Obama beats top 4 GOP for POTUS (CNN Poll)

[SkyDaddy7]

Source: CNN

The poll shows Obama topping Romney 53 percent to 45 percent, beating Huckabee 54 percent to 45 percent, defeating Gingrich 55 percent to 43 percent and topping Palin 55 percent to 42.

"It is important to remember that at this stage of the game, candidate matchups are largely driven by name recognition, and at least a quarter of all Americans are unfamiliar with Romney, Huckabee and Gingrich. As a result, Obama has an 8- to-12-point edge over each of them in hypothetical matchups," adds Holland. "But in a previous CNN poll, Obama managed no better than a tie against an unnamed Republican."


Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/14/cnn-poll-who-wins-an-obama-vs-palin-matchup-2/?fbid=Sa085F5Om6h

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I know this means nothing but I can't help but smile!

[SpiralHawk]

1. Can you spell m-e-a-n-i-n-g-l-e-s-s?

These clowns like to pretend they are doing journalism? Really, it's just corporate media jerkoffawfulism.

[liberal N proud]

2. They are not even waiting for the mid term elections to be over

They are so freaked out about President Obama that they want him out of office last year.

Hypothetical bullshit, that is what this is.

[DCBob]

3. Plus the fact there are still lots of angry unemployed folks out there who blame Obama..

As the economy improves and we get back to "near normal" employment levels then Obama's numbers to be even better. If the economy goes back into the dumper then all bets are off.

[Demeter]

6. Neither of Us Will Live Long Enough for this Economy to "Return to near Normal"

nor will our children.

Obama should start worrying about the Democratic challengers. And I believe there will be some serious primary contenders in 2011.

[DCBob]

7. I agree, that why I put "near normal" in quotes... but any significant improvement...

will be seen as a success by most and Obama will get the credit.

[quaker bill]

8. Nah

There will be no democratic challenger of note. There could be a vanity "challenger", who might make it to South Carolina. These poll numbers will improve. Republican challengers will not stand an chance, so there will be no serious candidate in the mix. They will run another throwaway ticket, perhaps featuring Palin or Bachman. The economy is already recovering and the recovery will be sufficient by November to impact the 2010 election. By 2012 the coming landslide will be evident, well in advance of the vote.

I do love your sig line. Doug Gwyn is one of my favorites among Quaker authors.

[onpatrol98]

11. What Democrat Would Challenge A Popular President?

President Obama is a popular president among democrats. How would a challenger run against him and get enough support to do anything but damage an incumbent president and possibly weaken him against a republican contender. Not to mention, if this is about name recognition, what primary challenger would not only defeat a popular democratic president but also draw independents who voted for President Obama.

I think a primary challenge would be disastrous. And, who would want to primary challenge the 1st black president, even if they thought they had a good cause? Surely this would cause a huge split.

[No Elephants]

13. The DNC loves incumbents and stifles all challengers. Just ask Lamont.

[smoogatz]

20. Really?

Like who?

[Tarheel_Dem]

24. What an utterly ridiculous and asinine post. From whence will this challenger come?

And with the recent SCOTUS decision giving corporations personhood, where will this mystery candidate get his/her money from? And please don't give me Kooch. Kooch is a fine rep for the people of his district, but he is not the least bit attractive as a potential national leader.

[Arkana]

36. Yeah, because that only STRENGTHENS a Democratic incumbent, right?

Look at how Ted Kennedy's 1980 bid strengthened Jimmy Carter for his race against Reagan!

Wait...

[DCBob]

32. However, Ras has it a toss-up with Ron Paul.. O:42 P:41

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2012/election_2012_barack_obama_42_ron_paul_41

No one thinks RP could win the Repub nomination but polls like this may give the kooky dude the nerve to run as an Independent which would likely lock it up for Obama.

[Abq_Sarah]

39. It would take

A massive influx of cash into the private sector for the unemployment levels to drop that drastically. That's just not going to happen anytime soon.

