More Americans View Campaign As Too Negative
Barack Obama’s ‘bitter’ comment registered widely but just 29% of Americans say they paid very close attention to news about the presidential campaign last week, the lowest percentage recorded since December 2007.
No Clear Advantage
Electability is an issue, and one that both Obama and Clinton are likely to use to woo the superdelegates. But our polling suggests that neither candidate has a demonstrable advantage to tout.
Less News is Good News for McCain
While McCain has been consistently less visible to the public, far more Americans say the news they have been hearing about him is generally positive than say the same about coverage of Obama or Clinton.
Network News Signing Off?
Speculation over Katie Couric’s future as anchor of the CBS Evening News has raised the broader question of how long the three nightly network news broadcasts will be able to survive.
Campaign News Interest Dips
With the campaign in a lull, interest, which had consistently surpassed previous presidential contests, is now comparable to the level measured in April 2004.
That’s What I Like About Me
Obama’s high favorable ratings are more influenced by how he makes voters feel than by specific characteristics they attributed to him. Clinton’s image, in contrast, is driven by opinions about her own qualities.
Most Americans Unfamiliar with Petraeus, Rice Remains Popular
On the eve of his congressional testimony on Iraq, a solid majority (55%) says they do not know enough about the top U.S. commander in Iraq to offer an opinion of him. Sec. of State Rice’s favorability (56%) remains relatively unchanged since March 2005.
Robo-Calls Now Top Type Of Campaign Outreach
About two-in-five voters now say they have received a pre-recorded call about the campaign. Meanwhile, Democrats are far more engaged in campaign activities than are Republcians — including donating money to a candidate.
Clinton Controversy Heavily Covered but Obama Maintains Visibility Edge
While her Bosnia flap made Clinton the newsmaker of the week, she continues to lag behind Obama in terms of public visibility. Both candidates, despite recent negative news, have seen little change in their favorability.
Obama Speech on Race Arguably Biggest Event of Campaign
Fully 85% of Americans say they heard about Obama’s speech, and 70% have heard more about him in the last week than any other candidate. The impact of events on Obama’s image appears to be mixed.
