According to the latest Washington Post / ABC News poll
released on Tuesday, President Obama has fallen behind Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the
Washington Post reported.
Among registered voters, Romney leads Obama by 3 percentage points, 49 percent to 46 percent.
Additionally, congressional Republicans demonstrated significant gains from March among those surveyed. 45 percent believe congressional Republicans have a better economic plan for the economy than President Obama, representing a gain of 11 percentage points since March.
While the rise of Mitt Romney does pose a problem for President Obama, the poll results are reflective of an early stage in the 2012 contest.
"Today just 22 percent of Americans (and 24 percent of leaned Republicans) are following the 2012 presidential election very closely,” ABC News pollster Gary Langer said,
according to ABC News.
The unemployment rate has been an ongoing challenge for the Obama administration, and long-term unemployment rates are now reported to be worse currently than during the Great Depression,
according to Daily Kos.
Stubborn unemployment coupled with a perpetually declining national housing market appear to have left voters with a decidedly bad taste in their mouths.
"Overall, about six in 10 of those surveyed give Obama negative marks on the economy and the deficit," Dan Balz and Jon Cohen reported in the Washington Post. "Significantly, nearly half strongly disapprove of his performance in these two crucial areas. Nearly two-thirds of political independents disapprove of the president’s handling of the economy, including — for the first time — a slim majority who do so strongly."
