Obama Gets Chilly Reception from Independents on Economy Plans - East Idaho News
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Obama Gets Chilly Reception from Independents on Economy Plans

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Getty 060812 PresidentObama?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1339584435419BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GettyImages(NEW YORK) — Swing-voting independents see President Obama’s plans for the economy negatively rather than positively by 54-38 percent in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, marking the president’s challenges as he seeks re-election in still-troubled economic times.

It’s no party for Mitt Romney either — independents also rate his economic plans more unfavorably than favorably, by 47-35 percent.  But more are undecided, giving Romney some room to maneuver. And, unlike Obama, Romney avoids majority criticism in this group.

Romney lags among moderates, and does less well among conservatives than Obama does among liberals.  But the president’s economic plans are underwater among middle- to upper-middle-income Americans, while Romney manages an even split in this group.  And Obama’s economic program is especially unpopular — by a 2-1 margin — among whites, though he does far better than Romney among non-whites.

Obama also crosses the 50 percent negative line among registered voters, who see his economic program unfavorably rather than favorably by 51-43 percent.  Romney’s rating among registered voters is 46-40 percent unfavorable-favorable, again with more undecided.

Obama’s challenges versus Romney’s show more starkly when two of the president’s weaker groups are combined — independents who are registered to vote.  In this group, more see Obama’s economic plans unfavorably than favorably by 56-36 percent; on Romney’s it’s 45-39 percent.

In sum this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, highlights the mixture of economic discontent and partisan preferences that both candidates face.  Overall, Americans respond negatively rather than positively to Obama’s economic proposals by 50-43 percent, and to Romney’s by 47-37 percent, with, as noted, sharp differences among groups.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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