Poll Watch: Rasmussen (R) Pennsylvania 2012 Presidential Survey

Rasmussen (R) Pennsylvania 2012 Presidential Poll

• Barack Obama 51% (51%) {48%} [47%] (45%)
• Mitt Romney 46% (39%) {44%} [41%] (44%)
• Some other candidate 1% (3%) {4%} [7%]
• Undecided 1% (7%) {5%} [5%]
  

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

• Very favorable 35% (24%) {19%} [20%]
• Somewhat favorable 14% (17%) {27%} [26%]
• Somewhat unfavorable 17% (16%) {23%} [25%]
• Very unfavorable 31% (39%) {28%} [27%]

Favorable / Unfavorable {Net}

• Mitt Romney 49% (41%) {46%} [46%] / 48% (55%) {51%} [52%] {+1%} 

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

• Strongly approve 33% (29%) {27%} [28%] (24%)
• Somewhat approve 20% (25%) {23%} [24%] (21%)
• Somewhat disapprove 7% (9%) {8%} [7%] (14%)
• Strongly disapprove 40% (36%) {40%} [40%] (40%)

President Obama Job Approval

• Approve 53% (54%) {50%} [52%] (45%)
  
• Disapprove 47% (45%) {48%} [47%] (54%)

Survey of 500 likely voters was conducted October 9, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 4.5 percentage points. Results from the poll conducted September 19, 2012 are in parentheses.  Results from the poll conducted July 18, 2012 are in curly brackets.  Results from the poll conducted May 21, 2012 are in square brackets.  Results from the poll conducted February 8-23, 2012 are in parentheses.

Inside the numbers:

Ninety-four percent (94%) of likely Pennsylvania voters say they are certain to vote in this year’s election. Among these voters, Obama leads 52% to 47%.

Romney holds a 51% to 47% among likely voters in the state who are not affiliated with either of the major political parties.

The president and his Republican challenger are in a near tie when voters in the state are asked whom they trust more to handle the economy: 47% say Obama, 46% Romney.

Still, 45% think the economy will get better if Romney is elected and the GOP takes full control of Congress, compared to 41% who believe that to be true if Obama is reelected and Democrats are in charge of Congress. Forty percent (40%) expect the economy to get worse with a Romney win, while 42% think that will happen if Obama comes out on top.

Pennsylvania voters have more faith in the president by a 50% to 45% margin when it comes to national security.