Obama, Still The President?

Over 60% of voters express the belief that former two-term Democrat President Barack Obama is playing a significant role in shaping the policies and decisions of the current Biden administration, according to the findings of a recent survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports and released on Friday. Interestingly, within this majority, a substantial 53 percent perceive President Biden as not just influenced but instead as a “puppet” in what they perceive to be a hypothetical third Obama term.

Delving into the specifics of the survey, which targeted likely voters, it becomes apparent that a substantial 63% of respondents believe that Obama’s influence is discernible in the actions and policies of President Biden. A notable 40% of those surveyed consider it “extremely likely” that Obama is wielding a considerable impact on the decision-making process in the Biden administration. Even within the Democratic voter base, a majority of 56% acknowledges the likelihood that Barack Obama is pushing influence on his former vice president, challenging the notion that this influence is strictly a partisan concern.

Intriguingly, a significant portion of respondents, constituting 37%, heavily agree with a statement made by Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., last July, described Biden as “a puppet for a far-left committee … spearheaded by Obama.” This sentiment gains further traction when examining specific demographics, as 53% of unaffiliated voters express agreement with this characterization. Furthermore, 28% of Democrats, while not entirely subscribing to the notion, at least slightly agree that Obama holds sway over the decision-making processes within Joe Biden’s White House.

Despite the perceptions of influence and control, the survey reveals that 52% of the respondents still hold a positive impression of Barack Obama. This noteworthy figure includes 26% of Republicans and 42% of unaffiliated voters who maintain a positive view of the former president. Adding nuance to this sentiment, 33% of those surveyed express a “extremely favorable” opinion of Obama. Among this subset, interestingly, 42% believe that Obama is actively influencing Biden’s decisions, while 17% go as far as suggesting that Obama is basically running the entire show within the Biden administration.

Of particular interest is the breakdown of these opinions based on gender. The survey indicates that, while more female voters have a “positive” opinion of Obama compared to men (36% to 30%), a higher percentage of men (58%) than women (47%) perceive Biden as a puppet for Obama. This gender-specific divergence in perceptions adds an additional layer of complexity to the analysis.

In terms of methodology, Rasmussen conducted the survey among 935 likely U.S. voters from January 15-17. The margin of sampling error for this survey is plus or minus 3 percentage points, providing a 95% level of confidence in the reported findings. The survey, capturing the sentiments of a diverse range of voters, offers valuable insights into the public’s perception of the relationship between Obama and the current Biden administration.