USAToday/Gallup Poll: Obama's Vaunted Edge In Likability Just Vanished

That's my big takeaway.

For months and months I've been hearing, ludicrously, how people were so smitten with an aloof, vain, thin-skinned narcissist -- who by the way is incompetent, in case that matters -- and how, apparently, that would blunt any fallout from the Lesser Depression.

Bullshit. Always was fine-spun cocooning, as usual.

Since becoming the presumptive Republican nominee, Romney's favorable-unfavorable rating has jumped to 50%-41%, his best ever and in the same neighborhood as Obama's 52%-46% standing. The former Massachusetts governor gets stronger ratings than the president when it comes to handling the economy, the issue likely to drive the campaign.

In the poll, 55% say the economy would get better over the next four years if Romney was elected, compared with 46% who say it would improve if Obama was re-elected. Twenty-seven percent say the economy would get worse in a Romney first term, compared with 37% who say that of an Obama second term.

Like I was just saying. As more independents make the mental shift to supporting Romney, they'll stop, mostly, with that "I prefer Romney but I like Obama more as a person" thing. All the switches will flip.

I predict that by September, Romney will edge Obama on "understanding the black experience in America."

Allah calls out another optimistic nugget: For the first time in the USAToday/Gallup poll, the public favors the GOP on the generic Congressional ballot, 50-44. Rasmussen shows that frequently, but this is movement in this particular poll.

There's some other stuff at Allah's link I think is kind of weaksauce. People expect Obama to win the election, and people think the economy will improve a year from now.

As for the latter: Eh, so what. It's horrible now.

As to the former: The thing is, who cares what the great mass of people think as far as predictions?

The whole point of being a news junkie is to know things before the general public.

We, collectively, are a month ahead of the crowd, if not more.

The general public is still thinking in terms of news from frickin' March.

posted by Ace at 05:17 PM

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