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Subscribe to RSSAccording to the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, President Barack Obama has large leads among women, Hispanics and independents and is viewed as being more in touch with the middle class, but Mitt Romney is seen as more likely to have "good ideas for how to improve the economy." NBC's Chuck Todd reports.
With the Republican presidential primary season essentially over and with the general election campaign now under way, President Barack Obama begins the race with a six-point lead over presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Obama’s advantage is fueled by his traditionally strong-standing among African Americans, Latinos and young voters, as well as with women and even political independents. What’s more, he’s viewed – by substantial margins – as more likeable, compassionate and better for the middle class than Romney.
Click here for a copy of the polling results (pdf)
But the poll also shows that the president’s biggest weakness – the economy – is also Romney’s strength. And with Republicans beginning to rally around the former Massachusetts governor and with the GOP especially enthusiastic about November’s election, the race has the potential to be close, the NBC/WSJ pollsters say.
Related: NBC/WSJ poll: Romney's image improves but remains a net-negative
President Barack Obama; Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
“You are projecting a very, very close campaign,” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted the survey with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart.
“It is going to look like 2004 or 2000,” Hart added, referring to George W. Bush’s extremely narrow victories in those two presidential contests. “There are plenty of things that suggest it has a long, long way to go.”
Amy Sancetta / AP
President Obama reaches out to shake hands with Lorain County Community College student Bronson Harwood after speaking at the college in Elyria, Ohio.
Obama running strong with his base and key swing groups
This week featured a flurry of national polls that showed varying results: A CNN poll had Obama up by nine; the Pew Research Center had the president up four; a New York Times/CBS poll had it even; and the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll currently has Romney up by five.
But in this NBC/WSJ poll, Obama leads Romney among registered voters, 49 percent to 43 percent – a margin that has been fairly consistent in the survey since the beginning of the year; the president led Romney in March, 50 percent to 44 percent.
Looking inside these numbers, the president holds an advantage with African Americans (90 percent to 4 percent), Latinos (69 percent to 22 percent) voters ages 18-34 (60 percent to 34 percent) and women (53 percent to 41 percent).
In addition, he edges Romney among key swing groups like independents (44 percent to 34 percent), Midwest voters (47 percent to 44 percent) and suburban women (48 percent to 45 percent).
Meanwhile, Romney is ahead among whites (52 percent to 40 percent), suburban voters (49 percent to 44 percent) and those expressing high interest in the election (49 percent to 46 percent).
In measuring key attributes and qualities, Obama also enjoys significant leads on being easygoing and likeable (54 percent to 18 percent); on caring about average people (52 percent to 22 percent); on dealing with issues of concern to women (49 percent to 21 percent); and on looking out for the middle class (48 percent to 27 percent).
He’s also ahead of Romney when it comes to being knowledgeable and experienced about the presidency (45 percent to 30 percent), being a good commander-in-chief (43 percent to 33 percent), being consistent and standing up for his beliefs (41 percent to 30 percent), and being honest and straightforward (37 percent to 30 percent).
Jae C. Hong / AP
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney meets with a group of Pittsburgh-area residents in Bethel Park, Pa.
Romney’s economic edge
But Romney’s advantage comes on what will probably be the No. 1 issue in the fall: the economy.
By a 40-34 percent margin, respondents believe Romney would be better when it comes to having good ideas for improving the economy. And Romney also edges Obama on changing "business as usual" in Washington.
Thirty-eight percent think the economy will improve within the next year, 19 percent say it will get worse and 42 percent believe it will stay the same.
Those numbers – which come after a disappointing March jobs report, which showed the unemployment rate declining to 8.2 percent but which also showed the economy adding a less-than-expected 120,000 jobs – are fairly consistent with the findings from January and March.
Obama’s economic improvement
Just 45 percent approve of the president’s handling of the economy, which is unchanged from March.
