THE OBOTS IN FULL RETREAT

Poll: Obama's 2008 Coalition Dispirited and Crumbling; Reps Stand to Benefit on Election Day

The Canadian Press ^ | Stephen R. Hurst

President Barack Obama is taking his popular wife with him to three campaign stops in the pivotal swing state of Ohio Sunday, but a new Associated Press Poll shows that may be too little, too late with just over two weeks remaining before critical congressional elections.

The survey found that the coalition of voters that swept Obama into the White House just two years ago — aching for change after the eight-year presidency of Republican George W. Bush — has crumbled.

SNIP

The Associated Press-Knowledge Networks survey found that one-fourth of those who voted for Obama two years ago are defecting to the Republicans or considering voting against the party in power in the Nov. 2 election. Many in that number say their switch is more a symbol of anger at the Democrats than a vote in support of the Republicans.

Significantly and in a sign of fundamental voter dissatisfaction with both parties, just as many people who backed Republican presidential nominee John McCain are either supporting Democrats now or still considering how to vote.

The problem for Democrats is that just half of Obama's supporters in the 2008 race say they definitely will show up to vote on Nov. 2, according to the poll. At the same time, the poll found that two-thirds of McCain supporters say they are certain to vote.

SNIP

To find out how the electorate's political views have changed since the 2008 election, the AP and Knowledge Networks re-interviewed the same 1,254 people who were part of a random sample of Americans surveyed up to 11 times throughout the 2008 campaign by the two organizations and Yahoo News. The recent interviews occurred Sept. 17 to Oct. 7.

(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...