via Obama, Direction Of U.S. Favored By Most Americans: AP Poll.

RON FOURNIER and TREVOR TOMPSON | April 23, 2009 09:07 AM EST | AP

Ron Fournier - AP Washington Bureau Chief and Shill for the Right-Wing

WASHINGTON — For the first time in years, more Americans than not say the country is headed in the right direction, a sign that Barack Obama has used the first 100 days of his presidency to lift the public’s mood and inspire hopes for a brighter future.

Intensely worried about their personal finances and medical expenses, Americans nonetheless appear realistic about the time Obama might need to turn things around, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. It shows most Americans consider their new president to be a strong, ethical and empathetic leader who is working to change Washington.

I’m going over this piece because I have found a pattern that I always check when I’m reading anything that comes from the Associated Press. I have found that when covering any representative or elected official from the Democratic Party the Associated Press, and especially articles written by Ron Fournier, will cite the Democratic figure’s accomplishments in the opening paragraphs then throw a wet blanket over it as soon as they can. The AP then ends their articles with the conservative point of view letting the opposition get the last word. There is usually a pattern that goes like this:

• Open with Democratic leader’s accomplishment.
• Douse the flames with a wet blanket.
• Promote doubt about the accomplishments.
• End the piece with the conservative view getting the last word.

The last sentence of the second paragraph is the crux of the achievement and the last thing you’ll read in this article that praises Barrack Obama. The two paragraphs above are the opening.

Douse the flames with a wet blanket:

The flames of achievement are doused quickly in the fifth paragraph. Fournier says the impossible situation, the economy, that he inherited from Bush “could signal trouble” for Obama. The poll is just not as good as it sounds:

But other AP-GfK findings could signal trouble for Obama as he approaches his 100th day in office, April 29:

_While there is evidence that people feel more optimistic about the economy, 65 percent said it’s difficult for them and their families to get ahead. More than one-third know of a family member who recently lost a job.

_More than 90 percent of Americans consider the economy an important issue, the highest ever in AP polling.

_Nearly 80 percent believe that the rising federal debt will hurt future generations, and Obama is getting mixed reviews at best for his handling of the issue.

Promote doubt about the accomplishments:

And yet, the percentage of Americans saying the country is headed in the right direction rose to 48 percent, up from 40 percent in February. Forty-four percent say the nation is on the wrong track.

Not since January 2004, shortly after the capture of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, has an AP survey found more “right direction” than “wrong direction” respondents.

So far, Obama has defied the odds by producing a sustained trend toward optimism. It began with his election.

But he is aware that his political prospects are directly linked to such numbers. If at the end of his term the public is no more assured that Washington is competent and accountable and that the nation is at least on the right track, his re-election prospects will be doubtful.

“And yet, the percentage of Americans saying the country is headed in the right direction rose to 48 percent…” How the hell did that happen? Must be a fluke of some kind! Obama has “defied the odds”!

We can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the Bush administration gets no blame for this mess and that if Obama can’t fix Bush’s mess, then “his re-election prospects will be doubtful.”

This is an incredible turn-around for our country and Fournier insinuates that it may still hurt Obama. Why not say that it is a turn-around and stop – right there – with no ifs, ands, or buts? But this is Fournier and the Associated Press, and they just don’t roll that way.

The AP-GfK poll suggests that 64 percent of the public approves of Obama’s job performance, down just slightly from 67 percent in February. President George W. Bush’s approval ratings hovered in the high 50s after his first 100 days in office.

But Obama also has become a somewhat polarizing figure, with just 24 percent of Republicans approving of his performance _ down from 33 percent in February. Obama campaigned on a promise _ just as Bush had _ to end the party-first mind-set that breeds gridlock in Washington.

Here is something good said, then followed by more doubt. If there has to be antagonism in Associated Press’ stuff then it would do the country much good by stating the antagonistic viewpoint first, then follow with the truly wonderful optimism on which we could build confidence that we sorely lack. Let me re-write the two short paragraphs above. Here’s what I mean:

Republicans have attempted to polarize the country by stubbornly voting the party line and defiantly trying to prove that Obama’s outreach for bi-partisanship is a failure. The poll shows just 24 percent of Republicans approved of his performance _ down from 33 percent in February. Obama campaigned on a promise _ just as Bush had _ to end the party-first mind-set that breeds gridlock in Washington.

But the AP-GfK Poll shows that 64 percent of the American public approves of Obama’s job performance, down just slightly from 67 percent in February directly contradicting the efforts of the Republicans on Capitol Hill. President George W. Bush’s approval ratings hovered in the high 50s after his first 100 days in office, in comparison, showing Obama’s superior ratings.

Do you get the picture? The same information could be dispensed, and the readers could be left with a sense of pride and confidence only if things were worded to support the Obama administration instead of denigrate it.

But this is the Associated Press and Ron Fournier, who many have complained about,  prove once again that they are shills for the right-wing.

End the piece with the conservative view getting the last word.

Here are the last three paragraphs:

Others said their newfound optimism had nothing to do with Obama, but rather with an era of personal responsibility they believe has come with the economic meltdown.

“I think people are beginning to turn in that direction and realize that there’s not always going to be somebody to catch them when things fall down,” said Dwight Hageman, 66, a retired welder from Newberg, Ore., who voted against Obama.

The AP-GfK Poll was conducted April 16-20 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media. It involved telephone interviews on landline and cell phones with 1,000 adults nationwide. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Methinks Mr. Hageman is upset about the outcome of the election. John Stewart said, ” You lost, it’s supposed to taste like a shit sandwich.”

Anyway, The article ends with a cheap, easily debunked talking point. The reader puts the paper down thinking that we are all in this for ourselves and that we, the victims, are personally liable or responsible for the economic meltdown. More articles should be written explaining to America who is really to blame for our current situation. Instead of leaving us all with something uplifting, the Associated Press takes a neo-con cheap shot and blames the victim.

All bold emphasis is my own.