Going into the first of three presidential debates on Oct. 3, the number of registered voters who regard Barack Obama favorably is 10 points higher than it is for Mitt Romney.
Six-in-ten or more Republicans, Democrats and independents who know about the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that allows unlimited independent expenditures on political ads agree the new rules have had a negative impact on the 2012 presidential campaign.
When it comes to American views on government and social values, the average partisan gap has nearly doubled over the last 25 years — from 10 percentage points in 1987 to 18 percentage points.
The partisan divide over federal government funding for alternative energy research has widened. While Democratic support has remained high at 83%, Republican support has dropped to 53%, a 29 point decline from April 2009.
There is a 35 point gap between Republicans who believe that government regulation of business usually does more harm than good and the number of Democrats who share that view.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans who are aware of the new rules on independent expenditures that resulted from the Supreme Court’s “Citizens United” decision in 2010 say they are having a negative impact on the 2012 presidential campaign.