But that standing is an improvement from the summer and fall of 2011, when his economic handling was below 40 percent.
Obama’s overall job-approval rating stands at 49 percent – which, not surprisingly, matches his ballot-test percentage against Romney. (His percentage also is similar to the job-approval numbers of what the last two incumbents who won-re-election, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, had in the NBC/WSJ poll at this same point in the race.)
Two new polls show the 2012 general election matchup remains close. On the subject of the economy, Mitt Romney is beating President Barack Obama. The Washington Post's Dana Milbank discuss, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad talk about the polls and explain why Obama continues to push the narrative that Romney is out-of-touch with the American people.
In addition, a plurality – 36 percent – believes the president’s policies have helped U.S. economic conditions, while 33 percent say they’ve hurt the economy. Thirty percent say they haven’t made a difference.
That’s a big change from last year, when only about 20 percent said Obama’s policies had helped the economy.
And those percentages are matched pretty evenly against a Republican: 37 percent say a GOP candidate winning the presidency would help the economy, 28 percent say he would hurt it and 31 percent said it wouldn't make a difference.
“The president is in better shape than he was” in 2011, says Hart, the Democratic pollster.
Testing the economic messages
What also seems to be in better shape is Obama’s economic messaging.
More than three-quarters of respondents (including nearly 70 percent of independents and Republicans) say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who “will fight for balance and fairness and encourage the investments needed to grow our economy and strengthen the middle class,” which has become a standard line for Obama.
In addition, seven in 10 say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who “says America is better off when everyone gets a fair shot, does their fair share, and plays by the same rules” – another Obama line.
By comparison, 64 percent would be more likely to support a candidate who wants “to restore the values of economic freedom, opportunity, and small government,” which strongly resembles Romney’s economic messaging.
And 61 percent would be more likely to support a candidate who says “free enterprise has done more to lift people out of poverty, help build a strong middle class, and more our lives better than all of the government’s programs put together,” which is something that Romney tends to say.
The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted April 13-17 of 1,000 respondents (250 reached by cell phone), and it has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points.
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OBAMA'S WAR ON WOMEN
http://www.ktrh.com/pages/michaelberry.html?article=10016656
Women's Unemployment Statistics Under Obama
People vote with their wallets! How do you think George Bush won in 2004 with a very unpopular war?
Actually - they voted their morals - then after eight years of Republican incompetence they are now thinking maybe they should have voted their wallets.
However - it does look like the American people are in for more of that good old Republican economy killing incompetence.
If you think Obama is bad for the economy - wait until the Republicans are in office another four years. They will blame Obama for the lack of economic progress during those four years.
Unemployment Increases in Young
People Under Obama: A New Lost Generation of Youth?
http://aconservativeteacher.blogspot.com/2011/12/unemployment-increases-in-young-people.html
Honest jo also believes in UFOs, has a fetish for Tom Brokaw, and believes that FOX news is writing the next Gospel according to John. So please pay attention to the lady so she will go away.
@Jim from Buffalo
One of two things pussy...
Either take you anti-semite BS elsewhere or post a link to a video upload of you having the balls to walk outside and talk that BS in public,in mixed company.
Effing pathetic POS is what you are.
Oh where are where are the tea nuts brains gone why did there brain leave them all along..we search the world over and found out they never had one...we found out they were crazy this whole time.. sing along folks
Mort, my avitar, could "lead on the economy", for cryin' out loud!
Eat more from your stash than you put in? Pretty soon it's empty. What to do?
Borrow from some body's else's stash for the moment.
"For a cheeseburger today, I'll pay you back Tuesday..."
Not gonna' happen. Cheeseburger loaners have had enough...
Obama Racks Up List of Broken Promises
Friday, 12 Aug 2011 12:51 PM
By Ben Stein
It was three years ago that
Mr. Barack Obama was campaigning hard for president. He was drawing immense
crowds, bringing them to their feet screaming his name. What was he promising
these fans?
