New Jersey voters who support President Obama are less likely to vote in the midterm elections next month, revealing an enthusiasm gap that could spell trouble for Democrats, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released this morning. Overall, President Obama has a positive rating in New Jersey, with 47 percent of voters approving of his job performance...
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President Barack Obama makes his way to the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C. A Fairleigh Dickinson University public poll found that N.J. voters who support Obama are less likely to vote during the upcoming November elections.New Jersey voters who support President Obama are less likely to vote in the midterm elections next month, revealing an enthusiasm gap that could spell trouble for Democrats, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released this morning.
Overall, President Obama has a positive rating in New Jersey, with 47 percent of voters approving of his job performance and 43 percent disapproving. But among voters who say their chances of going to the polls next month is “excellent,” only 43 percent approve and 49 percent disapprove. Those who said their chances of voting were “good,” “only fair” or “poor” like Obama better, with 43 percent approving and 27 percent disapproving.
“That doesn’t translate well for Democratic candidates,” said poll analyst Dan Cassino. “It remains to be seen if Democrats can muster the enthusiasm to get out enough of their voters to hold on to contested seats. People who put Obama over the top in 2008 are far less likely to vote this time.”
All 13 House incumbents are up for reelection on Nov. 2.
Seventy percent of Republicans surveyed said their chances of voting were “excellent,” while 55 percent of Democrats said the same.
When asked which party they prefer control the U.S. Congress after the election, 41 percent of voters said Democrats and 37 percent chose Republicans.
Fairleigh Dickinson surveyed 831 registered voters statewide from Oct. 4 through Oct. 10. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
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