A new WMUR Granite State Poll finds that support for Barack Obama among Independents in New Hampshire mimics what polls across the country are finding.
Independent support, largely responsible for putting Obama in the White House, has dropped 26 percentage points since October, where it was 55 percent, and now stands at 39 percent.
The partisan breakdown is to be expected, so the numbers to watch, especially going into the 2010 midterms, are the Independents and voters not affiliated with either party and general consensus shows the Democrats are in for a world of hurt come November.
Economy
Most New Hampshire residents now disapprove of the actions the Obama administration has taken on the economy. Currently, only 41% of New Hampshire adults approve of how Obama is handling the economy, 54% disapprove, and 4% are neutral. The percentage of New Hampshire residents who approve of the Obama administration’s handling of the economy has dropped 10 percentage points since October. As with other approval measures, there is a considerable partisan gap in approval of Obama’s handling of the economy. Currently, Democrats (75%) approve of Obama’s job handling of the economy while only 29% of independents and 12% of Republicans approve.
Foreign Affairs
There is also a partisan divide in approval of Obama’s handling of foreign affairs with 85% of Democrats, but only 21% of Republicans approve. It is significant that approval among independents dropped from 61% in October to 48% in the most recent poll.
Healthcare
Currently, only 36% of New Hampshire residents approve of Obama’s handling of health care policy, 58% disapprove, and 5% are neutral. Approval of Obama’s handling of health care has dropped 8 percentage points since October. Sixty-nine percent of Democrats approve of his handling of health care policy (down from 76% in October), only 23% of political independents approve (down from 45% in October), and 7% of Republicans approve.
The health care reform legislation that is currently stalled in Congress is deeply unpopular in New Hampshire, only 26% say they favor the legislation, 57% oppose, and 16% are neutral or don’t know enough about it to say. Significantly, only 19% of independents say they approve of the reform legislation being considered by Congress.
On page 5 of the WMUR Granite State Poll, they deal with the intensity of those opposed vs those in favor of the healthcare bills currently being considered in Congress.
Intense opponents outnumber intense supporters by a 3 to 1 ration (33% to 11%).
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