Poll Watch: NBC News/Wall Street Journal 2012 Presidential Survey

NBC News/Wall Street Journal 2012 Presidential Survey

2012 Republican Nomination

1st Choice

• Mitt Romney 19%
• Mike Huckabee 18%
• Sarah Palin 14%
• Newt Gingrich 10%
• Ron Paul 8%
• Tim Pawlenty 5%
• Mitch Daniels 3%
• Rick Santorum 3%
• Haley Barbour 2%
• John Thune 1%
• Other (VOL) 2%
• None (VOL) 6%
• Not sure 8%

2nd Choice

• Mike Huckabee 16%
• Mitt Romney 15%
• Sarah Palin 12%
• Newt Gingrich 9%
• Ron Paul 8%
• Tim Pawlenty 3%
• Mitch Daniels 2%
• Rick Santorum 2%
• Haley Barbour 2%
• John Thune 2%
• Other (VOL) 1%
• None (VOL) 4%
• Not sure 7%

Combined Choice

• Mitt Romney 34%
• Mike Huckabee 34%
• Sarah Palin 26%
• Newt Gingrich 19%
• Ron Paul 16%
• Tim Pawlenty 8%
• Mitch Daniels 5%
• Rick Santorum 5%
• Haley Barbour 4%
• John Thune 3%
• Other (VOL) 3%
• None (VOL) 10%
• Not sure 15%

2012 Presidential Election

• Barack Obama 51%
• Mike Huckabee 41%

• Barack Obama 54%
• Newt Gingrich 35%

I'm going to read you the names of several public figures, groups and organizations, and I'd like you to rate your feelings toward each one as very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, or very negative.

Barack Obama

• Very positive 29%
• Somewhat positive 23%
• Neutral 15%
• Somewhat negative 14%
• Very negative 18%

Sarah Palin

• Very positive 8%
• Somewhat positive 19%
• Neutral 21%
• Somewhat negative 16%
• Very negative 33%

The Democratic Party

• Very positive 15%
• Somewhat positive 24%
• Neutral 25%
• Somewhat negative 19%
• Very negative 16%

The Republican Party

• Very positive 7%
• Somewhat positive 27%
• Neutral 24%
• Somewhat negative 21%
• Very negative 19%

The Tea Party Movement

• Very positive 13%
• Somewhat positive 16%
• Neutral 22%
• Somewhat negative 14%
• Very negative 24%

In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job that Barack Obama is doing as president?

• Approve 53%
• Disapprove 41%

Do you generally approve or disapprove of the job that Barack Obama is doing in handling the economy?

• Approve 45%
• Disapprove 50%

Do you generally approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing in handling the war in Afghanistan?

• Approve 49%
• Disapprove 38%

Would you describe Barack Obama as liberal, moderate, or conservative?

• Very liberal 27%
• Somewhat liberal 18%
• Moderate 40%
• Somewhat conservative 8%
• Very conservative 3%

Do you think President Obama will be too inflexible in dealing with Republicans in Congress, will be too quick to give in to Republicans in Congress, or will he strike the right balance in dealing with Republicans in Congress?

• Too inflexible 26%
• Too quick to give in 15%
• Right balance 55%

Do you think Republicans in Congress will be too inflexible in dealing with President Obama, will be too quick to give in to President Obama, or will they strike the right balance in dealing with President Obama?

• Too inflexible 55%
• Too quick to give in 8%
• Right balance 32%

Do you consider yourself a supporter of the Tea Party Movement?

• Yes 27%
• No 62%

In general, do you feel that the laws covering the sale of firearms should be made more strict, less strict, or kept as they are now?

• More strict 52%
• Less strict 10%
• Kept as now 37%

From what you have heard about Barack Obama's health care plan that was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President last year, do you think his plan is a good idea or a bad idea?

• Good idea 39%
• Bad idea 39%

And, would you favor or oppose repealing and eliminating this new health care law? And, do you feel that way strongly, or not so strongly?

• Strongly favor eliminating 35%
• Not so strongly favor eliminating 10%
• Not so strongly oppose eliminating 12%
• Strongly oppose eliminating 34%

The President has announced that he plans to begin reducing American troop levels in Afghanistan in July 2011. Which of these statements comes closest to your point of view on this?

Statement A: The troops should be removed now.
Statement B: The troops should be removed on the timetable of July 2011.
Statement C: The troops should be removed depending upon the military conditions in July 2011.
Statement D: The troops should only be removed after the Afghan government has stabilized and the Taliban has been defeated.

• A/Removed now 23%
• B/Removed on this timetable 21%
• C/Removed depending on military conditions 34%
• D/Removed after gov’t stabilized and Taliban defeated 21%

As you may know, under our constitution and current laws, all children born in the United States are automatically granted citizenship. Do you think we should continue to grant citizenship to all children born in the U.S. or do you think this should be changed so children of illegal immigrants are not automatically granted citizenship?

• Continue to grant automatic citizenship 50%
• Change/not automatic citizenship 47%

Among Hispanics

• Continue to grant automatic citizenship 79%
• Change/not automatic citizenship 19%

Thinking about the shootings of a Member of Congress, a Federal judge and others in Tucson, Arizona last weekend, do you feel the extreme political rhetoric used by some in the media and by political leaders was an important contributor to the incident or do you feel this is more of an isolated incident by a disturbed person that occurs from time to time?

• Isolated incident by disturbed person 71%
• Rhetoric an important contributor 24%
• Some of both (VOL) 3%

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the shootings of a Member of Congress, a Federal judge and others in Tucson, Arizona?

• Approve 74%
• Disapprove 11%

Survey of 1,000 adults was conducted January 13-17, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percentage points. Party ID breakdown: Strong Democrat 20%; Not very strong Democrat 11%; Independent/lean Democrat 10%; Strictly Independent 18%; Independent/lean Republican 11%; Not very strong Republican 9%; Strong Republican 12%. Political ideology: Very liberal 7%; Somewhat liberal 15%; Moderate 41%; Somewhat conservative 20%; Very conservative 14%.