New Marist Poll Has Great News for Obama, Health Care Reform!

Now these are the kind of poll results I like to see! Key findings of the just-released Marist poll (polling conducted 1/6-1/10, prior to Obama’s extremely well-received speech in Arizona the other day):

*Barack Obama cruises to reelection over several key GOP rivals for 2012: 56%-30% over Sarah Palin; 51%-38% over Mitt Romney; 50%-38% over Mike Huckabee

*By a 53%-40% margin, registered voters have a “favorable impression” of Barack Obama. Among Democrats it’s 85%-9%, among Independents it’s 53%-42%, and among Republicans it’s 14%-76%.

*Registered voters approve of Obama’s job performance by a 48%-43% margin, including 44%-44% among independents. The only group that’s negative towards Obama is Republicans and their Tea Party subsidiary.

*Except for the South, Obama is popular in all regions of the country (50%-38% in the Northeast, 52%-41% in the Midwest, 49%-39% in the West).

*By a huge, 61%-21% margin, registered voters think that President Obama will do a better job in his next two years in office than he did in the first two years.

*”For the first time since December of 2009, a majority of Americans do not think the country is moving in the wrong direction. That’s a major improvement in the “right track/wrong track” numbers over the past few months, which is to be expected to continue as the economy continues to improve.

*By an overwhelming, 71%-23% margin, registered voters believe that Republicans in Congress “should compromise with Democrats and President Obama to get things done.” At the same time, by a 52%-36% margin, registered voters don’t believe Republicans will compromise. This should be interesting. 🙂

*Finally, on health care reform, it’s great to see a poll that doesn’t just give people two, black-and-white, simplistic options. The Marist poll, in contrast, gives people four options. The results? 14% say “Let it stand”; 35% say “Change it so it does more”; 13% say “Change it so it does less”; and 30% say “Repeal it completely.” That’s right, only 30% want to “repeal it completely,” while more (35%) want it to do more than it does now. Overall, 49% want to leave it alone or have it do more, while just 43% want to repeal it completely or change it so it does less. And more registered voters want it to do more than to repeal it completely. Are you listening, McConnell/Can’tor/BONEr et al?

P.S. Speaking of health care, Ezra Klein explains why Republicans are simply wrong and/or lying when they say that health care reform is “job killing.” Of course, we already know they’re wrong and/or lying when they say it increases the deficit; in fact, they’ve got it completely backwards, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.