On Obama's "Approval Rating" According to USA Today

I have a lot on my mind today...so I'll post in multiple posts so it doesn't get too long.

On the front page of USA TODAY, it states that 65% of America "said they think the country will be better off four years from now." What are some of the possible causes for this, and if true, what are the implications. I'm feeling slightly cynic today.

--What's interesting about this number: Only 52% voted for Obama in the election, and there were some VERY bitter Republicans. This means that over the course of merely one week, Obama has gained 13% in support, most probably from some independents, but also some Republicans. That's 13% IN ONE WEEK!

1) The USA TODAY is a moderately biased paper tending to lean towards Liberal and Democratic ideals. Thus, how accurate are the numbers themselves? It's entirely possible that the paper did not get find a poll with a representative sample and interviewed a high majority of either Democrats/Obama voters and/or minority voters who place high hopes in Obama's symbolic election. If this is true then the following points need not even be discussed, and the only implication is that America, like always, is being fed biased media.

2) Obama's rating has nothing to do with his person-hood, but rather his party affiliation. Bush's "disapproval rating" is at 68%, which is "coincidentally" about as high as Obama's "approval rating", and so perhaps the numbers reflect the peoples distaste for Bush and the Republican's management and are happy for the so called "Obama Change".

3) America has come to accept that Barrack is the next President, they are setting aside their anger or bias, and choosing to support and hope in him.

4) The symbolism surrounding the election of the first Black Man as President has started to transform the perceptions of the country. Perhaps if people have hope that a man such as Obama can be elected, he also has the ability to make the drastic changes the country is calling for. Whether or not this hope is founded on anything is another question, but it seems plausible the hope is filling the hearts of 65% of America, or 13% more than before the election. The implication of this is that Obama wields extreme power, and that his election meant more than many people would have supposed. It also means that "the audacity to hope" really isn't audacious at all, and hope still has a valid place amongst humanity, contrary to many cynic and skeptic claims.