American voters give President Obama an edge over the GOP on several national issues -- including the economy -- according to a Quinnipiac poll released Monday.
Forty-seven percent said they trusted Obama more than Republicans in Congress to handle the economy, while 41 percent said Republicans would better handle the issue.
The president also had similar leads over the GOP on health care and immigration, and a slimmer edge on the deficit and gun policy. On both the environment and foreign policy, he led by more than 10 points. Republicans had a significant lead on just one issue polled: cutting federal spending.
The economy remains at the forefront of voters' minds this week -- just over half of voters said the country is still in a recession, although an equal number said they see signs of recovery, according to the poll. A 35 percent plurality said the president should focus his State of the Union Address on that issue, with voters in each party naming it as a priority. The deficit, most popular among Republicans, was second on the list of priorities according to those polled, with 20 percent saying it should be the top issue. Gun policy and health care followed as other top priorities.
The Quinnipac poll surveyed 1,772 voters between Jan. 30 and Feb. 4, using live telephone interviews.
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