President Barack Obama’s yawning post-convention lead over Mitt Romney has extended to 7 points, according to two new polls released Friday.
Each poll shows the president earning the support of at least 50 percent of likely voters, while also showing a low level of support for Romney. The Heartland Monitor Poll, conducted by FTI Consulting on behalf of All State and the National Journal, shows Obama leading Romney, 50 percent to 43 percent. Obama’s approval rating also hits 50 percent in the poll, while 46 percent of likely voters disapprove of the job he’s doing as president.
The new Reason-Rupe poll, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, shows Obama outpacing Romney among likely voters, 52 percent to 45 percent. That includes undecided respondents who are leaning toward one candidate. As has been the case throughout the campaign, the poll shows Obama with a decided edge over Romney on personal popularity.
Fifty-two percent of voters surveyed say they have a favorable view of Obama, compared with 45 percent who have an unfavorable view. Romney, on the other hand, is viewed favorably by only 41 percent of voters nationwide, while 49 percent view the former Massachusetts governor unfavorably. And the poll shows that a central theme of the Romney campaign could be falling flat: 44 percent of voters say they are better off than they were four years ago, compared with 41 percent who say they are worse off and 14 percent say they are about the same.
Obama has now opened up a 5-point lead over Romney in the PollTracker Average, the president’s largest lead over his challenger since the height of the Republican nomination contest. While the average shows Obama inching closer to the 50 percent threshold, Romney has been trending downward since the beginning of the month.
