American Pulse(TM): Looking Ahead to New Year and Beyond; Over Half Say Obama Hasn't Been Successful, Could Affect 2012 Election

Confidence in Government Policy Down, Trust in Congress Low


COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwire - December 28, 2010) - 53.4% of Registered Voters say President Obama has not been successful so far in his presidency, according to the latest American Pulse™ Survey of 5,355 respondents (33.9% say he has, 12.7% don't know). Further, 88.4% say they will be looking for a reliable candidate in the coming election, one who can fix the country. 11.6% say they would rather have a charismatic leader who makes them feel good.

If the Presidential Election were held today, 40.0% would vote for someone from the Republican Party while 35.8% would reelect Obama. For 24.2%, it's too early to tell. The "Un-Named Republican" has been trending a few points ahead of Obama since late April, and the following is a snapshot of voters' preferences in the past three months:

If the Presidential Election were held today, who would you be more likely to vote for? (Registered Voters)
 
  Oct. #1 Oct. #2 Nov. #1 Nov. #2 Dec. #1 Dec. #2
President Obama 33.9% 36.1% 34.6% 36.6% 33.7% 35.8%
Someone from Republican Party 41.7% 39.2% 39.6% 39.6% 39.5% 40.0%

Source: American Pulse™, Oct10-Dec10

For complimentary report, including Presidential Election trends from March to December: http://www.formsite.com/prosper/ampulse122810

Unemployment and the economy appear to be weighing on voters' minds going into the New Year, as confidence in the government's economic policy to get the economy back on track dropped 8.2% since early December (from 28.2% to 25.9%). Confidence in government policy to lower unemployment dropped 5% (from 24.2% to 23.0%).

Concerns of Registered Voters Heading into 2011 and the 2012 Elections

  • 13.5% view members of Congress as somewhat/very trustworthy while 59.9% don't (26.6% are neutral). 41.8% say President Obama is somewhat/very trustworthy while 37.9% disagree. 20.3% are neutral.
  • 56.8% say they are somewhat/very worried about the threat of cyberterrorism. However, 43.2% don't think the United Nations should create and enforce global standards for the Internet (32.0% say they should, 24.8% aren't sure).
  • Property taxes are looming large in the minds of voters as well -- 72.0% think these taxes are too high compared to the value of their home and 1 in 10 (10.8%) have already appealed to have their taxes decreased.

American Pulse™
The American Pulse™ Survey is collected online by BIGresearch® twice a month exclusively utilizing SSI's U.S. panel covering topics such as politics, pop culture and the economy. 5,355 respondents participated in the 2nd December American Pulse conducted 12/20-12/22/2010. Margin of error is +/- 1.4%. www.bigresearch.com

Survey Sampling International (SSI)
Survey Sampling International (www.surveysampling.com) is the premier global provider of sampling solutions for survey research. SSI reaches respondents in 72 countries via Internet, telephone and mobile/wireless. Client services include questionnaire design consultation, programming and hosting, and data processing. SSI serves more than 2,000 clients, including 48 of the top 50 research organizations. Founded in 1977, SSI has 17 offices in 15 countries.

Contact Information:

BIGresearch
Chrissy Wissinger

203-567-7230