[FSogol]

4. Top 4???? ROFL

:rofl:

[Sherman A1]

5. Ah, but the unnamed Republican

just a tie......

[quaker bill]

9. The problem comes once you name them

Generic republicans do not suffer from negatives. Once you name one, any one of them, the negatives become a large issue. That's your problem, right there.

[onpatrol98]

17. LOL

Sounds like their problem...

[smoogatz]

21. Exactly.

In fact it speaks to Obama's strength, politically, that he runs even against the mythical perfect Republican. It also shows us that Democrats aren't doing a very good job of explaining to the American people exactly what's wrong with the Republican party. We still have a message problem, clearly.

[quaker bill]

47. For Quakers

it is never what you say you "believe", it is what you do. An old line goes: "Don't tell me what you "believe", show me your budget and I will tell you what you believe."

No one is what they "say" they are, they are what they do when given the chance. Republicans say that they "believe" in "freedom", but when given power, want to know which books you are checking out of the library. It might be good to bring this sort of notion up on occasion.

[DeSwiss]

10. While this poll may not mean much in the larger sense.....

...the fact that the Republicans are forced to admit out in the open, that the likes of Romney, Huckabee, Gingrich and Palin is as good as it gets. Their brain trust. That these are their generals and leaders of the future of their party. The commanders of their army of conservatards.

- Well now that's just priceless.....

K&R

[SkyDaddy7]

14. Yes! I agree!!

[Roland99]

12. WAIT! WHAT?? 42% would vote for The Twit? WTF??

Who the fuck did they poll? Terrorist Party members up in Boston preparing for their ridiculous "protest"???

[blue_onyx]

43. Well...

Even during landslide victories, the opponent usually gets 35-40% of the vote. So 35-40% of voters will probably vote for whoever the Republicans nominate.

After a campaign and debates, Palin probably wouldn't get as high as 42%. The next election is more than 2 years away so a poll like this is only an estimate of who people who vote for.

[Roland99]

44. Still...given that most polls show 2/3 - 3/4 think The Twit is unfit to be President....

to see numbers that high is quite unsettling that that % of people would not only consider someone as dangerous as The Twit but would actually vote for her

[Mike Daniels]

15. I call bull on a quarter of people not being familiar with Romney or Huckabee

They were contenders in the Republican primary just 2 years ago.

Gingrich I can somewhat see since the last time he was a big name in the news was back in the mid 90's so there's at least a 15 year gap in national relevance for him.

All of these people have records of votes and positions on issues so they're not ciphers. An unnamed Republican whose issues and stands are generic will naturally do better in a poll vs. a specific individual someone who has their own baggage attached to their name.

While there's still lots of time before 2012 the polls in question sure as hell don't bode well for the teabaggers rooting for a Palin / Bachman ticket.

[TEXASYANKEE]

34. I agree.

Gingrich, Romney, and Huckabee are all over Faux News and should be fairly well known. I think the author put that statement in there to placate the Repubs.

[joeglow3]

41. Have you not seen the "People on the Street" interviews?

I guarantee 25% is the minimum. Sadly, our public is WAAAAY too ignorant.

[Captain Hilts]

16. It's not even close. nt

[rasputin1952]

18. For one thing, while this may be intersting to d a degree...

it is essentially a poll based on an absurdity. With 2.5 years till the General, that is several political lifetimes in the scheme of things, so it's little more than a
"satifaction" poll. I am also willing to bet that none of the R's mentioned will be on the final ballot.

For the R's to even come close to having someone that can beat PO, immediately following the Mid-Term, they are going to have to come up with someone that cannot be seen as part and parcel of the "Party of No". R's are just now realizing how bad the whole "No" thing has gone; without a viable alternative, just saying "no" is painting them as petulant children. While everyone expects the minority party to be combative, the GOP has taken this to a new ridiculous level. I cannot think of any time during my life when I've seen such politically self-destructive behavior, that appears to be party wide.

