As the fever pitch of the 2010 mid-term election campaign hits its zenith, a new poll conducted by U.S. News and World Report indicates a majority of Americans don’t want to see pro-abortion President Barack Obama re-elected.
Some 42% approve of the way Obama is performing his job as president, while 57% disapprove.According to pollster Doug Schoen, half the nation still likes the president personally — they still find him to be a likable person who cares. But they disapprove of his job performance in a way that is opposite of the ratings of pro-abortion ex-President Bill Clinton, who voters now find not likable but they think he did a fairly good job as president on the whole.
In fact, the poll finds 48 percent of Americans like Obama, but just 42 percent say he’s done a good job as president.
“Despite voters feelings toward Obama personally, 56 percent say he does not deserve to be re-elected, while 38 percent say he does deserve to be re-elected president,” he notes.
Schoen adds, “43 percent say that Barack Obama has been a better president than George W. Bush, while 48 percent say Bush was a better president than Obama has been.”
The poll also provides evidence to support why so many Democratic candidates have run from Obama during the election. Some 24% of Americans polled in the U.S. News survey say they are more likely to vote for a candidate for Congress if President Obama endorses him, while 51% are less likely. 31% say they are more likely to vote for a candidate if the Democratic Party endorses him, while 46% say they are less likely.
Almost half (49%) say they are less favorable towards the Democratic Party since Obama has taken office, while 15% say they are more favorable. 34% say their feelings have not changed.
In another bit of good news for the GOP and bad news for Obama heading into his 2012 re-election campaign, the poll found voters favor Republicans over Democrats on a generic ballot 48 percent to 39 percent. One-third say they plan to vote for a Democratic candidate for president in 2012, while 43% plan to vote for a Republican and 24 percent are unsure.
“Voters are swinging toward the Republican Party, as the Republicans lead the Democrats by nine points in the generic Congressional ballot, and by 12 points among those who are absolutely certain to vote,” the pollster noted.
If the Republicans win one or both houses in Congress, over half (53%) think it is a reaction against the perceived failed policies of Obama and the Democrats in Congress, while 29% think it is because Republican Party special interest groups bought the election. 19% are not sure.
Over half (52%) favor repealing the new health care law that was passed earlier this year, while 38% oppose repealing it and 11 percent are unsure.
This poll was conducted with a national sample of 1,000 likely voters form October 18 to 24.
