Obama Resurfaces in Favorability, Re-opening the Popularity Gap - East Idaho News
Politics

Obama Resurfaces in Favorability, Re-opening the Popularity Gap

  Published at

GETTY 091212 Obama?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1347446017368NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — President Obama has crossed into majority favorability among registered voters for the first time since spring in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll — further evidence of a convention boost.  Mitt Romney trails in popularity, albeit with a number near his own high.

The shifts in this poll re-open the popularity gap between Obama and Romney — now 8 points in Obama’s favor, 52 percent vs. Romney’s 44 percent, after closing to 4 points last week (within the margin of error) following the GOP convention and before the Democrats had their say.

Obama’s favorable vs. unfavorable ratings, 52-45 percent, are back in the positive zone after dipping below the waterline last week, 47-49 percent.  Romney, at 44-49 percent, remains underwater for the 12th time out of 14 ABC/Post favorability polls this year.

Consistent with a larger ABC/Post political poll released Tuesday, Obama has improved in his own party, with his popularity among Democrats matching his high for this election, 89 percent.  He’s at a new high among lower- and lower-middle income adults, and has moved back to positive ratings among women, 53-44 percent, after dipping negative among women — a first for Obama — immediately following the Republican convention.

Obama’s rating among independent registered voters, by contrast, is essentially flat — 46-49 percent favorable-unfavorable this week, 45-51 percent last week.  Nor did he see any change among political moderates in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates.

Romney’s rating is essentially unchanged from last week’s 43-48 percent, although with some notable results among subgroups.  The poll shows his best favorability scores since May among moderates (albeit just 40 percent) and independents (44 percent), and his best to date among “very” conservative registered voters, 81 percent favorable.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION