The former Massachusetts governor’s favorable ratings among potential voters are the worst of any likely presidential nominee in the past 36 years, the Beast reported Monday, citing a breakdown of at least 20 polls showing an extreme lack of enthusiasm for the Romney campaign.
“Since 1976, no serious contender, Democrat or Republican, has watched his favorable ratings fall as low as Romney’s have in recent months. Or watched his unfavorable ratings climb as high. Or watched his overall numbers stay underwater — that is, more unfavorable than favorable — for so long,” the Beast reported.
“At this rate, Romney is shaping up to be the most unpopular [likely] presidential nominee on record.”
Still, Republican officials contend that all is not lost and refer to the campaigns of Bill Clinton in 1992 and Ronald Reagan in 1980 as examples of how anything can happen to turn things around. Both lagged way behind in head-to-head match-up polls at about the same time in their campaigns, and went on to win their nominations and the presidency.
Romney, these GOP officials noted in the Beast article, is trailing Obama by an average of only 4 percentage points in most polls. Not bad, under normal circumstances.
But, according to the Beast analysis, the more important indicator of how a Romney-Obama contest might turn out is in how the polls score their favorable ratings.
“Unfortunately, this is terrible news for Mitt, because he currently boasts the worst primary-season favorable-unfavorable split of any major-party nominee of the last 36 years (at least),” the Beast reported.
“There have been roughly 20 polls released in the last two months; only one gives him a positive favorable rating. The rest of the surveys show Romney’s unfavorables outstripping his favorables, often by as many as 20 percentage points." it said. "On five occasions, his unfavorable rating has topped 50 percent; his favorable rating has fallen into the 20s five times as well. As of March 12, when the last of these polls was released, Romney was averaging 49.6 percent unfavorable to 37.6 percent favorable — a gap of 11.7 points.”
The Beast makes its case most directly by listing the unfavorables of candidates going back to Jimmy Carter, who lost to Ronald Reagan in 1980.
"In mid-April 1980, Carter’s numbers were stuck at 43 percent favorable to 48 percent unfavorable; he wound up losing to Reagan by 440 electoral votes," the Beast reports. "By the end of March 1984, Walter Mondale had slipped from 40 percent favorable and 31 percent unfavorable—his February stats—to 32 percent favorable and 37 percent unfavorable; the only state he won in November was Minnesota.
"On February 27, 1996, Bob Dole posted an anemic 23 percent favorable rating, and his numbers had not improved much by May, when they registered at 27 percent favorable to 29 percent unfavorable," according to The Beast. "Even though Dole eventually dug out of his hole, he still lost the general election by more than 8 million votes. History shows that if voters don’t like you in the spring, they tend not to vote for you in the fall."
© 2012 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
Around the Web
Email:
Country
Zip Code:
Follow Newsmax
Around the Web
- Major economic change to hit America hard
- How to Make a Cancer Tumor Dissolve in 40 Seconds
- (Mar) If You Drive 25 Miles/Day or Less, Read This
- 1 Simple Rule To Eliminate Belly Fat
- Male Enhancement Exposed - Pilot Tells His Secret
- Foods To Never Mix With These Popular Supplements
- Are Annuities Safe? Warning: #1 Annuity Flaw
- The #1 Worst Food That Causes Weight Gain
- Secrets Most Men Never Know About Self Defense
You May Also Like
Cuba Releases Dissident Ladies in White as Papal Visit Nears
Monday, 19 Mar 2012 16:22 PM
Cuba released 70 members of the dissident Ladies in White group detained during the weekend but warned them not to atten . . .
Condoleezza Rice Panel: Problem Schools Hurt Nation's Security
Monday, 19 Mar 2012 16:16 PM
A task force led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former New York city schools Chancellor Joel Klein wa . . .
Israel: Great Urgency in Dealing With Iran Nuclear Facilities
Monday, 19 Mar 2012 15:28 PM
Israel views the threat from a nuclear-armed Iran with greater urgency than the rest of the world, Israel Defense Minist . . .
Latest News Stories
Read more on Newsmax.com: Study: Romney Most Unpopular Presidential Candidate In Generation
Important: Do You Support Pres. Obama's Re-Election? Vote Here Now!
No comments:
Post a Comment