'1st term of Obama administration is over'

A new poll indicates that as far as accomplishments are concerned, "the first term of the Obama administration is over" because of the president's far-reaching federalization agenda that has included requirements to buy government-approved health insurance and to forbid enforcement of local laws protecting residents.

"That there is such strong opposition against the national
government on a variety of issues must be alarming to those inside the
Obama administration, in part because it creates a serious barrier they

will have to overcome should they launch an effort to repair the image

of the national government," said pollster Fritz Wenzel of Wenzel Strategies, which conducts the WND/WENZEL POLLS.

"It almost certainly eliminates any opportunity for popular support for any new national legislative initiative, such as cap and
trade. To the extent that popular support is required to pass any

sweeping new law, it is fair to surmise that the first term of the Obama

administration is over," Wenzel said.

The August WND/WENZEL Poll was conducted Aug. 13-16 with an automated technology calling a random sampling of listed telephone
numbers nationwide. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.78

percentage points.

The results show that nearly 2 of 3 Americans back a coalition of 20
states in a legal challenge to Obamacare, the president's
nationalization plan for health-care decision-making.

"The overwhelming percentage of Republicans and independents sided
with the states on this question, and nearly half of all Democrats – 46
percent – also backed the states against the feds," Wenzel said, "though

it was a Democratic president and Congress who passed the health care legislation."

On a related question, 57 percent of adults nationwide said they
support the popular vote in Missouri that called for the repeal of the
federal health care bill, Wenzel reported.

"Asked whether they support the state of Arizona or the federal government in the on-going flap over an Arizona law governing
immigration, nearly three out of four – 71 percent – said they supported

the state over the feds," Wenzel's report said. "This result comes even

though a federal judge recently invalidated, for now, the key

provisions of that new state law that would allow Arizona law

enforcement officials to enforce federal immigration law."

Dozens of other states are now in the process of considering or developing similar laws.

"Even a majority of Democrats (52 percent) sided with the state
against the feds, along with 91 percent of Republicans and 67 percent
of
independents," Wenzel reported.

On an issue that must raise red flags for the Obama campaign, 71
percent also "support the efforts by two states to require future
presidential candidates to produce documentation to prove their

constitutional eligibility to be president before their names would be
allowed to be placed on these state ballots," Wenzel's report said.

"Again, a majority of each partisan demographic group agreed with these initiatives by the states," the report said.

Further, 66 percent of Americans also say that Obama has been "too
aggressive" in overruling the states. Only one American in four
believes the feds should have taken a stronger position in its fights with states.

The states also are starting to reject out of hand the authority of
Washington's bureaucrats, with eight states adopting their own
versions of a "Firearms Freedom Act" that essentially tells the federal

government that guns and ammunition made, sold and used within the state

are exempt from federal licensing and limits.

"These polling results reflect a growing distrust that Americans
have about Washington and the massive federal government," Wenzel said.
"There is an overall sense that things in the nation are badly off on

the wrong track, and doubt that Washington understands the seriousness

of problems facing the country, let alone has an effective plan to deal

with them."

He said the economic turmoil certainly contributes to the distrust,
but Obama supporters still should be alarmed at what they see.


.

The poll shows 1 in 5 members of the Democrat Party believe Washington is "far too aggressive" against states and another 1 in 6
thinks it is "a little too aggressive. For the GOP, those two categories

totaled more than 95 percent. And it was 2 of 3 for independents.

Obama probably should look to his own flanks for those concerned
about his eligibility, as 57 percent of the Democrats strongly
supported
or somewhat supported a plan to require presidential candidates to

document their eligibility to hold the office under constitutional

requirements. The plan earned support from 85 percent of the GOP and 68

percent of the independents.

Other recent polling revealed that 6 in 10 Americans doubt Obama's eligibility to be president.

Support came from 52 percent of the Democrats, 95 percent of the GOP and 67
percent of the independents for Arizona's battle against the feds over

its crackdown on illegal aliens.

Other points of contention between local authority and federal
regulation have included roads and the use of National Guard troops.
One
Western state even has on its books a $2,000 fine for a federal agent

trying to impose federal rules on a state-regulated weapon.