.

Ruy Teixeira is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. To learn more about his public opinion analysis go to the Media and Progressive Values page and the Progressive Studies program page of our website.