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What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls
Saturday, July 21, 2012 

Central to the race between President Obama and Mitt Romney is the question of how big a role the government should play in the economy. 

Voters strongly believe that it’s important for the government to create an environment that encourages economic growth and ensures economic fairness, but growth is seen as the higher priority. Most believe Romney champions growth, while Obama is more focused on fairness. 

“The president’s attacks on Romney’s time at Bain Capital have succeeded in raising some doubts about the challenger, but by highlighting his role as a venture capitalist, the attacks also have reinforced the belief that Romney sees economic growth as his top priority,” Scott Rasmussen writes in his latest newspaper column. “There is nothing better for the challenger than a race where he is seen as the candidate of economic growth.” 

Voters are now evenly divided over whether Romney’s business experience is a plus or a minus, but they still consider him more ethical than the president. The attacks on Romney’s business record also haven’t changed the belief that venture capital firms like the one he worked for are better job creators than government programs like the ones championed by the president. 

Forty-two percent (42%) of voters agree with Obama that raising taxes on upper income Americans would help the economy, but there are sharp partisan differences of opinion. The Democratic preference for and Republican opposition to higher taxes is consistent with vast amounts of polling data showing that voters in the president’s party are more comfortable with the government playing a leading role in guiding the economy. 

But voters across the board sense that the government’s role is too big already. In the ongoing tension between government power and individual freedom, 66% believe that there is too much government power in America today and too little individual freedom. 

Half (49%) believe government anti-poverty programs actually increase the level of poverty in this country. Most think there are too many people on welfare who should not be getting it and believe overwhelmingly that those who do receive welfare benefits should be required to work. 

Americans’ confidence in the Federal Reserve Board keeping inflation under control is the lowest its been in 2012, as many continue to report paying more for groceries now compared to last year. 

Voters still hold a more positive view of the government bailouts of the automobile industry than they do of the ones given to the financial sector. Many Americans view the bailouts of GM and Chrysler more favorably these days, believing incorrectly that the government made money or broke even on them. Official estimates, however, indicate that the federal government will lose tens of billions of dollars on the auto bailouts alone. When told the government will lose money on the bailouts, views go much more negative. 

Most voters also continue to believe the president’s health care law will drive up the cost of health care and increase the federal deficit. Most still favor repeal of the law. 

Consumer confidence has been hovering just above the lowest levels of 2012. Only 25% of consumers believe the U.S. economy is getting better these days, while 55% say it’s getting worse. 

At the same time, confidence in the short- and long-term housing market among homeowners has fallen to the lowest level of 2012. Just 18% expect their home’s value to go up over the next year. Only 38% now believe the value of their home will go up over the next five years. 

Nearly half of young Americans now say they owe more money than they did last year. 

Given this picture, it’s not surprising that voters think economic growth comes first, and this puts the president on the defensive, Scott Rasmussen explains in a new radio update. Check Scott’s updates every day Monday through Friday on radio stations around the country.

Polls over the past month have consistently shown a very close general election race between Romney and the president. Support for both Obama and Romney has stayed between 44% and 47% every day for weeks in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll. 

While some of those voters could ultimately change their minds, the winner could very well be determined by the eight percent (8%) to 10% of voters who routinely refuse to commit to either of the major party candidates. Two of the most distinguishing characteristics of these voters are that they aren’t impressed with the president, and they aren’t paying much attention to the campaign. 

Right now, the president is leading in states with 247 Electoral College votes, while Romney’s ahead in states with 191 votes. Seven states with a total of 100 Electoral College votes remain Toss-Ups. 

In Ohio, it’s Obama 47%, Romney 45%. In Virginia, it’s Obama 47%, Romney 46%.  Both those states are considered toss-ups. Pennsylvania is rated as Leans Democrat and the president has a modest four-point advantage. 

Incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown still holds a modest 46% to 42% lead over Republican challenger Josh Mandel in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race. 

Following Obama’s visit to the state last Friday and Saturday with Democratic Senate candidate Tim Kaine by his side, the Virginia Senate race remains locked tight. Kaine earns 46% support to Republican George Allen’s 45%. 

Ohio is rated Leans Democrat and Virginia a Toss-Up in the Rasmussen Reports Senate Balance of Power rankings. 

Republicans continue to hold a small lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot as they have in weekly tracking since June 2009. Just over half (54%) of voters now expect politics in the nation’s capital to become more partisan, the lowest level in well over a year. 

Read the rest of the article with links at Rasmussen