ConservativeHome's The Republican

Want to monitor Obama's poor job performance easily on the go? There's an app for that!

Natalie Gonnella
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With a soaring deficit, tanking approval ratings, and an unemployment level holding strong at 9%, it's been a pretty daunting task to keep up with the latest numbers attached to President Obama's economic failures. But now, thanks to Jeremy Ross, there's an app for that!

Billed as a countdown "to either Barack Obama's second inauguration or his final days as President of the United States," at barely a month old the 'Obama Clock' currently tops the list of reference app's available for purchase.

Conveniently compiling key metrics on your smart phone, the app specifically monitors:

• Approval Rating
• Public Debt
• Unemployment Level
• Gasoline Cost Per Gallon
• Housing Price Index

And considering the dismal economic realities currenly facing Americans, liberals are all but happy with the product's recent release. According to the The Daily Caller's Neil Munro:

Liberals don’t like the app because it shows Obama’s numbers trending down, said Jeremy Ross, even though his app just publishes publicly available data. The app can also be used to display the same stats on future GOP presidents.

Ross, a California aerospace engineer, cut his sleep time down to 5 hours per day to develop the app, which users rate at 4.5 out of 5 stars.

“Most of my friends are very left and strongly discouraged me from starting this app,” he said. “My best friend hates this app.” Ross added that his own mother, also politically liberal, isn’t happy about it.

At $0.99 per download, further information on the 'Obama Clock' app is available to view here.

The most detested industry in America - the federal government

Natalie Gonnella
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With plunging consumer confidence and unemployment resting comfortably around 9%, it's no surprise that Americans are more than a little frustrated with the federal government lately.

And with just 17% of voters holding a positive perception of Washington's recent performance, according to Gallup's 2011 industry approval poll (surveying Americans' views across 25 business sectors), the federal government officially takes the title this year for the most negatively viewed industry in America.  

Displacing the oil and gas industry for the lowest position on the list, overall, Gallup notes that:

The images of the federal government and the real estate industry have dropped the most over the past decade. The percentage of Americans rating the government positively has declined 24 points since 2003, and the real estate industry's positive ratings have fallen 23 points since 2001. Other sectors with double-digit drops include the banking sector, education, accounting, and healthcare.

The full analysis from Gallup's 2011 industry survey is available to view here.

Cain comes out on top in home state straw poll

Natalie Gonnella
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Rick Perry may have quickly taken the lead in the latest Gallup presidential poll, but when it comes to Georgia Republicans (for the moment) they're standing behind a home state candidate.

Just as 'Iowan' Michele Bachmann edged out her competition to take the Ames straw poll earlier this month, in a smaller showing on Saturday at the annual Georgia GOP fish fry, Herman Cain narrowly topped Ron Paul to take the latest 2012 straw poll title.

With Cain edging out both Paul, Perry and fellow Georgian Newt Gingrich, here's a look at the rest of the field fared in yesterday's poll, as reported by the GA GOP's second vice president, B.J. VanGundy:

• Herman Cain 26%
• Ron Paul 25.7%
• Rick Perry 20%
• Newt Gingrich 18%
• Mitt Romney 6%
• Michele Bachman 3%
• Rick Santorum 0.4%
• Jon Huntsman 0.3%
• Thad McCotter 0.1%
• Buddy Roemer 0%
• Gary Johnson 0%

Sticking up for states' rights: Majority of voters believe governors should have the right to opt out of federal programs

Natalie Gonnella
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As GOP governors weighs their options on what to do about Obamacare funds, a new opinion survey shows that when it comes to states' rights, a majority of voters side with the states.

According to the latest telephone poll from Rasmussen Reports, 54% of Americans believe that states should have the right to opt out of federal programs. And on initiatives imposed without federal compensation, support for states’ rights soars even higher, with nearly two-thirds of voters insisting that states should be able to ignore the mandates. With this in mind, unsurprisingly, when it comes to the Affordable Care Act:

Fifty-four percent (54%) think states should have the right to opt out of the new national health care law or any portion of it that they disagree with, [while] fifty-six percent (56%) of voters say letting states compete to determine the most effective standards and guidelines would do more to reduce health care costs than having the federal government calling the shots. Most voters also continue to favorrepeal of the health care law as they have every week but one since its passage by Congress in March 2010.

As the debate continues to escalate over the constitutionality of Obamacare, the full analysis from Rasmussen's latest poll is available to view here.

Obama hits another approval low

Natalie Gonnella
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Although he's on vacation, the bad news just keeps coming this week for President Obama's approval numbers.

On top of soaring consumer pessimism, a dismal national debt update, and support for his economic record at barely 26%, according to Rasmussen Reports' Daily Tracking poll, Obama's approval index rating just hit the lowest point of his presidency:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 19% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-five percent (45%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -26 (see trends).  

This is the lowest Approval Index rating yet measured for President Obama. The previous low was -24 reached yesterday and also in September 2010. Additionally, the level of Strong Approval matches the lowest yet recorded.

The full analysis from Rasmussen's latest presidential tracking poll is available to view here.

From the speaker schedule to where to watch: The who, where, and when of the Ames straw poll

Natalie Gonnella
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With just minutes to go before the start of the Ames straw poll, here's a look at all the info you need to know ahead of the highly anticipated event:

Who's on the ballot:

• Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann
• Herman Cain
• Congressman Thaddeus McCotter
• Congressman Ron Paul
• Governor Tim Pawlenty
• Senator Rick Santorum
• Speaker Newt Gingrich
• Governor Jon Huntsman
• Governor Mitt Romney
• Write-in option

Who's speaking when?

