The latest New York Times/CBS News poll, released last night, doesn't offer much in the way of good news for Republicans. But for Mitt Romney, the results are especially discouraging.
Across the board, American attitudes are shifting in directions the GOP won't like: President Obama's approval rating is up; he leads all of his Republican rivals in hypothetical matchups; Americans are increasingly optimistic about the economy; and the GOP "enthusiasm" advantage has disappeared entirely. There are still plenty of potential pitfalls -- Europe, Iran, gas prices -- but the NYT/CBS results are no doubt welcome news at the White House.
And there's the former Massachusetts governor. He's lost his lead among Republicans to Rick Santorum, and more than 6 in 10 GOP voters wish there was someone else to support for the party's presidential nomination.
But following up on the "Chart Imitates Life" segment from last night's show, this was the question in the poll that stood out for me: "Is your opinion of Mitt Romney favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough about Mitt Romney yet to have an opinion?"
In all, 40% of Americans have an unfavorable view of Romney -- the worst he's done in five years of polling -- while 26% have a favorable view. (By comparison, Obama's fav/unfav rating is 45/41.) A new CNN poll also shows Romney's favorability numbers tumbling.
TPM has this chart, which helps drive the point home. The red line in the image shows Romney's unfavorable numbers.
TPM
This matters, of course, because it points to an uncomfortable truth: the more Americans see of Romney, the less they like him. But it also matters because this is a problem that's fundamentally difficult to fix. Candidates can change their advertising strategies; they can rewrite their speeches; they can find new surrogates; and they can even change their appearance.
When voters just don't like a candidate, however, that's a hurdle that's much harder to overcome.
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Trying to use logic to explain the swing in republican voter likes and dislikes? Methinks someone has failed to watch,look and listen.Logic works far better on explaining how a bumblebee or helicopter flies than on the whims of such a mixed bag of nuts.
Six in ten Republicans might be wishing for somebody else to choose from, but what difference would it make? It would have to be another hyperconservative, so it would be somebody else standing there, saying exactly the same things Romney, Santorum, Noot, Paul and the rest of them have been saying all along. Maybe Crazy Eyes or W-2 can jump back into the race, since The Base has a zero tolerance policy toward anything that even smells like moderation and they apparently still want to hear the exact same message, but from somebody else for a while. I don't think this has anything to do with the current Republican field; I think that after thirty-two years, these people are starting to develop Moonbat Fatigue.
Maybe enough evident has accidentally slipped down the throats of Americans, good news stuff the media hasn't been able to spin down, or a recovering economy that the right can't bring itself to acknowledge. Maybe Americans are starting to see through all the screaming smoke and mirrors, that we have a decent president...or at least that the candidates vying to replace him are not decent at all. Maybe now that Osama Bin Shot, we want to get back to normal life and are getting sick and fed up with Republican continual negativity about every last little thing. Maybe...
Simple question each middle class American should ask of him/herself before voting in November, should Mitt Romney be the Republican candidate - Just what is there to like about Mitt?
I mean, I could definitely Like Ike, but I just don't feel it for Mitt the Twit! -Kevo
I've said it before, and I'll say it again:
THE ONLY PEOPLE who like Willard are those who receive a check from him. outside of that.....nada.
Obviously biased polling! Every exit poll of republican primaries and caucuses show that Mittens easily carries the affluent persons and places. Even current Michigan polling shows that Mittens is very popular in one Michigan county that is extremely affluent.
If the pollsters would stop their biased polling that includes the non-affluent and just poll the affluent, you would see that Mitt is very popular and well liked. You sure as hell don't believe that it is the non-affluent that are looking to buy this presidency, do you?
I think the chart you guys had on TV last night was backwards. The colors were backwards, I mean. Rachel talked about how Romney's favorability was tanking, but the chart made it look like it was soaring. In think the key at the top of the chart was wrong. The light blue should have been UNfavorable, not favorable. I watched it on the DVR a few times because I thought I was missing the point. Either that, or I was just wwwaaayyyy to tired.
I agree -- the chart was mislabeled. There have been issues with graphics on TRMS before: very easy things done wrong. This is very frustrating for viewers and, I think, Rachel.
Yep, the graph on television was reversed. She should probably correct that tonight.
Ugh, yes, we got the colors reversed on the chart last night. We were able to fix it for the Web version.
I thought I was drinking too much...phew!
They also fixed it in time for the after-midnight TRMS repeat.
Rachel, we all love the program but you really need someone dedicated to checking your charts and graphics. It really undermines what you are saying when the charts have problems.
Why don't you crowd-source it? Just put out the charts on your blog an hour before the show airs and let people pick at them?
Great observation, Rachel. But by the way, on your show last night the key to the graph was reversed. It made for a confusing piece. We joked that you might put your own graph on the next segment of the show (Debunktion Junction).
