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Posted 07/26/2010 By Matt Stichnoth

THE MORE HE TALKS, THE FARTHER DOWN HE SINKS

In Gallup’s survey of Americans’ confidence in the country’s major institutions, out last week, which institution fell by the most? The presidency. In 2009, 51% of Americans said they had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in it. Now just 36% do—down 15 points. That is by far the biggest decline of any of the 16 institutions included in the survey. (Next biggest decline: minus-6, for both Congress and the military.) And which institutions rose by the most? The medical system (up 4 points, to 40%) and big business (up 3 points, to 19%).

Yes, you are reading that right. After a year of listening to President Obama trash the country’s medical system and insist it be replaced, Americans like the system more now than they did then. And after watching the White House systematically turn the energy industry, the health care industry, and the financial services industry into scapegoats over the past year, people think better of big business now than they did before. It’s only Obama who’s doing the sinking. The guy might need to readjust the settings on his teleprompter. . . .

2:54 PM

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