12:00pm Program Begins

12:15pm Iowa GOP Chairman Matt Strawn delivers remarks

12:20pm Iowa Governor Terry Branstad delivers remarks

12:30pm Chairman Strawn welcomes all candidates on stage (press shot)

12:40pm Senator Rick Santorum delivers remarks

1:00pm Iowa Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds delivers remarks

1:15pm Congressman Ron Paul delivers remarks

1:40pm Congressman Steve King delivers remarks

1:50pm Governor Tim Pawlenty delivers remarks

2:10pm Senator Chuck Grassley delivers remarks

2:20pm Congresswoman Michele Bachmann delivers remarks

2:40pm Congressman Tom Latham delivers remarks

2:50pm Congressman Thaddeus McCotter delivers remarks

3:15pm Herman Cain delivers remarks

4:00pm Voting closes. Chairman Matt Strawn will deliver the Straw Poll results on stage immediately after they've been tabulated.

Where can you watch:

The full event can be streamed here, and further information is available to view here.

Unsurprising fact of the day: Small business optimism continues to tank

Natalie Gonnella
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With economic confidence sinking, unemployment soaring, and the country's fiscal future in flux, Gallup's latest poll results detailing the expectations of small business owners comes as no surprise.

According to the latest analysis:

Small-business owners turned less optimistic about future revenues and new hiring even prior to the events of recent weeks and the plunge in economic confidence. The percentage of owners anticipating that their revenues would increase over the next 12 months fell to 42% in July, down from 49% in April and 54% in January. At the same time, 18% expect their revenues to decrease. Small-business-owner revenue expectations are no better now than they were in October 2010.

And when it comes to future hiring expectations:

The percentage of small-business owners expecting the overall number of jobs at their company to increase over the next 12 months also fell in July, to 16% from 19% in April and 23% in January. Simultaneously, 12% of owners expect a decrease in the number of jobs at their companies over the next 12 months. Small-business hiring and firing intentions are now the lowest since this time a year ago.

As Obama claims to be turning his attention to job creation (something the GOP has regularly pursued in both the House and Senate throughout the current congressional term) the full results from Gallup's latest small business survey are available to view here.

Perry enters the race at the top of the pack, but the latest 2012 poll shows only one Republican ahead of Obama - unfortunately he's not running

Natalie Gonnella
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It's the biggest week yet this year for GOP hopefuls, and as Republicans gear up for this weekend's events, a new election poll offers some interesting insights into the latest views from likely American voters.

With many anxiously awaiting Rick Perry's announcement on Saturday, according to the latest CNN/ORC International 2012 poll, the Texas Governor is about to give Mitt Romney a serious run for his money:

15 percent of Republicans and independents who lean towards the GOP pick [the Texas Governor[ as their first choice for their party's nomination, just two points behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who's making his second bid for the White House. Romney's two point margin over Perry is within the survey's sampling error.

Interestingly however, as Perry and Romney appear to lead the pack among Republicans, when it comes to registered voters in general, President Obama's biggest competition actually comes from someone who isn't even running.

According to the latest 2012 poll results:

Giuliani has a 51-45 percent advantage over Obama among registered voters, while Romney matches up evenly against the President - 49 percent for Obama and 48 percent for Romney. But the survey indicates Obama appears to have a slight edge over Bachmann (51-45 percent) and Perry (51-46 percent) and Obama has a lead over Palin (55-41 percent).

With a number of GOP candidates taking the stage tonight for the Iowa debate ahead of this Saturday's straw poll, it will be interesting to see if (and how) voters' preferences may change as the race for the GOP nomination continues to gain steam.

The full analysis from the latest CNN/ORC International survey is available to view here.

Economic pessimism and the 2012 youth vote

Natalie Gonnella
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With economic confidence sinking sharply across the country, Young Americans for Liberty this week offers an interesting look at how the nation's current fiscal challenges are impacting the youth vote as the 2012 election cycle begins to gain momentum:

Barely eight months into the current term, vast majority of voters say it's time to cut current members of Congress

Natalie Gonnella
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With soaring unemployment, stagnated growth, and the first ever US credit downgrade, it's no surprise that Americans are disappointed with their elected leaders (President Obama included).

And after a tumultuous month of debt debate, barely eight months into the current term, according to Gallup, registered voters are already looking for a change when it comes to the 112th Congress.

In the latest congressional approval poll, just 21% of registered voters feel that most lawmakers deserve reelection - the lowest percentage on record in the 20 year history Gallup has asked this question.

But while Americans' collective view of Congress has rapidly deteriorated, when it comes to their own district, Americans appear far more forgiving (likely due to more localized support). Overall, more than half of likely voters say their Representative deserves re-election. But while this seems more encouraging, Gallup does note that:

Even though a majority believes their own representative should be re-elected, the current percentage is on the low end of what Gallup has measured historically. The lowest readings were 48% in October 1992 and 49% on two occasions in 2010.

As lawmakers ready for their return to Washington in September, with concern growing over the upcoming super committee and the subsequent effects of the S&P downgrade, it will be interesting to see how voters' views will change (for better or worse) as the next phase of the budget battle gets underway.

The full analysis from Gallup's latest congressional poll is available to view here.