I thought I was crazy when I saw that, even had to go back and replay it to make sure. Glad I'm not the only one who noticed.
She probably will do just that.
PolitiFact will surely conclude that her inaccurate chart is nevertheless Mostly True based on what she said last night.
The message could be delivered by Santa Claus, the bottom line is that the message is unpalatable and woefully out of step with modern America. Wake up Republicans and take back your party from the religous right.
I just can't stop giggling.
Watching the show on the DVR, way past midnight, made me think as well that it was me not getting the logic of the piece. Glad it was just the colors being reversed.
As a designer I see that the chart reads correctly & shows great insight.
His disapproval rating is up over 50%.
His approval is down, nearly 30%.
But, I am a designer & may just see things more clearly.
I'm not sure these polls matter much. Although Mr. Romney's unfavorable numbers are getting worse, I think he is still favored by the power brokers in the Republican party. The big money guys would prosper greatly under a Romney presidency. I am optimistic that President Obama will win re election no matter who the Republican nominee is. What will Mitch McConnell's top priority be if that happens.
Notice I refer to Mitt Romney as Mr. Romney, and Barack Obama as President Obama. It really irks me to hear the President referred to as merely "Obama". I mean everyone still refers to Newt Gingrich as "Speaker Gingrich", and Sara Palin as "Governor Palin". How about some respect for the President?
I totally agree on the respect for the office issue. I hate that republicans are so disrespectful of the President. From pointing a finger in his face to referring to him as a Muslim Kenyan...suggesting he hates America, or that he is a Socialist...all this just pisses me off. I also think that the fact that republicans refer to the "democrat" party rather than the "democratic" party just irks me too.
It really boils down to who's most like me.... Mitt is so far out of the mainstream that it's hard to even fathom that he would ever move into the WH... If he sits down and has lunch with "Joe the Plumber" what would the conversation be, "how to sock your plumbing profits in Cayman and Swiss bank accounts?" I don't think there is time to salvage the Republicans in this election cycle. They have moved sooo far to the right that the all important independent vote will ignore them come November... This election cycle is true comic relief.... :)
The GOP is like that nasty mother-in-law who never gets her son-in-law's name right on purpose because she's still mad that he married her daughter--and STILL doesn't like him.
The news wants to attribute Obama's rise in the polls to the improving economy, which means they subscribe to the same theory as the GOP, that the economy has to be bad for the out of office candidate to win.
Well, I'm sorry, but I attribute it to the full disclosure and exposure of GOP ideas, attitudes, nonsense and the rest. Nothing about the GOP is likable, let alone Mitt. Their main appeal is to a group everyone used to consider simply nuts -- white evangelicals. Americans do not want those guys calling the shots and ruling the land.
Great post, Steve. Any idea why Romney's unfavorable seemed to spike so sharply in recent days?
Maybe the SNL sketch had something to do with it? Lotta people love dogs.I'm saying this as a joke (even though the stories I've read afterwards did turn my stomach a bit)
Worst graph ever.
I thought I was wrong, and kept looking for the logic. I also watched on my DVR. Glad it was corrected. Rachel, you are the standard by which I rate the rest! More coffee for your staff
You quote the NY Times poll (40/26) but the chart shows results from the CNN/Time poll (54/34). It's a bit confusing at first blush. Both polls are referenced, but maybe citing the graphic as specifically representing the CNN?Time poll would be more clear. Just sayin' ;)
Its the Republican base that is the problem. They crave the blood of Obama and want someone to go toe to toe like the Thrilla in Manilla. Romney is too prep school, Wall St. and stiff, with jerky movements. He's seen more as a pragmatist than a battler. That's what they liked about Newt, was his viciousness. They thought here is a guy who can fight
Santourm is becoming the canidate of the Church, and becomes harder to attack. Mitt dosen't want to open that religious door, and dosen't want to rile the Evangelicals who don't want him anyway because of that.
The reality is that the Republican party base has degenerated into a group of angry white people of lower education, as one Canadian study found out. Think of their leaders like Sara Palin who didn't know what Paul Revere really did( she said he rode to warn the British not to take away our guns) or Michelle Bachmann who said that the revolutionary war was fought to free the slaves. These people are still held in high esteem by the base. So what are we dealing with here?
The Chart and the chart mix-up is another prime example of what is rapidly becoming The Rachel Maddow Amateur Hour. A little attention to detail might help.
Remember the last time there was a chart screw-up like this on the program? It was a badly not-to-scale bar chart that also undermined the point of the segment. Rachel threatened to quit if it happened again. Things got better for a while, then this happens. I hope Rachel sticks around, but there needs to be some accountability for this kind of error.
By the way, based on the expression on Rachel's face during the DJunction segment afterwards, I think she knew of the error and was almost keeping her temper.
Also notice this, only about 16 % remain undecided about Mitt. There's not a lot of room to grow.
Poor little Richie Rich... all that money spent and still so few like him!