Majority Americans believe Obama has no strategy to deal with economy

New York, June 18 (ANI): A substantial majority of Americans believe that President Barack Obama has not developed a strategy to deal with the budget deficit, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

The poll also found that support for President Obama's plans to overhaul health care, rescue the auto industry and close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, falls well below his job approval ratings.

A distinct gulf exists between Obama's overall standing and how some of his key initiatives are viewed, with fewer than half of Americans saying they approve of how he has handled health care and the effort to save General Motors and Chrysler.

A majority of people said his policies have had either no effect yet on improving the economy or had made it worse, underscoring how his political strength still rests on faith in his leadership rather than concrete results, The New York Times reports.

The hundreds of billions of dollars that have been doled out to boost the economy alarm Americans. A majority said the government should instead focus on reducing the federal deficit.

But with a job approval rating of 63 percent, Obama has the backing of Democrats and independents alike, a standing that many presidents would envy and try to use to build support for their policies.

His rating has fallen to 23 percent among Republicans, from 44 percent in February, a sign that bridging the partisan divide may remain an unaccomplished goal.

The poll was conducted after Obama completed his fourth international trip as president. He received high marks for his focus abroad, with 59 percent of those polled saying they approve of his approach to foreign policy.

And after weeks of criticism from former Vice President Dick Cheney and other Republicans, 57 percent say they approve of how Obama has dealt with the threat of terrorism.

The poll suggested Americans remain patient, even as a strong majority expressed concern that they or someone in their family could lose their jobs in the next year. (ANI)