Poll Watch: Suffolk University 2012 Presidential Survey

Suffolk University 2012 Presidential Survey

Republican Nomination

• Mitt Romney 20%
• Sarah Palin 12%
• Newt Gingrich 9%
• Rudy Giuliani 7%
• Ron Paul 5%
• Mitch Daniels 4%
• Michele Bachmann 4%
• Herman Cain 4%
• Rick Santorum 3%
• Tim Pawlenty 3%
• Buddy Roemer 0%
• Jon Huntsman 0%
• Gary Johnson 0%
• Undecided 20%

General Election

• Barack Obama 46%
• Mitt Romney 43%

• Barack Obama 52%
• Newt Gingrich 38%

• Barack Obama 47%
• Tim Pawlenty 31%

• Barack Obama 48%
• Mitch Daniels 30%

• Barack Obama 50%
• Michele Bachmann 30%

Favorable / Unfavorable {Net}

• Hillary Clinton 59% / 33% {+26%}
• Barack Obama 51% / 42% {+9%}
• Mitt Romney 39% / 32% {+7%}
• Joe Biden 44% / 41% {+3%}
• Tim Pawlenty 18% / 16% {+2%}
• John Boehner 26% / 30% {-4%}
• Mitch Daniels 10% / 14% {-4%}
• Rick Santorum 15% / 21% {-6%}
• Michele Bachmann 20% / 28% {-8%}
• Ron Paul 24% / 34% {-10%}
• Newt Gingrich 29% / 50% {-21%}
• Harry Reid 18% / 40% {-22%}
• Sarah Palin 31% / 58% {-27%}

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as president?

• Approve 47%
• Disapprove 45%

Do you feel that Barack Obama deserves to be re-elected or is it time to give someone else a chance?

• Deserves to be re-elected 43%
• Someone else 48%

Has President Obama stayed true to his campaign promises?

• Yes 42%
• No 48%

Regardless of whom you personally support, who do you expect our next president will be?

• Barack Obama 46%
• One of the Republican candidates 37%

Several states are currently considering laws that would require citizens show a photo ID before voting. Do you agree or disagree with this policy?

• Agree 77%
• Disagree 18%

Do you agree or disagree that raising taxes should be an option for helping to reduce the national debt?

• Agree 41%
• Disagree 53%

Do you agree or disagree that making changes or cuts to entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are necessary to reduce the national debt?

• Agree 36%
• Disagree 58%

Do you think that the near-universal health care bill passed by Congress in 2010 should be repealed, modified or left alone?

• Repealed 33%
• Modified 37%
• Left alone 21%

To help save health care costs, do you believe mentally-able seniors should be able to end their own lives?

• Yes 35%
• No 53%

Should the United States explore options to increase its domestic oil production, even if that includes more offshore drilling?

• Yes 69%
• No 20%

Should the federal government eliminate tax breaks and subsidies for oil companies?

• Yes 64%
• No 27%

Does it matter to you that Osama Bin Laden was unarmed when he was killed?

• Yes 8%
• No 87%

Was killing Osama Bin Laden a political assassination?

• Yes 29%
• No 57%

Is it OK to use enhanced interrogation techniques or some forms of torture on suspected terrorists if they might have information that helps keep America safe?

• Yes 57%
• No 31%

Not long after 9/11, Congress passed The Patriot Act, a law designed to strengthen domestic security and broaden the powers of law-enforcement agencies with regards to identifying and stopping terrorists. Some people say this law is necessary to keep us safe, others say that it gives the government too much power and invades privacy - which comes closest to your view?

• Necessary 58%
• Too much power 31%

What political news source do you trust the most?

• FOX News 28%
• CNN 18%
• NBC 10%
• MSNBC 7%
• ABC 6%
• CBS 6%
• C-SPAN 3%

Survey of 1,070 likely voters, including a subsample of 468 likely Republican primary voters, was conducted May 10-17, 2011. Party ID breakdown: 39% Democrat; 34% Republican; 22% Independent. Click here to view crosstabs.