2012-08-01-皮尤-Romney_s_Personal_Image_Remains_Negative_21页_235kb

Report Summary

Key Findings

• National Lead: Barack Obama maintained a significant 12-point lead (51% support vs. 41% for Mitt Romney) among registered voters.
• Battleground States Tightening: The presidential race narrowed in 12 key swing states, with Obama leading by just 4 points overall (48% to 44%).
• Favorability Ratings:
  • Obama's favorability (50% favorable, 45% unfavorable) was lower than historical Democratic candidates nearing elections.
  • Romney's image remained particularly negative (37% favorable, 52% unfavorable), matching only George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole in negativity among pre-election candidates.
• Voter Engagement:
  • Registered voters showed higher engagement for Republicans (72% reported giving a lot of thought to the election) compared to Democrats (55%).
  • Independent voters (45% favor Romney, 43% favor Obama) remained a competitive group.
• Demographic Breakdown:
  • Women favored Obama (56%) while men were more evenly split (46% vs. 47%).
  • Young voters (18-29) strongly supported Obama (58%).
• Historical Context: This election cycle featured lower candidate favorability than any previous election since the 1980s, with 2012 candidates rated the lowest among surveyed periods.

The analysis utilized telephone interviews from July 16-26, 2012, with methodology accounting for various demographic and sampling factors.