PA-2012 President: 45% Obama (D), 44% Huckabee (R) (PPP 4/7-10)

Public Policy Polling (D)
4/7-10/11; 593 likely voters, 4% margin of error
Mode: Automated phone
PPP release

Pennsylvania

2012 President
47% Obama (D), 39% Gingrich (R)
45% Obama (D), 44% Huckabee (R)
50% Obama (D), 39% Palin (R)
43% Romney (R), 42% Obama (D)
45% Obama (D), 43% Santorum (R)

Job Approval / Disapproval
Pres. Obama: 42 / 52 (chart)

Favorable / Unfavorable
Newt Gingrich: 25 / 54
Mike Huckabee: 37 / 43
Sarah Palin: 33 / 61
Mitt Romney: 31 / 41
Rick Santorum: 37 / 47

Comments

[Rightbrainedleftwinged]

03:00 PM on 04/13/2011

I am really annoyed at Field Marshall's personal attack on me calling me a middle schooler. There is no need for personal attacks on each other. It is okay to be critical of people's opinions, but I'm deeply disappointed.

I know that I might make a comment like that about a public figure like a Newt Gingrich or Sarah Palin, or a dreaded liberal politician from some, but insulting comments towards each other have no place.

[Rightbrainedleftwinged]

02:56 PM on 04/13/2011

When I think of PA and to some extent Ohio, I think of a lot of pretty liberal colleges and universities and have good academic standards. College towns seem to ad a open minded feel to many places where the locals sometimes are rather closeminded and look at idealists who lean left as snobs. I mean much of the reason Mass. has been a more progressive state has been due to the academic community. PA and Ohio have a lot of mini-harvards where most people are white and are progressive, but they are still in the minority when it comes to the electorate.

NH's GOP failed at making it harder for college students to vote in NH. I think the reasoning was that students from NJ or CT or Mass have a greater likelihood the more progressive candidate will win their state. This isn't always the case though.

Ohio and PA are big states and I'm sure many of the students come from in state.

[OnlineMike]

11:30 AM on 04/13/2011

No matter who the GOP candidate is, I believe tha in a presidential election Democrats will win PA, even if only by a small margin.

2010 was the year of the Republicans, and although in 2012 the winds still favor the GOP they won't be as strong as they were in 2010. Sestak lost by a smaller margin than what polls predicted, and in a presidential election Democratic party turnout will be stronger than it was in the midterms.

And although it seems unlikely right now, I do believe that the Democrats will benefit the most from the upcoming battle dealing with Medicare and Social Security. The Democrats won't be able to turn seniors against the Republican party in large numbers but to some degree they could make some gains there, some independent seniors will think twice when they get a chance to compare the way the two parties want to deal with those two programs. The "take your hands off my medicare crowd" that helped the GOP in 2010 may not be as supportive when confronted with the idea of foodstamp style medical vouchers.

[Rightbrainedleftwinged]

09:04 PM on 04/12/2011

If you look at the chart, PPP may not seem like the most liberal pollster when it comes to PA. It doesn't ad up. Other firms seem to always give the state a bigger Democratic lean. Surprisingly, about 5 weeks ago Virginia had Obama leading all the same candidates. PPP needs help in PA.

[Rightbrainedleftwinged]

06:44 PM on 04/12/2011

What is really disturbing is Obama's lowest approval is among my age group, 30-45. It isn't senior citizens at all. That is what seems rather bizarre in PA. Usually it is senior citizens whose approval is the lowest of Obama.

[SteveInCT]

07:06 PM on 04/12/2011

Age group 30-45 who had NO idea what "change" would mean is learning that "change" is simply "whatever I want to do and you will find out later". While putting the USA about $300 billion a MONTH into additional debt, this smart group of people is realizing the Obama wants nothing more than to put the USA into a position where the debt and interest expense are so out of wack, that only a restructuring of the United States will be necessary. Spend-Obama has no interest in solving a major problem that could change every person's standard of living. Never say "Never".

[Dave WI]

10:10 PM on 04/12/2011

Also probably a group that has youngish aged kids, not particularly enthused with the debt they are saddling them with.

[Rightbrainedleftwinged]

06:36 PM on 04/12/2011

There is something wrong with this poll. Santorum is very unpopular in PA, and I can't believe he would come that close. Last I looked Santorum's favorability was low last time and I don't think it is higher now.

Former Senator Allen Simpson of Wyoming said that we have to get the homophobes out of the GOP or he isn't going to want to support a party filled with hate. Being a conservative senator, hearing it from him was pretty telling.

[stillow1]

04:59 PM on 04/12/2011

Heh, Romney actually adges Obama out and they put Huckabee on the header....but anyway....Romney and Huckabee continue to show strength against Obama. Sample looks ok with a D+13 in Party ID.

[Xenobion]

05:14 PM on 04/12/2011

OH and PA will be close, but I would figure Republicans would be closer in OH than the actual outcome in PA.

[Dave WI]

05:31 PM on 04/12/2011

Why? If you're still holding onto the "big scary governors will drive people from the GOP" theory, Ohio's Gov. has been a lot more outspoken than Pennsylvania's has.