North Carolinians feel Obama hasn't held banks accountable, poll says

A majority of North Carolinians feel President Barack Obama has not held banks accountable enough for their part in the the mortgage and foreclosure crisis, according to a poll released by activist group Campaign for a Fair Settlement on Wednesday.

Sixty percent say Obama has not done enough to hold banks accountable, while 32 percent say he has, the results show. The poll was conducted by nonpartisan Public Policy Polling, and surveyed 600 households.


"We think primarily the people are just angry that no one's been held accountable," said Kevin Rogers of Action N.C., a group that protested Bank of America at its shareholders meeting last week and a state affiliate of Campaign for a Fair Settlement. "We've seen all these banking executives go on and on and keep their jobs. People are hurting, and they just want to see someone held accountable."


The state is more evenly split on how they feel Obama has handled the crisis overall. Forty-six percent of North Carolinians disapprove of how Obama has handled the crisis, while 41 percent approve, the results show.

Seventy percent said they felt the crisis was due, at least in part, to "criminal actions" on Wall Street.

There was a significant split down party lines on the issues. Republicans were much more likely to blame "irresponsible homeowners," while Democrats tended to blame Wall Street banks.

The poll was one of several Campaign for a Fair Settlement conducted in swing states. The other states were Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Of those states, Obama's handling of the crisis had the highest approval rating in North Carolina.