Poll: Obama opens substantial leads in key swing states

In Florida, 57 percent of likely voters say Mr. Obama cares about their needs and problems. Just 41 percent say that of Romney. Those figures are even worse for Romney in the other two states surveyed. The president also has an advantage in all three states when voters are asked if they are confident in the candidates' abilities to make decisions about the Middle East and to be an effective commander in chief.

In all three states, Mr. Obama is seen as better able to handle taxes, health care, Medicare, women's health issues, foreign policy, national security, an international crisis and immigration. Romney holds a small edge in all three states when it comes to addressing the budget deficit.

The president's job approval rating in Florida and Ohio is 50 percent, with 47 percent disapproving. His approval rating in Pennsylvania is 51 percent, with 45 percent disapproving. Romney is viewed more unfavorably than favorably in all three states. While likely voters in each of the three swing states have net favorable views of the Democratic Party, they have net unfavorable views of the Republican Party.

In Florida and Ohio, voters are divided as to whether or not their family and the country are better or worse off than they were four years ago. In Pennsylvania, more voters think both their family and the country are worse off.

Voters in all three states are split on whether the government is more successful when it emphasizes community and shared responsibility or when it emphasizes self-reliance and individual responsibility. In all three, they are more likely to say government is doing too many things that should be left to businesses and individuals.

The poll also found that Democratic Senate candidates are leading their Republican opponents in all three states. In Florida, Bill Nelson leads Connie Mack 53 percent to 39 percent; in Ohio, Sherrod Brown leads Josh Mandel 50 percent to 40 percent; and in Pennsylvania, Bob Casey leads Tom Smith 49 percent to 43 percent.

For full poll results, see next page.

This poll was conducted by telephone from Quinnipiac University's interviewing facility September 18--24, 2012. The number of likely voters interviewed in each state is 1,196 in Florida, 1,162 in Ohio and 1,180 in Pennsylvania. In all three states, phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the sample in each state could be plus or minus three percentage points in Florida, Ohio, and in Pennsylvania. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

• prev
• next

2/3

[VLiniP]

I agree Zenia, Do your homework monkey, oh thats right monkeys can't read or add.

[nomorebama]

Did leftist Obama all of a sudden become a moderate? NO he hasn't...Obama lied through his teeth throughout the entire debate!!!! It was disgusting! His record proves that he is a extreme leftist and everything he said was to try and appease the mainstream Americans and is not his true agenda!

[VLiniP]

Are you kidding me. You go ahead an believe the rhetoric of your flip flop artist MITT. You can thank us for saving your "rightwing I know better for all" hind end after Obama takes this one again. YOUR PROBABLY ONE OF THAT 47% HE TALKS ABOUT, Just to stupid to realize he means you.

[MrsCarrasco]

Very surprised that Romney would say that he would ask parents to their daughters to get married in order to better the the nation? To be married doesn't always better the nation. Remember divorce ruins credit and someone retirement for most all middle class. To tell a nation during a debate is very surprising.

Please boys just answer the questions.

[Beadwindow2030]

Oh, really? Twenty plus days will tell then, eh? What will all the liberal pollsters say when Romney wipes out this scourge.

[stevehamilton858]

One data point does not a trend make. The fact that Romney overwhelmed the moderator to get to speak over 60% more than the president was a factor in the perception that Romney had given a much stronger performance than the president. But, in my judgment, the president's staffers could have done a better job preparing him for Romney disavowing the $5.7 trillion calculation by the CBO of lost revenue from his tax cuts. If the president had been given a 3"X5" card with half a dozen subtotals from the CBO calculation, the president could have destroyed Romney's credibility in the first few minutes of debate. Someone on the president's staff should have planned for the probability that Romney would act as he did.

I believe this article emphasizes the key variables that ought to be tracked: who is ahead and by how much in the swing states. That should be the best predictor of who's going to end up living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue next year.

[VLiniP]

Amen

[rockerrick]

FRI OCT 05, 2012 AT 10:05 AM PDT
What Debate? Gallup +1 Obama (50-45)
byNCJimFollow
22
PERMALINK 19 COMMENTS
Short diary with good news.

The Gallup Daily Tracking poll which includes one day after the debate has Obama ticking up one percentage point.

Guess lying, bullying, flip flopping and drinking coffee for the first time didn't pay Mitt.

And now the news will be all about the jobs report.

[owldog]

The pundits after the debate were nauseating - you think they were talking about a beauty contest or a boxing match - glad to see the people are speaking.

BTW - debates are now sponsored by mega-corporations and their lobbyist, not exactly non-partisan.

[rksharma-2009]

Romney changes his position every day. Today he wanted to appeal to the center so he changed his positions. According to him, the Bush taxes to become permanent, cut taxes by 20%, remove estate tax, and further lower the corporate taxes. All these numbers add up to 4.8 trillion dollars in taxes. You add another 2 trillion on new defense spending, does add up to 6.8 trillion dollars, close to 7 trillion dollars. Why was he denying this? He wants to repeal Obama care, and replace it with what? When Romney says that his plan does include people covered for preconditions. Not true. It is only true for those people who are already have health insurance, and they were to lose job and no longer are on health care for 90 days, then these people are covered for preconditions. He lied through out the debate, and it is unfortunate that the President did not call him up on all his lies. President was way too civil. I wish he had gone after Romney and taken off the shelter that he is hiding under.

[tryhonesty]

Mitt Witt Willard is the largest FlipFlopper, NO CORE on record. His vp pick Ryan (Lyan, Joe McCarthy II) is just a plain LIAR. Willard (Silver Spoon) can never relate to an Average American. Willard has been abusing the Average American Worker most of his adult life.

[MonkeyTree1]

OBAMA JUST LIES

Obama has destroyed the country with Big Government expansion, deficit spending, and obstruction of the conservative reforms.
The Government sector is the new Elite sector. They now make all the money and get all the benefits.
Politicians will not vote for a pay cut. The government sector can afford to have children.

So those of you in the private sector your the new poor and the slave to the government sector wishes.

Cant you see the division that's going on
Get a Clue

VOTE FOR ROMNEY

[zenia5]

I think Monkey's been in his tree a little too long.