Monday, August 29, 2011

Whites, Women Jettison Obama

Whites and women are a re-election problem for President Obama.

Younger voters and liberals, too, but to a lesser extent.

All are important Democratic constituencies that helped him win the White House in 2008 and whose support he'll need to keep it next year. An analysis of Associated Press-GfK polls, including the latest survey released last week, shows that Obama has lost ground among all those groups since he took office.

The review points to his vulnerabilities and probable leading targets of his campaign as he seeks to assemble a coalition diverse enough to help him win re-election in tough economic times.

In his victory over Arizona Sen. John McCain, Obama cobbled together a base of support from across the political spectrum by wooing Democratic loyalists as well as independents and first-time voters. This time, Obama's team is working to build voter outreach organizations and reconnect with supporters in hopes of expanding his pool of voters. It's no easy task.

The nation's high unemployment is weighing on Obama, dragging down his marks for handling the economy.

His overall standing has slid, too, after a difficult summer marked by contentious negotiations over the country's borrowing limit, a downgrade of the nation's credit rating and concerns about the U.S. falling into another economic recession.

The poll shows that 46 percent now approve of how he's doing his job, down from 52 percent in June.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/28/ap-gfk-poll-obama-faces-trouble-with-key-voters/#ixzz1WPOp8vnH.

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