Poll: Words Like 'Incompetent' and 'Liar' Most Used to Describe Obama

Pew Polling firm has found an interesting change in the way President Obama is being described, with the use of words like “incompetent” and “liar” on the rise.

The latest Pew poll finds that one-word impressions of Obama are turning negative more often than they have in the past. Until now, Pew says, these wholly negative one-word impressions were “rare.”

The survey finds that the one-word impressions people have of Obama have changed a great deal throughout his presidency. Terms like incompetent and liar now are among the most frequently used words to describe Obama. In April 2009, when his job approval was at 63%, these words were rare.

Pew also found that the word “socialist” is used in nearly the same proportion as it has been used since he first took office, showing that the President has not succeeded in knocking down the perception that he is a socialist.

The President is also viewed negatively on civil liberties.

“Yet Obama receives some of his worst marks for how he is handling privacy and civil liberties,” Pew reports. “Just 42% approve while 51% disapprove.”

Further, it is Independents that view Obama most negatively on civil liberties. Only 28 percent of Independents view Obama positively on his handling of civil liberties, while 52 percent view him negatively.

The views on Obama’s legacy are decidedly mixed. 31 percent say that his presidency is a failure, 33 percent say it is too early to tell, while 34 percent say it is a success. 

But the poll also shows that Obama’s approval rating is holding relatively steady and is still in the high 40s. 43 percent of those polled have a negative view of his performance as president.

The poll queried 388 Republicans, 487 Democrats, and 575 self-declared Independents.