1. That he would end the recession and bring back a healthy, booming economy.
Has he done it? Obviously not. The crash stopped because of the rescue of Wall
Street by George W. Bush’s bailout of Wall Street.
Just for me, I don’t see any causative link between Mr. Obama’s trillion-dollar
“stimulus package” and his supersize deficits and the modest recovery we have.
We still have extremely high unemployment and a genuine catastrophe in housing.
Mr. Obama completely failed in his promises about the economy.
2. That he would end the war in Iraq in such a way as to bring the troops home
without leaving Iraq in violent convulsions. Guess what? There are still more
than 50,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and they are being shelled, rocketed, mortared,
and attacked by IEDs every day. The Iraqi government is not our friend, and our
troops there are just target practice for terrorists. Whatever
success we had there has been trivial compared with the disaster this war has
been — under Mr. Obama and, to be fair, under Mr. Bush.
3. That he would “reset” relations with Russia. He would get us friendly
relations with this immensely important country. Has he done so? Not in the
slightest. The Russians mock us and balk us in the U.N. and everywhere else
they can.
Mr. Obama gave up building probably the most important project in the history
of the atomic age, an anti-missile system, which would have protected Europe
and the United States from nuclear missiles. He did that to appease Russia. Did
it work? Not at all. We are naked to missile attacks, and the Russians still do
not like us much. Another failure.
4. That he would go over the federal budget “line by line” to weed out waste
and corruption and would thereby save so much money that it would go a long way to
balance the budget. This one was a laugher from day one. The federal budget has
millions of lines. He could not possibly go through it line by line.
That was just nonsense. As it happened, we have a wildly bigger civilian
federal budget than ever before and deficits on a scale that are genuinely
terrifying, although this may get surprisingly better if the economy revives.
But so far, another failure.
5. That he would bring peace to the Middle East. Another bad joke. The Middle
East is more dangerous than ever. Kicking out Hosni Mubarak from Egypt’s
leadership has given the land of the Nile an anti-Israel, anti-U.S. government
that is already working hand in glove with terrorists in
Gaza.
This is not the way to peace.
6. That he would create a new, peaceful, productive relationship with Iran.
Oops. Did he really believe that? Was he that naive? This is getting scary.
7. That he would create a better world with more opportunities for students.
Well, best not to talk about that at all.
So, what has he done? He has given us a new healthcare plan that confuses even the
leaders of his own party. He has given us a basketball court in the White
House.
He has insulted our two best friends in the world — Britain and Israel — by his
contempt for them.
He has shown his contempt for law by zeroing out Chrysler bondholders without
legal authority and firing the head of GM without legal authority. And he set
about a huge social experiment with the military by requiring that they accept
gays.
It is very hard to find the real pluses in his term so far. I am sure there are
some, but what are they? He did promise to fix the disaster in public
education.
All he did was kill one of the only working solutions to the problem, the
voucher system in Washington, D.C., schools that actually gave a small number
of inner city students a chance at a good education.
This, of course, was at the behest of the teachers’ unions, his most loyal
supporters and puppet-masters.
The amazing part is that even so, he beats by a large margin every possible GOP
contender in the opinion polls. Something is terribly, terribly wrong here.
This is how great nations fold up. They get small men and women in big jobs.
Read more on Newsmax.com: Obama Racks Up List of Broken Promises
Important: Do You Support Pres. Obama's Re-Election? Vote Here Now!
No one in their right mind, even the most ardent conservative, can support Newmax's lies, unrelenting lies, material distortions of fact, misinformation, disinformation, and outright Bull$hit. If Newsmax is your source of information you have zero credibility. Try a few other sources, may I recommend: The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The BBC, NPR, CBS, and CNN.
