Poll: Only 3 in 10 will vote for Obama
By JENNIFER EPSTEIN | 6/22/11 5:59 AM EDT
Americans are growing increasingly more frustrated with President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy and only 3 in 10 say they are certain they will vote to re-elect him in 2012, a new poll finds.
Just 23 percent of those surveyed for a Bloomberg News poll released Wednesday say they are hopeful about the economy because they see signs of improvement, while 25 percent say they are fearful things are getting worse and 51 percent are cautious because nothing seems to be happening.
Those signs of economic pessimism aren’t helping Obama’s reelection bid.
Sixty-one percent of Americans say they believe the president will have had a chance to make the economy “substantially better” by the end of 2012, while 37 percent say he won’t have. Forty-four percent of Americans say they are worse off than they were when Obama took office, while 34 percent say they are better off and 21 percent say they are doing about the same.
While 30 percent of Americans say they will vote for Obama, 36 percent say they definitely won’t vote for him. Among likely independent voters surveyed, just 23 percent say they are certain they will vote for Obama while 36 percent say they are sure they will seek out another candidate.
But the news isn’t all bad for Obama’s 2012 prospects.
Sixty percent of those surveyed said that the Republican candidate who ends up running against Obama will have to move so far to the right on social and fiscal issues to win the GOP nomination that it will be very hard to vote for them in the general election.
Forty-nine percent of Americans said they’re worried about Republicans gaining control of the White House and of Congress and slashing programs like Medicare and Medicaid. In contrast, 40 percent say they are concerned about a second Obama term and the continuation of current spending policies. Of independents surveyed, 47 percent say they are worried about Republican control while 37 percent say they are more concerned about a second Obama term.
The poll was conducted June 17-20 and surveyed 1,000 adults. The error margin is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/57507.html#ixzz1Q01fh2vu
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