The Weekly Standard has a must-read piece showing the polling data among Independents and that data is devastating for Barack Obama's reelection aspirations.
First Chart- Obama's job approval with all respondents compared to his job approval with Independents:
Second Chart- Obama vs Romney On Key Issues with Independents
Via TWS:
Let’s drill this down a little further. Very few polls offer much more than this when it comes to what independent voters are thinking, but Quinnipiac does. Here are some interesting results from that poll:
-37 percent of independents have a favorable view of Obama, compared to 56 percent with an unfavorable view.
-37 percent of independents believe that Obama deserves to be reelected, compared to 58 percent who do not.
-28 percent of independents approve of Obama’s handling of the economy, compared to 67 percent who disapprove.
-38 percent of independents approve of Obama’s handling of foreign policy, compared to 54 percent who disapprove.
Gallup in January 2012 found that a record high of 40 percent of Americans are identified as Independents in 2011. More Americans identify as Democrats than as Republicans, 31 percent to 27 percent.
When Independents are counted as leaning towards Republican or Democrat, that 4 percent lead Democrats have in American's identifications turns into a 45 percent to 45 percent tie.
Gallup also found, in another poll, that for the third straight year conservatives have outnumbered moderates and were nearly double liberals in political ideology. 40 percent of Americans continuing to describe their views as conservative, 35 percent as moderate, and 21 percent as liberal.
Currently, the largest segment of independents describe their views as moderate, while significantly more identify as conservative than as liberal, 35 percent vs. 20 percent.
Gallup in February 2012 reports that 51 percent of Americans see Barack Obama as "too liberal" vs 33 percent of Americans saying Mitt Romney is "too conservative."
What The Polling Data Tells Us
Self-identified Independents have hit a record high of 40 percent. Independents lean more toward a conservative ideology. Barack Obama never hits 50 percent approval among Independents in any poll. Independents trust Mitt Romney more than Barack Obama on 7 out of 8 key issues.
Bottom line is Barack Obama has a massive problem with Independent voters and that does not bode well for his reelection prospects.