I think most people are starting to figure out things are not getting better. That we are being lied to. You can gargle on as much liberal rhetoric as you want it will not save you. We should elect a foreign banker as President then we might be able to fight back. Gas will be at 10m bucks a gallon before you know it. Americans will be the only ones that can not afford it. Technology thieves will program our debt to Hell.
if this poll is like prior polls, it is scewed heavily toward dims, something like 51 to 23 dims to repub
The Democrats have an Ace up their sleeve. Its about time for Joe Biden to retire, get his Medal for distinguished Public Service, and step back.
Obama/Clinton 2012 !!
I'd have much less trouble with HRC than the idiot we've got now.
James... BHO is a scourge on our country and it's purpose. I know it's tough for you, but please consider voting for anybody but Obama. PLEASE.
Don't be ridiculous, he is the only candidate running who has four years of valuable on the job training. I don't vote for rank Boy Scouts like Romney. Get over it, he's a black guy, his only real problem is that he was raised by women and taught to be non-confrontational, which is what got him where he is. He needs to understand that he has to stand up and fight, even when he thinks he will lose. He needs to understand that even if you lose, your opponent will get hurt and think twice about taking you on again. About half of his job is a big poker game-- you win by the force of your determination, by your willingness to occasionally take a beating, and by having more information and brains than your opponent.
Seriously. "On the job training?"
Let's put Alfred E. Neuman in the White House, for crying out loud!
Wait! We did.
An Obama/Clinton ticket is a scary thought for conservatives isn't it. A President with nothing to lose and a Vice President/Successor for 2016. And the RePOOPlicans still can't come up with a candidate that isn't a complete lunatic. We saw nine of them traipse across the national stage and they did nothing but embarrassed the nation while they have almost put an end to the GOP just like the GOP almost put and end to America. Voters are not going to forget being demeaned, insulted, disparaged and discouraged by the GOP over the past three years. They have had enough of it.
We wouldn't have a Bad Economy if it weren't for the last Republican administration and Guess what, they are the same Slimy Dogs that want their Jobs back, with just a couple of new faces!
They aren't even Big Enough to admit their Failures either. They expect us to believe it was all Obama s fault and the Weasels say it with a Straight Face none the less!
They expect us to believe it like they have some special Powers of Suggestion, like Darth Vader!
What a bogus poll. Gallup and Rasmussen. probably the two most accurate polls, have Romney in the lead and this poll has the Messiah up by 5 lol.
WND
EXCLUSIVE
Obama impeachment bill now in Congress
http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/obama-impeachment-bill-now-in-congress/
Declares president's use of military without
approval 'high crime, misdemeanor'
"Republicans ahead on the economy" WTF?
Republicans are the ones who have milked and sunk the economy. Are they still trying to blame Obama's past 3 and half years for the quagmire they unleashed on America over the preceeding 8 years? I'm not fooled.
Clinton did that.
Read current events before posting.
It pays to know what you talk about, lest you make yourself look like a fool.
Clinton left his 8 years Presidency with a financial surplus, which republicans were very eager to milk. get off the bubble.
Obama's
Private Army and FEMA Dentention Camps
http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/pages/obama/fema-camps-obama-private-army.htm
Mickey Mouse will catch up.
Obama has no chance.
And this will get collapsed by the Obama flock.
I don't care.
You can't run a country with bullsh!t and charisma.
sorry that pet rock yall own..it will not win
The mark of the beast party is behind please leave them there for the safety of America and the world
The real beast is the liberal party who eats you from the inside out.
Then expects you to pay.
Wake up.
no wake up its the so called christians people like you
Elvi, wannna be.
You don't know me.
If middle class and the poor would have the same interest, the economy and quit letting the republicans and democrats split their vote, there would be noticeable improvement in the jobs,housing, etc. President Obama still gets myvote. He is willing to tax his wealth first and this is what irks those with big money, that he is taking the tax load off the middle class and spread it evenly across the board. If one reads between the line, this is why they are always fighting against him. Romney will take you to the cleaners on taxing you he changes like a chamelon changes his spots.
