FOX News Poll: National Debt Hurting The Country

Most Americans -- 78 percent -- think the national debt is so large it is hurting the future of the country, including majorities of Democrats (64 percent), Republicans (92 percent) and independents (85 percent).

Moreover, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) think the Obama administration is proposing more government spending than Americans can afford. Some 29 percent disagree.

The political divide is striking: 90 percent of Republicans and 74 percent of independents think the Obama administration is proposing more spending than taxpayers can afford. Among Democrats, that number drops to 39 percent, while over half disagree (55 percent).

These are just some of the findings of the latest FOX News poll.

President Obama's Job Rating

Approval of the president's job performance dips 4 percentage points this week to 50 percent, down from 54 percent two weeks ago (15-16 September 2009). This is the lowest approval rating the president has received in a FOX News poll, and also the highest disapproval rating he has received -- coming in at 42 percent.

Across the political spectrum President Obama received his lowest approval ratings yet -- from Democrats (84 percent), Republicans (16 percent) and independents (46 percent).

If Sec. of State Hillary Clinton had won the election, 27 percent of Americans think she would be doing a better job as president than Obama, while 28 percent think she would be doing worse.

Some 25 percent think Clinton's job performance would be the same as Obama's and another 21 percent are unsure.

Among voters who say they backed Obama in the election, 16 percent think Clinton would be doing a better job, 31 percent say worse and 29 percent say the same.

Nearly half of Americans -- 47 percent -- think the Obama administration is blaming the Bush administration too often, while a 36 percent sizable minority says not often enough and 12 percent say "about the right amount."

In recent weeks President Obama has given multiple television interviews and delivered a number of speeches that caused some commentators on the right and the left to suggest he appears to still be in campaign mode. The American public is split: 43 percent think it looks like he is a candidate on the campaign trail, while a slightly larger number -- 49 percent -- think his travel and speaking schedule makes him look more like he is president of the United States.

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from September 29 to September 30. The poll has a 3-point error margin.

Most Americans Are Worried About Government Spending, Iran

Americans are as worried about the federal government spending too much money as they are about Iran developing nukes.

The latest FOX News poll finds 79 percent of Americans say they are worried the federal government is spending too much money, while 77 percent are worried about Iran developing nuclear weapons.

In addition, most people -- 77 percent -- say they are worried about the increasing size of the federal deficit and 74 percent worry about "leaving the country worse off for future generations."
Nearly 6 of 10 are troubled by the increasing concentration of power in Washington (59 percent).

Somewhat lower levels of anxiety are found when voters are asked about someone in their family losing their job in the next six months (52 percent worried) and about a terrorist attack happening in the next six months (47 percent worried).

Of the worries asked about in the poll, the lowest number is for concern about an H1N1 swine flu epidemic hitting the United States -- just over 4 of 10 say they are worried about that (42 percent), while over half -- 56 percent -- aren't.