Most Americans say President Barack Obama deserves to be voted out of office even though they have concerns about the Republican alternatives, a new Associated Press-GFK poll suggests. The poll indicates Obama could be in jeopardy of losing a re-election bid in November 2012, even as the survey showed that the US public's outlook on the economy _ the major issue in the upcoming campaign _ appears to be improving.
The Republicans are still trying to settle on a candidate after a boisterous few months. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich looks to maintain his recent lead among the candidates, while former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and other rivals work to tear him down. The Republicans held their last debate Thursday before the January 3 Iowa caucuses lead off the battle for the nomination to challenge Obama.
The poll found Americans were evenly divided over whether they expect Obama to be re-elected next year. For the first time, the poll found that a majority of adults, 52 percent, said Obama should be voted out of office while 43 percent said he deserves another term. The numbers mark a reversal since last May, when 53 percent said Obama should be re-elected while 43 percent said he didn't deserve four more years.
Obama's overall job approval stands at a new low, with 44 percent approving and 54 percent disapproving. Heading into his re-election campaign, the president faces a conflicted public. It does not support his steering of the economy, the most dominant issue for Americans, or his overhaul of health care, one of his signature accomplishments, but it also is grappling with whether to replace him with Romney or Gingrich.
Romney was still campaigning in Iowa on Friday as he looked to halt Gingrich's momentum. He planned a campaign swing later in the day through South Carolina, whose governor, Nikki Haley, endorsed him Friday morning, saying Romney is ``someone that knows what it's like to make a decision and lead.' She announced her endorsement Friday on Fox News. South Carolina will be the third state to weigh in on the Republican field. And Haley's support is key because she remains a favourite of tea party activists, whose energy helped Republicans win across the country last fall.
Gingrich was returning to Washington after comparing himself to Ronald Reagan in Thursday's debate and insisting that he can defeat Obama in 2012. He added that it was laughable for his rivals to challenge his conservative credentials. Despite the soft level of support, many are uncertain whether a Republican president would be a better choice. Asked whom they would support next November, 47 percent of adults favoured Obama and 46 percent Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.
Against Gingrich, the Republican front runner and former speaker of the House of Representatives, the president holds a solid advantage, receiving 51 percent compared with 42 percent. The Associated Press-GfK Poll was conducted December 8-12 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. It involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,000 adults nation-wide and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.