The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows Mitt Romney attracting 47% of the vote, while President Obama earns support from 44%. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate, and four percent (4%) are undecided.
The president leads by six in Michigan. That state is still rated as Leans Obama in the Rasmussen Reports Electoral College Projections.
To address the nation’s economic challenges, 21% of Likely Voters favor an increase in government spending. Three times as many (64%) think the government should cut spending to spur economic growth.
Foreign policy is not a top priority at the moment for most voters. However, there is unease about the Middle East partly because eight out of 10 think Iran may soon develop nuclear weapons. Most voters fear they would use such a weapon against Israel, but most also believe Israel will attack Iran to prevent such an outcome. Half (51%) think the United States should help Israel if it attacks Iran. Most of the rest think America should stay out of the way.
A president’s Job Approval rating is one of the best indicators for assessing his chances of reelection. Typically, the president’s Job Approval rating on Election Day will be close to the share of the vote he receives. Currently, 48% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president’s job performance. Fifty-one percent (51%) at least somewhat disapprove (see trends).
Perceptions of the economy vary greatly based upon partisan affiliation. Democrats currently have a much more optimistic view of the U.S. economy than either Republicans or unaffiliated adults. Among other differences, a solid plurality of Democrats believes the economy is getting better, while most Republicans and unaffiliateds believe it is getting worse.
The data clearly shows why the president’s “you didn’t build that” comments have created such a furor. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of voters believe that small business owners work harder than others. Seventy-two percent (72%) believe those who start businesses are primarily responsible for the success or failure of their own business. Most also believe that entrepreneurs create more jobs than either government programs or big business.
