Obama Gets More Support With Young Voters Seeing U.S. Improving
By John McCormick
March 26 (Bloomberg) -- Young adults, who responded to Barack Obama’s campaign anthem of hope and change, continue to support the president and are more optimistic than older Americans about the direction of the country.
The Bloomberg National Poll shows 41 percent of those younger than 35 believe the country is heading in the right direction, compared with just a quarter of those 65 and older.
The upbeat attitude among younger Americans provides a boost to the president’s overall approval rating, with 56 percent of those under 35 saying they are happy with his job performance, compared with 41 percent among senior citizens.
“His approval ratings among younger Americans have eroded, just not as much as with older Americans,” said J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., a Des Moines, Iowa-based firm that conducted the nationwide survey. “Their continued support may be the result of what they see as policies that will work to their advantage. Seniors may think they have more at risk and stand to lose what they already have.”
Obama, 48, has seen his approval rating drop 5 percentage points among those under 35 since a Bloomberg poll in September, while it has fallen 15 percentage points among senior citizens.
The president can’t count on younger voters to turn out to back Democrats in November’s congressional elections, the poll shows. Just more than half of those under 35 say they plan to vote, compared with roughly three-quarters among older adults.
College Appearances
In March, Obama has made three appearances on college campuses -- in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Iowa -- to sell the health-care legislation approved by Congress.
“All new plans and some current ones will allow you to stay on your parents’ insurance policy until you’re 26 years old, starting this year,” Obama told an audience yesterday at the University of Iowa. “As you start your lives and your careers, the last thing you should worry about is whether you go broke just because you get sick.”
Those under 35 are divided roughly equally between supporters and opponents of the health-care legislation, the poll shows. That’s stronger support than recorded overall.
Younger Americans are also more likely to agree that government has a role in making sure everyone has access to health care, with 71 percent agreeing with that position compared to 57 percent among those 65 and older.
The poll of 1,002 U.S. adults was conducted March 19-22. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Health-Care Measure
For some younger Americans, the advancement of the health- care legislation was enough to give them optimism about the direction the country is headed.
“It seems like things are starting to move in Washington,” said poll participant Benjamin Waber, 26, a computer science and business student who lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Still, with unemployment at 9.7 percent, Americans as a whole are in a sour mood, with 34 percent saying they believe the country is heading in the right direction, the poll shows.
Younger Americans have a more positive than negative view of Obama’s handling of the economy, health care and relations with other countries.
One area where they line up with other age groups is in their disapproval of Obama’s job performance on dealing with the federal budget deficit, with 50 percent disapproving and 40 percent approving.
Plurality Independents
When asked how they feel about the two major political parties, younger Americans are slightly more unfavorable toward Republicans than Democrats.
Those feelings aren’t directly linked to party identification, the poll shows. Younger Americans’ political views reflect the overall average: a plurality of 47 percent say they are independent voters, while 26 percent indentify with Democrats and 22 percent with Republicans.
Obama’s approval remains strongest with those who have lower incomes, often younger people. Among those making less than $25,000, his approval is 56 percent, while it drops to 45 percent among those making $100,000 or more.
Women are more approving of Obama’s performance as president than men, 54 percent to 45 percent. Catholics are also more likely to approve of the job he is doing than Protestants, 52 percent to 45 percent.
Poll participant Jessica Blankenship, 27, of Gastonia, North Carolina, said she is optimistic about the nation and Obama in part because she sees people getting hired again.
“The jobs are picking up and more people are going back to work,” said Blankenship, who is unemployed. “He seems to care more about the public and what we need.”
To see the poll’s methodology and exact question wording, click on the attachment tab at the top of the story.
To contact the reporter on this story: John McCormick in Washington at jmccormick16@bloomberg.net;
Last Updated: March 26, 2010 15:25 EDT |
