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Quinnipiac: Obama Worst President Since World War II, Reagan the Best
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 07:45 AM
By: Sandy Fitzgerald
President Barack Obama is the worst president since World War II, and the United States would have been better off if his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, had won the election in 2012, a new Quinnipiac University national poll released today reveals.
The best president? Ronald Reagan.
"Over the span of 69 years of American history and 12 presidencies, President Barack Obama finds himself with President George W. Bush at the bottom of the popularity barrel," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
"Would Mitt have been a better fit? More voters in hindsight say yes," Malloy said.
Out of 1,446 registered voters surveyed nationwide from June 24-30, 33 percent deemed Obama as the worse president, while another 28 percent picked former President George W. Bush as the worst, Quinnipiac reported Wednesday.
In addition, 45 percent of the voters said the country would be better off if Romney won in 2012, and 38 percent said the country would be worse off.
The choice was sharply divided among party lines, with Republicans choosing Romney by 84 percent to 5 percent and Democrats choosing Obama by 74 percent to 10 percent. Independent voters came in with a 47 percent to 33 percent nod to Romney.
Overall, Reagan topped voters' pick for the best president since World War II, with 35 percent of the voters choosing him. Trailing Reagan were former presidents Bill Clinton at 18 percent, 15 percent for John F. Kennedy and just 8 percent for Obama. Among Democrats, 34 percent picked Clinton as the best president, followed by 18 percent each for Obama and Kennedy.
Meanwhile, among the Republicans polled, an overwhelming 66 percent chose Reagan as the best president. He was followed distantly by former President George H.W. Bush and Kennedy, with 6 percent each, and Obama and Dwight D. Eisenhower, who tied at 4 percent each.
George W. Bush and Obama, compared side-by-side, came out very closely matched among the voters polled. Thirty-nine percent said Obama has been a better president than Bush, while 40 percent said he was worse.
Obama has been a better president than the junior Bush, 39 percent of voters say, while 40 percent say he is worse. Obama fared better with women voters, with 42 percent-38 percent saying he has been a better president than Bush. With men, 43 percent said Obama is worse worse than Bush, while 36 said he is better.
The Bush/Obama comparison fell mainly along party lines. Republicans said Obama is worse than Bush by 79 percent to 7 percent, while independent voters said Obama is worse by 41 percent to 31 percent.
Meanwhile, the Democrats polled said Obama is better than Bush was by 78 percent to 4 percent.
The voters did say, by 37 percent to 34 percent, that Obama is better for the economy than Bush.
Voters say by a narrow 37 - 34 percent that Obama is better for the economy than Bush.
American voters say 54 - 44 percent that the Obama Administration is not competent running the government. The president is paying attention to what his administration is doing, 47 percent say, while 48 percent say he does not pay enough attention.
The poll showed Obama's job approval rating is stalled at a negative 40 percent to 53 percent.
His rating hit an all time low in December 2013 of 38-57 percent, Quinnipiac reports, and an April 2 national survey put the presidents rating at a negative 42-50 percent.
President Obama's job approval rating, inching up since a negative 38 - 57 percent in December, 2013, his all-time low, is stalled at a negative 40 - 53 percent. This compares to the president's negative 42 - 50 percent job approval in an April 2 national survey.
Obama netted negative scores of 10 percent to 88 percent from Republicans, 31-59 percent from independents, 37-57 percent from men and 42-49 percent from women. But Democrats approve of him by 79-13 percent, the poll said.
Obama got mixed grade for his character, with voters split 48-48 percent on his being honest and trustworthy and 51-47 percent that he cares about their needs. But as far as his leadership qualities, Obama got a negative 47-51 percent. The president gets mixed grades for character as voters say 48 - 48 percent that he is honest and trustworthy and 51 - 47 percent that he cares about their needs and problems. He gets a negative 47 - 51 percent for leadership qualities.
The president also got negative grades for how he handles most key issues, including 40-55 percent for handling the economy; 37-57 percent for foreign policy; 40-58 percent for healthcare; and 44-51 percent for terrorism. He netted a positive rating of 50-4 percent for how he handles the environment.
