Focus group finds Obama's image 'malleable'
TOWSON, Md. -- President Obama has seen his approval ratings slide, but a dozen independent voters who gathered here Wednesday night were still willing to give him a break.
The talk at the focus group, sponsored by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, reflected deep worry about the country's direction and a sobering assessment of the problems ahead. But there was also a reservoir of hope and good feelings for a president several referred to familiarly as "Barack."
Asked what they would like to say to Obama, Scott Wood, 35, who has been looking for a job since February, advised: "Don't give up yet; we haven't."
"I think we've found out he's not Superman," said Nora Seeley, 54, when asked what she had learned about the president during his first six months on the job. Still, "as time goes on it seems like little things are working slowly but surely" — a sign, she said, "that things are starting to turn around."
Most of those around the table predicted the nation's near future would be marked by sharp ups and downs.
There were some warning signs for the president in their assessment of his tenure so far. Several expressed concern that he was spending too much and moving too fast, especially in trying to overhaul the health care system.
"Sometimes I think the speed that he's doing things — it's a little bit of a gamble," said Tim Polen, 24, a student who works parttime selling cellphones, when asked what worried him most about Obama.
"It seems like he's on a fast train," said Seeley, a dental hygienist. "I just think a lot of things are not taken into consideration" on issues including health care. "He just can't do that that quickly."
A few disagreed, saying speed was essential. "If the ship is sinking, you've got an emergency situation," said Louis Moriconi, 63, a graphic designer.
When Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who moderated the session, asked them what Obama's spine was made of, only two chose such strong substances as steel or metal.
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