Think about this, their answer to HCR, (and I am not fond of the final Bill that passed), the response is, "Repeal!" OK, and replace it with what, or are you willing to send millions of more children back into where they can receive no care at all, creating a life filled with untreated disease and death? That will go over real big.

To the National Debt, which suddenly became a priority immediately after PO's inauguration, their answer is "make tax cuts permanent!" most people realize that the tax cuts for the wealthy helped create the financial fiasco we are in ow, (deregulation, debt laden wars, and Rx drug mandates were the true catalysts though).

Their idea for a prosperous US...return to the very practices that brought this nation to the brink of bankruptcy.

If there is even a perception that the economy is getting better, D's and PO in particular will be elected by vast margins.

[Walk away]

19. First of all, none of those four people will be running against President Obama...

in 2012 as the republican candidate. Second, it's a CNN poll for god's sake.

[smoogatz]

23. I think they'll all be running

in the primaries. Who will emerge from that catfight/clusterfuck is another question entirely. Whoever it is, they'll have to deal, one way or another, with the party's right wing. Democrats should cherish and encourage the teabagger movement--the farther right they drag the Republican party, the more center-right Dems and Indies will be turned off by them.

[Walk away]

30. We are in complete agreement regarding the Teabaggers....

And like you I never refer to them as teapartiers and no good Dem should. Republicans + 'Baggers!

[leftynyc]

22. It actually does mean something

What meant nothing was a prevous poll that had an "unnamed republican" tying Pres Obama. People freaked. I always suspected that once they actually put a name in there, Pres Obama would win pretty handily. What I really love is that the person who does the worst against him is saint sarah.

[mvd]

26. True

And when he gets a second term, there'd be no excuse at all not to go left. IF Obama's strategy is to appear centrist while inching the country more and more left, he wouldn't give that away. We would find out later.

[bamacrat]

25. Blaming Obama for the job loses is like blaming the fire department for your house burning.

It's stupid really. But so many out there have their head so far up Palin's ass to see the truth.

[Abq_Sarah]

40. Reasonable people

Aren't going to blame the President for the loss of jobs in his first year. They will, however, look at promises he made and polices he enacted and if the reality doesn't match the hype, he will get the blame. That's just the reality of politics.

[Jennicut]

27. People are unfamiliar with Romney, Huckabee and Gingrich? I beg to differ.

Anyone who was around in the 90's remembers old Newtie and his battles with Clinton. My non political husband knows him. Huckabee has his own show on Faux. Mittens may be lesser known but not a total stranger to the public.

[MiniMe]

29. Anybody who watches Faux should be very familiar with those names

Huckabee has his own show on Faux, and Gingrich is on regularly as a guest host.

[CatholicEdHead]

28. No Obama vs Pawlenty matchup?

Considering he has only 2% of the GOP base (down from 5% in March in the same poll), that would be a 80-20 or 90-10% Obama advantage.

[Arkana]

37. Obama/Pawlenty or Obama/Haley Barbour.

Barbour's been positioning himself to carry their flag for a while now.

Also, I wouldn't count out Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana, either.

[Democat]

31. Can't wait to see the Tea Party falling in line behind Romney!

2012 will be funny to watch if Romney gets the nomination. Imagine all the religious fanatics and racists in the Tea Party having to support Romney.

[Blasphemer]

33. I've never thought the GOP had any shot at the Presidency in '12

The smart thing for them to do is nominate Romney and let him waste his time and money on a Presidential run and focus most of their energies on Congressional seats.

[Arkana]

35. The Romney margin is about what he beat McCain by.

[MellowDem]

38. What does it say about the Repub Party...

that 2 of their "top 4" candidates are currently nothing more than media figures. It doesn't surprise me that Romney will be their best bet for the general election, but I don't like his chances in the Republican primary. In 2008, the moderates held firm by getting McCain nominated, but then they had to cave in with the VP pick. This year, the flood of right wing insanity has a chance to make it all the way to the presidential nominee of the Rs.

[Bradical79]

42. None stand a chance

Anyone else almost hoping Palin runs and wins the nomination just to see some good comedy when debate time pops up?

