Poll: 20 percent say election is an afterthought

Views of the candidates

In spite of the nation's largely negative views on the economy, Mr. Obama's supporters are more enthusiastic at this point in the race than Romney's.

As many as 59 percent of the voters who back the president say they enthusiastically support him - far larger than the share of Romney's supporters who say the same (35 percent). A third of the voters who back Romney say they support him with reservations, but 22 percent back him because they dislike the president.

CBS

Heading into the parties' conventions, Mr. Obama and Romney are in a tight race among registered voters who lean towards a candidate; Mr. Obama leads by just one point, 46 percent to 45 percent.

There is some room for movement in the race - but not much. About four in five voters say they have made up their minds which candidate to support, but for about one in 10 the race is not yet over, as they say it's too early and their minds could still change. Similar percentages of Obama and Romney voters could change their minds.

CBS

The conventions will undoubtedly offer reviews, from both sides, of the Obama presidency thus far. A slight majority of voters says that the Obama presidency has brought more disappointment (55 percent) than satisfaction (45 percent).

Democrats are satisfied, but more apt to be just somewhat satisfied (53 percent) than very satisfied (29 percent). Another 18 percent of Democrats are disappointed. Most independents (58 percent) are disappointed. Republicans, perhaps unsurprisingly, are very much so.

While most voters who are disappointed with the Obama presidency are not supporting Mr. Obama this fall, 14 percent still plan to vote for him.

Mr. Obama's job approval rating among all Americans is now more positive than negative; 48 percent approve - a four-point increase from July but about where it was in April - and 43 percent disapprove.

Americans have consistently said the economy is the top issue facing the country. On this, the president continues to receive low marks; a majority (54 percent) disapproves of his performance on it, unchanged from July.

Most voters, 52 percent, believe Romney would do a better job handling the economy and jobs, though Mr. Obama is seen as the candidate who would do a better job helping the middle class (he wins 50 percent to Romney's 42 percent).

Voters also think Mr. Obama would do a better job on social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. The president has small edge over Romney on the issue of terrorism and national security, but they are about even on the issue of Medicare (45 percent say Mr. Obama would be better; 44 percent say Romney).

While Romney may be seen as the candidate who would do a better job on the economy, fewer than half of voters think either candidate has a clear plan for creating jobs. Just 43 percent think Romney has a plan, but even fewer, 35 percent, think Mr. Obama does.

For the full poll results, see next two pages.

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This poll was conducted by telephone from August 22-26, 2012 among 1,218 adults nationwide, including 1,051 registered voters. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample and the sample of registered voters could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

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3/5

[bonzothemonkey]

With pollsters announcing months in advance the Election is going to be decided by voters in just three or four states, the knowledge
has to be a key factor responsible for killing off interest among voters around the country. Also, it's the best reason each state has
for demanding an end to the Electoral College and for replacing it by a simple count of the vote of each citizen. This way we'd all go into the polling booth with a sense of purpose and a feeling that our vote really counted!

[expatriate2]

Americans are waking up to the fact that their interest, participation or votes mean little or nothing in the elite world of political manipulations. An electoral college can erase the public will. Promises by inept leaders will not resolve domestic disasters. They are disenfranchised and are locked into the process of watching the middle class diluted and poverty to be the norm. Their remaining right is to look up to the rich and powerful and remember when times were different.

[fxr60]

People better be paying attention to the polls! Go see 2016 "Obama's America" and you won't reconize the U.S. if Obama gets re-elected!! All his radical views and polcies will be in place! Good film, documented and verfied by real people-not made up groups. See how Obama and Dinesh D'Sousa came from the SAME envirment and how each chose different paths and beliefs about America.Very well done. The theater was full and you could have heard a pin drop-everyone was listening!!!

[AOCGUY]

I am amazed how ignorant some people can eb with respect to how our government is structered. Whether its Obana or Romeny in January fact is that Congress is teh real power in this country and at present they can't pass gas.

[bonzothemonkey]

fxr60, That piece of right wing propaganda "Obama's America", which just happened to arrive on the screen weeks before the election, is just another attempt, similar to the lying slander against John Kerry by the Swift Boaters in 2004, to delude the American people into thinking "up is down" and that giving the banks and the richest 1% of America tax breaks will somehow improve things.

We all know that this is exactly what George W. Bush did to get us into this recession back in 2001 and 2003.

[TimeToEvolve]

This has been the right wing conservative and corporate plot from the beginning. Take over the government and make elections a joke run by them. And making enough people apathetic that they could keep stealing and robbing all of us to enrich radicals like Mitt Robbed Me.

Now THAT is Mission Accomplished!

[orlandocajun]

Let's hope that they don't pay attention and that they don't vote either.

[TimeToEvolve]

That's true, if everyone voted (or even all those people), there would not be one radical, obsolete Republicon near an elected office.

[RollotheNorman]

Speaking of polling: Here's one Willard won't talk about, because it is a referendum on his abilities as a political leader.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/ma/massachusetts_romney_vs_obama-1804.html

[FLHRC-12]

This report is more bad news for Obama.
The mood of the country that of despair and hoplessness under Obama's non-leadership.
The writting is definately on the wall for this poser of a president.

[FLHRC-12]

They probably figure why bother thinking about the election any way since Obama may get reelected and finish off the country for good.
The Obama hopelessness has set in for some who have just tossed up their hands and said 'screw it, what's the point'.

[FLHRC-12]

'hopelessness'

[mikesfilms]

$1 billion spent to trash Obama. I'll tell all here for free but donate the $ to help the unemployed. The worldwide crisis-OBAMA DID IT! Spain unemployment hits 30%-OBAMA DID IT! Greece's bankruptcy-OBAMA DID IT! China's growth slows to 2%-OBAMA DID IT! Italy in trouble-OBAMA DID IT! Deyanira's mutt's got scoliosis-OBAMA DID IT! Oh no! THE ANTI-CHRIST (O foamy mouth), COMMUNIST, TRAITOR, MONSTER, FOREIGN-BORN! AAAAH!!!!!

[FLHRC-12]

Money well spent even though you are exaggerating about the billion.
That's the amount Obama was wanting to raise to trash Romney but people are just not donating to Obama for obvious reasons.

[esq777]

I actually think it's probably a lot higher than 20%. There are probably more Americans who can name all of the Kardashians than can name the candidates for president and VP on both tickets.

[Oh-Pin-Yun]

The problem is no one wants to re-elect Obama, because they rather blame him for the mess BUSH made, and no one wants Romney in the White House unless they are nuts.

[guyfrompa46]

yea yea,, Blame Bush fior everything that's ever happend heard it all before. A little late to blame him for Obama's mess. I could see if Obama has made any improvement but he just has totally blew it.