Jan
Obama Vulnerable With Independents
In a poll that I actually found very surprising, a New York Times/CBS News poll shows Mr. Obama is very vulnerable with independents.
The swing voters who will play a pivotal role in determining his political fate are up for grabs, the poll found, with just 31 percent expressing a favorable opinion of Mr. Obama. Two-thirds of independent voters say he has not made real progress fixing the economy.
I guess I should not be as surprised as I am here. This groups is very volatile, and they are not seeing the “hope and change” that was promised three and a half years ago. Thus, they are quick to look for other options. Unlike those on the right or left who rally behind our candidate because of close alignment of core beliefs, this group is more willing to move with the wind to the candidate they think will help them out most. They are more easily able to overlook glaring problems that those on the left or right may see with the candidate. I think this is particularly true on social issues. I would be willing to say social issues only appeal to those on the extremes and not those in the center when it comes to elections. In our current state, they are looking for the candidate who has the best chance of making real changes in the economy and helping the country out of the economic downturn we have been experiencing for the last five years or so.
A glimmer of hope may be on the horizon for Mr. Obama, though, as the economy appears to be generating more jobs. The poll found that 28 percent of the public says the economy is getting better, which is the biggest sense of optimism found in a Times/CBS News poll since last February.
But Mr. Obama, whose job approval rating remains essentially frozen in the 40s, has considerable work to do rebuilding the coalition of voters who sent him to the White House. Independent voters have concerns about Mr. Obama on a variety of measures, including 6 in 10 who say the president does not share their priorities for the country.
President Obama runs a wonderful campaign full of “unicorns and rainbows,” but when it comes to putting actions behind his words, he has not been able to deliver. I understand that it does not fall 100% on his shoulders, but he has been unable to “rally the troops” from either side of the aisle and provide clear guidance for how he plans reduce spending and other items that are important to the American electorate. If he is unable to do this soon, I believe he will lose a majority of this swing vote and, in turn, the election this Fall.
