Barack Obama was swept into office on a wave of hopes and dreams founded on his promises of a better life and a more competent government. With this first year in office now behind him, many Americans are considerably less enthusiastic about his performance than expected. A new survey conducted by The Barna Group shows that Christians, who formed a large segment of his support, are even less enthralled with the president’s handling of the job than are other Americans.

In the 2008 election, 42% of all born again adults voted for Barack Obama. The born again vote represented 40% of his aggregate support in the general election.

Ideological Consistency
Two-thirds of all American adults feel that the president has conformed to their ideological expectations of him. Among those who feel he is different than expected, they are twice as likely to say he has been more liberal than expected (21%) than to say he is more conservative than anticipated (10%).

Mr. Obama has been especially surprising to evangelicals (25% said he is more liberal than expected, 4% said more conservative) and born again adults (24% vs. 9%, respectively). Catholics were about equally likely to be surprised by his liberal leanings as by his conservative tendencies (16% more liberal, 14% more conservative) than were Protestants, who were three times more likely to see the president as more liberal than expected than to consider his performance more conservative than they foresaw (23% more liberal, 8% more conservative).

People who are not associated with the Christian faith had varying views on this matter. For instance, people who belong to a non-Christian faith group were about evenly divided as to whether the president is more liberal than expected (14%) or more conservative than expected (12%). Atheists and agnostics, however, were more likely to say he has been more conservative (23%) than more liberal (15%) in relation to their expectations.

Specific Performance Ratings
In filling one of the most demanding and complex jobs on earth, the president addresses numerous areas of governance. The Barna survey explored people’s ratings of Mr. Obama’s performance in seven of those areas.

Most Americans believe the president’s top priority should be the restoration of the national economy. In this area just 42% are satisfied with the president’s efforts to date. Satisfaction was registered among just 26% of evangelicals, 38% of all born again Christians, and 46% of adults who are not born again. Catholics were marginally more satisfied (43%) than were Protestants (39%). Born again Democrats were among the president’s biggest supporters of his economic performance, with 63% satisfied. In contrast, only 15% of born again Republicans and 32% of born again Independents were satisfied.

The standout dimension of the president’s efforts relates to the environment, where a majority of Americans (58%) are satisfied with the president’s work. While evangelicals are among his biggest critics on environmental matters (only 40% were satisfied), a majority of all born again (55%) as well as non-born again adults (60%) are satisfied. The partisan divide was as big as ever in this dimension, with just 31% of born again Republicans, 51% of born again Independents, and 73% of born again Democrats approving of the president’s work in this area.

About half of the nation (52%) believes the chief executive has done a satisfactory job of fighting terrorism. That includes only one-quarter of evangelicals (27%), slightly less than half of all born again Christians (47%) and a slight majority of non-born again adults (55%). Two-thirds of born again Democrats (67%), less than half of born again Independents (44%) and barely one-fourth of born again Republicans gave Mr. Obama the thumbs up in this area.

In each of the other four dimensions of job performance that were measured in the Barna study a minority of the public was satisfied with the president’s efforts.

Forty-seven percent are satisfied with his tax policies and activities. Not surprisingly, he fared best among non-born again adults (51%), less well among all born again individuals (43%), and worst among evangelicals (24%). Seven out of ten born again Democrats approved of his taxation efforts, which was double his approval rating in this area among born again Independents (33%) and nearly five times the approval score awarded by born again Republicans. 

• Forty-six percent are pleased with how the president has handled the war in the Middle East. Born again (44%) and non-born again adults (48%) straddled the national average, while evangelicals were far less satisfied (30%). A majority of both born again Democrats (64%) and born again Independents (51%) were satisfied, but just one-quarter of born again Republicans (25%) joined them.

• The president’s campaign promises included plans to reform the political system and restore civility and bipartisan cooperation to the process. Most Americans do not believe he has delivered on that promise yet. Only 43% are satisfied with what he has done to improve the political system, which includes 47% of non-born again adults, 38% of all born agains, and 21% of evangelicals. Feelings on this matter run especially strong along party lines, with Democrats his only significant support base. Fifty-eight percent of born again Democrats approved of his job in improving the political system, compared to only 25% among born again Independents and 15% among born again Republicans.

• The president’s major initiative during his first year in office failed to impress most Americans. Just 40% said they are satisfied with his work related to the health care system. This ranged from 46% of non-born again people who approved his job, to 33% among all born again individuals, and just 12% of evangelicals. While a small majority of born again Democrats (56%) approved his health care efforts, less than half as many born again Independents concurred (26%), and a mere 7% of born again Republicans indicated their satisfaction in this area.

The survey also revealed several consistent patterns. Non-whites were more supportive of the president’s results during his first year than were whites by an average of 21 percentage points. Downscale adults were typically more supportive than were upscale adults, except in the area of dealing with terrorism. Pre-Boomers (i.e. adults under 45) were invariably more supportive than were adults 45 or older. Single adults – those who have never been married as well as those who were presently divorced or widowed – were an average of 22 points more likely to express satisfaction with the president’s performance in these areas.

The study also found that Protestants and Catholics were generally similar in their views on these matters.