Obama lacks plans on oil spill, energy or jobs: CBS/NYT poll

NEW YORK - Most Americans do not believe President Barack Obama has a clear plan to deal with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll.

Just 32 percent say Obama has a clear plan to deal with the oil leak, while 59 percent (including 64 percent of Gulf coast residents) say he does not.

The numbers are not much better among those who watched the president’s Oval Office speech on the spill last week, with 35 percent of that group saying he has a clear plan and 56 percent saying he does not.

The spill isn’t the only issue on which the president is seen as lacking a plan of action: Just 41 percent say Obama has a clear plan for developing new sources of energy, while 45 percent say he has no clear plan. And when it comes to creating jobs, just 34 percent say he has a clear plan; 54 percent say he does not.

Sixty one percent of Americans say the president’s response to the oil spill was too slow.

Just 31 percent say they have “a lot” of confidence in his ability to handle a crisis, though a majority has at least some confidence that he can do so.

Since January, the percentage who say Obama has strong qualities of leadership has fallen from 70 percent to 62 percent.

Overall, 43 percent approve of Obama’s handling of the oil spill, while 47 percent disapprove.

The president’s overall approval rating stands at 47 percent, unchanged from one month ago. The percentage who disapproves of his performance has also held steady and now stands at 43 percent.

One in two Americans say they are not very or not at all confident that BP will compensate people affected by the spill. Just ten percent are very confident that the company will do so. Most Americans believe Obama has at least some control over BP making payments.

Gulf coast residents are slightly more optimistic than Americans overall: 60 percent are at least somewhat confident that the oil giant will compensate those affected by the spill.

While Americans are far more likely to trust the federal government than BP when it comes to cleaning up the spill, two in three believe the Obama administration could be doing more than it is now.

Just thirty percent say the company’s efforts to clean up the spill are making things better. Forty-three percent say they have had no impact, and 17 percent say they have made things worse.

A mere 13 percent of Americans (including 21 percent of Gulf coast residents) approve of BP’s handling of the spill. Seventy-nine percent disapprove, and 81 percent believe the company could be doing more to clean up the spill.

Fifty-eight percent of Americans say that United States energy policy needs fundamental changes going forward. Thirty-one percent say it should be completely rebuilt. Almost all Americans believe the United States is too dependent on other countries for its supply of oil.

Two in three Americans say the federal government’s moratorium on offshore drilling is a good idea, while 30 percent say the moratorium should be lifted because of its impact on the Gulf coast economy. And while 42 percent favor increased offshore drilling, 49 percent oppose it.

Forty-five percent approve of Obama’s handling of the economy, while 48 percent disapprove.

About one in two Americans say the economy is currently staying the same; the rest are roughly split on whether it is getting better or worse, with slightly more saying it is getting better. (ANI)