Obama's Approval Plunges Below Worst-Ever President Carter
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/Obama-Carter-Gallup-approval/2011/11/29/id/419436?s=al&promo_code=D9C0-1
if it's about the economy it's actually Bush junior's rating.
".....but it must have been deep in Republican territory"
You mean essentially anywhere between the northeast and the western sea board? Or maybe anywhere not identified as a metropolitan area?
From a "territory" perspective, nearly anywhere not in a city or surrounding an academic center is Republican.
I would as soon vote for Hitler than vote for Obama. OK just maybe Stalin. Forget the Italian Dude.
Communist Party
USA Endorses Barack Obama and Democrats For 2012 Election
http://azpundit.com/congrats-communist-party-usa-endorses-barack-obama-and-democrats-for-2012-election/
source:
COMMUNIST PARTY USA
The mark of the beast will come from the tea party
the mark of the beast will come from obama
Friend of West?
August 25, 2011
Inhofe:
Obama destroying US
By D.E. SmootPhoenix Staff WriterThe Muskogee PhoenixThu Aug 25, 2011,
11:25 PM CDT
Oklahoma’s senior senator railed against the Obama
administration Thursday during a stop at the Muskogee Civic Center.
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe identified four issues he sees where the Democratic
president is “destroying America.” Those four areas, Inhofe said, include the
way President Barack Obama is dealing with the military, federal spending,
regulatory oversight and energy issues.
Inhofe said the president’s plans to close Guantanamo Bay would have jeopardized
the safety of Americans. He also advocated sending more prisoners to the U.S.
military base in Cuba.
“We’re not dealing with criminals here, they are terrorists and they want to
kill everybody in this room,” Inhofe said. “They are not entitled to constitutional
rights or a trial, they are entitled to a military tribunal.”
With regard to federal spending, Inhofe said federal spending under the Obama
administration has outpaced that of the president’s predecessor. Inhofe said
under President George W. Bush, the average deficit totaled about $247 billion
a year. Under Obama, Inhofe said, that total was about $1.5 trillion a year.
Inhofe, the ranking Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee,
also criticized increased regulatory oversight — especially by the
Environmental Protection Agency.
“I was the bad guy 10 years ago who called all this stuff about greenhouse gas
... was a hoax,” Inhofe said. “I still feel that way today.”
Inhofe said the estimated costs of regulating greenhouse gas are about $300
billion to $400 billion annually in lost gross domestic production, which
equates to about $100 billion in lost tax revenue. Proposed changes to the ozone
and air quality standards, Inhofe said, could cost the nation 7 million jobs by
2020 — 177,000 of those jobs from Oklahoma.
With regard to federal energy policies, Inhofe said more needs to be done to
allow domestic exploration and production of fossil fuels.
“You can’t run this machine called America if you get
rid of fossil fuels,” Inhofe said. He advocated the use of hydraulic fracturing
to retrieve oil and natural gas from
“tight shale formations.”
On other issues, Inhofe said the moratorium on congressional earmarks does
little more than transfer congressional spending powers to the executive
branch. The power of the purse strings, Inhofe said, is a constitutional power
intended by the U.S. Constitution to be wielded by Congress, the
representatives of which are closer to the people.
Inhofe advocates a national flat tax, but he doesn’t expect to see that happen
until the GOP controls both houses of Congress and the White House.
IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE THAT OBAMA IS A MUSLIM JUST ASK HIM OR BETTER
YET JUST WATCH AND HE WILL TELL YOU!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=tCAffMSWSzY#t=28<http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=tCAffMSWSzY#t=28
koo koo koo koo
Just watch the interview with Stephanopolus a couple of years ago. Obama talked about his muslim faith on prime time. George had to correct him by asking "you mean your christian faith, don't you"? George the human teleprompter.
US Unemployment rate by President
http://www.miseryindex.us/indexbyPresident.asp