Washington Post Poll

This Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone Aug. 26-30, 2009, among a random national sample of 1,001 adults. The results from the full survey have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three points. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by TNS of Horsham, Pa.

*= less than 0.5 percent

1. Please describe your feelings about President Obama in a single word. (Open ended.)

       Positive word   Neutral word   Negative word   None/No opin. 
8/30/09         52              7               31             9

2. And what single word best describes your feelings about the proposed changes to the health care system being developed by (Congress) and (the Obama administration)? (Open ended.)

      Positive word   Neutral word   Negative word   None/No opin. 
8/30/09         31              6               43            21

3. Before entering politics, Obama was a (lawyer), a (teacher) and a (community organizer). Which of these experiences do you think has had the biggest influence on how he operates as president -- (lawyer), (teacher) or (community organizer)?

                        Community    None of         All of        No
          Lawyer   Teacher   organizer   these (vol.)   these (vol.)   opin.
8/30/09     27       14         44            5              4           6

4. (IF NAMED POSITION) Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Lawyer:
          Good   Bad   No opin.
8/30/09    43    47      10

Teacher:
          Good   Bad   No opin.
8/30/09    86    12       2

Community organizer:
         Good   Bad   No opin.
8/30/09    72    21       7

Q3/Q4 NET

        ----Lawyer------  ----Teacher-----  -Cmnty. Orgnzr.-  
                     No                No                No    None    All     No
        NET Good Bad op.  NET Good Bad op.  NET Good Bad op.  (vol.)  (vol.)  opin.
8/30/09 27   11  13   3   14   12   2   *   44   31   9   3      5       4      6

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