RT: @thehill: Poll finds Romney closing favorability gap with Obamahttp://bit.ly/PI4EM7 // yah about that.....
7:42 AM - 5 Sep 12 · Details
Poll finds Mitt Romney closing favorability gap with President Obama
By Meghashyam Mali - 09/05/12 07:35 AM ET
President Obama has the lowest pre-convention favorability ratings for an incumbent since the 1980s, a new poll finds, while his rival Mitt Romney is seeing gains following the GOP convention in Tampa.
A new ABC News/Washington Post poll released late Tuesday finds the president’s popularity underwater with 47 percent of registered voters viewing him favorably with 49 unfavorably. In the same poll taken last month, Obama was at 50 percent favorable to 47 favorable.
Obama is the first incumbent in the survey to have a higher unfavorable than favorable rating. Obama’s rating is lower than President George W. Bush in 2004 at 54 percent, Bill Clinton in 1996 who was at 56 percent, George H. W. Bush in 1992 who held a 57 percent favorable rating and Ronald Reagan at 60 percent favorable in 1984.
Obama’s presidential opponent Mitt Romney was also underwater, at 48 percent unfavorable and 43 favorable. But those figures represent an improvement from before last week’s GOP convention in Tampa, Fla. Before the Republican meet, Romney was at 51 unfavorable and 40 favorable.The troubling numbers for Obama come as Democrats are convening in Charlotte, N.C. this week for their national convention. The president is slated to speak on Thursday night.
The new ABC/Washington Post poll shows Obama in positive territory with men, with 50 percent favorable to 47 unfavorable. But the president has a 4-point gap with women who view him unfavorably 50 percent to 46.
Romney though has a tougher challenge with female voters with 48 percent viewing him unfavorably and 41 favorable. But those figures show gains from his pre-convention 55 to 34 percent net unfavorable rating.
Polls suggest Romney is gradually cutting into Obama’s edge among women. In a separate ABC/Post poll released last week, Romney trailed Obama among female voters by 49 to 43 percent.
Obama tops Romney among self-identified moderate voters at 57 to 40 net favorable. Romney is at 36 favorable to 54 unfavorable.
Both candidates are underwater among independents with Obama viewed unfavorably by 51 percent to 45 favorable. Romney is at 36 percent favorable to 53 unfavorable, a 17-point gap.
The ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2 and has a 3.5-percent margin of error.
