Poll Watch: Rasmussen (R) Massachusetts 2012 Presidential Survey

Rasmussen (R) Massachusetts 2012 Presidential Poll

• Barack Obama 55% {56%} [51%] (55%)
• Mitt Romney 40% {35%} [40%] (38%)

Do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable impression of Mitt Romney?

• Very favorable 20% {17%} [18%] (19%)
• Somewhat favorable 26% {23%} [32%] (30%)
• Somewhat unfavorable 13% {25%} [26%] (28%)
• Very unfavorable 40% {30%} [22%] (23%)

Favorable / Unfavorable {Net}

• Mitt Romney 46% {40%} [50%] (49%) / 53% {55%} [48%] (52%) {-7%}

How would you rate the job Barack Obama has been doing as President?

• Strongly approve 37% {31%} [34%] (32%)
• Somewhat approve 24% {27%} [25%] (26%)
• Somewhat disapprove 5% {10%} [9%] (8%)
• Strongly disapprove 33% {28%} [32%] (34%)

President Obama Job Approval

• Approve 61% {58%} [59%] (58%)
• Disapprove 38% {38%} [41%] (42%)

Survey of 500 likely voters was conducted September 24, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 4.5 percentage points. Results from the poll conducted May 7, 2012 are in curly brackets.  Results from the poll conducted April 9, 2012 are in square brackets.  Results from the poll conducted February 29, 2012 are in parentheses.

Inside the numbers:

Both candidates draw strong support from their respective political parties. Among voters in the state not affiliated with either party, Romney leads 53% to 36%.

Female voters prefer Obama nearly two-to-one, but male voters are evenly divided. Voters under 40 overwhelmingly prefer Obama, but voters over 40 are much more closely divided.

Romney has been criticized in his own party for helping to father Massachusetts’ health reform plan which the president has cited as a model for his national reform measure. Forty-seven percent (47%) of voters in the state think health care reform in Massachusetts has been a success, a 21-point increase from 26% in June 2009. Only 20% still describe it as a failure. Thirty-three percent (33%) are undecided.

Nevertheless, voters trust Obama over Romney by double-digit margins when it comes to handling health care and four other key issues including the economy, national security, taxes and energy policy.