Anyway, people like Republican ideals on the surface, but many balk when they start actually looking at the details.

For example I like:

Financial responsibility: I'm all for that. We've got serious debt issues. We need this. Republicans though spend more than they take in while cutting programs that help the public,

Family values: I love happy families. It'd be great if every child could be part of a loving home. But Republicans only want happy families for a certain segment of the population. Adam and Steve getting married doesn't hurt my ability to marry the woman I love and have a family of my own. And denying homosexuals the right to adopt isn't going to help and orphaned child find a family. Meanwhile, the Republicans somehow feel restricting rights, forcing women to have children they don't want or shouldn't have, and promoting violence lead to happier healthier families. Then they prostitute themselves in S&M clubs, and send the most disgusting images they can find to their buddies :P

Education reform: I'm not blind, our current system needs some major work. Taking resources away from students and teachers, while being as hostile as you can to those same teachers will never ever make things better. And destroying our science education by introducing by giving it a theological foundation certainly won't make our students more competitive either.

National security: I want to live in a secure country. Creating wars out of thin air, arming militants, building more nuclear weapons, and promoting revolution over a health insurance reform don't make me feel any safer though.

Abortion: I don't LIKE abortion. It would be great if no one ever had to abort a pregnancy. The fact is though, that fetus is physically part of the woman's body and no man, even the father, has a right to tell her what to do with it. Pregnancy and birth is not a completely safe casual thing to go through. There's a reason doctors and hospitals are involved. So the choice should be hers, naturally. You want to reduce abortions? Stop fighting against comprehensive sex education.

The environment: Our planet is fine? Sounds good to me! If only it were true. Wouldn't it be great if we could put as much shit into our atmosphere and lakes as we wanted and the planet would magically repair itself? I'm continually surprised at how effective conservatives are at blurring the issue of our environment. I can go watch these fucking giant glaciers melt in real time, become extremely ill from drinking untreated water (the most basic building block of our diet), and watch as the weather guy issues air quality alerts and they have the nerve to tell me everything is ok.

Racial and gender equality: Eliminating Affirmative action would be great... if we lived in some sort of post-racial enlightened Utopian. Unfortunately, the continued existence of the KKK, teabaggers yelling racist comments, the 700 club, and the simple fact that the vast majority of our wealth is controlled by a single race and gender prove that we aren't that enlightened. After a couple hundred years of my white male ancestors oppressing and abusing everyone and everything in existence, I just don't find affirmative action to be that much of an outrage.

Looks like about 10% or so actually start thinking things through a bit when confronted with real politicians and their specific philosophies. And I don't think any of those candidates are skilled enough at misdirection and obscuring their flaws too get those more independent thinkers. Romney is horribly transparent, Huckabee just keeps saying more extreme off the wall things in more public discussions, Gengrich is by far the most politically savvy but has been part of the establishment for ages, and Palin, in addition to being transparent and extremest, is just out of her league.

[Ter]

45. But not Ron Paul for some reason

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4343474

[Bucky]

48. Ron Paul is crazy as shit, but he's not a liar. He's also 74 and nomination proof.

So Ron Paul picked up the vital, independent "I hate government but I can smell a liar" vote. I'm sure on wider exposure his numbers would drop, too.

[SpartanDem]

46. Now I really hope Palin runs

[Liberalynn]

49. OMG Can't Believe Caribou Barbie ranks even that high

:wtf: I still can't even comprehend how in the world Caribou Barbie is even that close to President Obama. In my view it should be like President Obama 98 to Palin 2. Where only she and her husband would actually be dumb enough to vote for her. :shrug: Must be some drugs those 42 percent who would vote for her are smoking.:eyes:

I wish her fifteen minutes were up last year. She is the queen of arrogant ignorance (she should be married to Dumbya the King) and just makes me :puke: :mad: :banghead:

Oh well I know the poll is meaningless this early, but I still like that regardless of that the President would keep his job if the election were held tomorrow. Plus he still has quite a while to make his leads grow even higher.