Obama’s Support Dropping Among Independents
Ever fall in love with somebody, started dating and then after a few months felt like they weren’t living up to who they originally claimed to be?
Well, Independent voters are starting to have second thoughts about Obama and the honeymoon is all but over.
Approval among independent voters is 52 – 37 percent, compared to 57 – 30 percent in a June 4 survey [...]. The survey of more than 3,000 voters also finds that voters feel 32 – 30 percent that things in the nation have gotten better since President Obama was inaugurated. Independent voters say 32 – 27 percent that things are worse, with 40 percent saying things are the same.
And here are voter trends overall…
Those who liked President Obama the most from the start – African-Americans, Democrats, women — still like him by the same margins, but a chunk of voters who were undecided have decided he’s not their cup of tea. Among independents, men, white Catholics, white evangelical Christians and Republicans, his numbers have fallen. He still has a ways to go before his coalition becomes politically unstable, but there are some groups and issues — especially the economy — where he needs to make sure this trend does not continue.
Not necessarily the most encouraging trend for the President, especially since he built his historic win on the backs of these swing voters who thought he could take the country in a positive, less partisan direction. But the problem is he has differed much of the legislative work to partisan warriors like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid who are much more interested in winning than building bridges.
Then things got even harder for him yesterday when Al Franken finally won Minnesota’s Senate race and delivered the Dems a supermajority. A lot of Dems are high-fiving about this, but this is just the type of news that makes independents very nervous. So Obama better be extremely careful when it comes to using those 60 votes, otherwise he’ll easily be painted as a liberal Bush.
Here’s the question: What does Obama need to do to turn this trend around?
(Photo: Getty via Daylife)
Post Your Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment
T/S Members
Log in with your True/Slant account.
Justin, How do you know that the President’s appeal is waning among independents? Have you asked them. Were the same people asked on both occasions? Do you not realize that statistics can say whatever you want them to? Why do you thing that sales of fast food hasn’t diminished? The reason is that American psyche wants instant gratification. Don’t you realize that that is the reason we are in the mess we are. Want a loan? No problem. Come back in 30 minutes. Too long? OK make that five minutes. My advise, give the President time to sort out what the previous government screwed up.
I’m just going off of the polls, which have all shown his support slipping. Part of this was inevitable, but he’s not exactly taking a centrist/moderate approach to policy.
All I’m saying is that pols live and die by the swing voter. Sure, getting the base out is important, but especially when you’re talking about electoral college, those swing voters in purple states are extremely important.