Almost seven months after Republicans took control of the House, pollsters, politicians and advisers from both parties tell the Associated Press that President Barack Obama's re-election in 2012 is likely.
On the heels of launching his re-election campaign, Obama's hopes of returning to the Oval Office have gained some footing amid slow, yet optimistic economic growth, as well as the May 1 killing of Osama bin Laden. The slight uptick in Obama's most recent approval rating bodes well for the first-term president, who faced dwindling support this time last year because of a sluggish economy and the BP Gulf Coast oil spill.
The historic nature of Obama's 2008 election has helped keep Obama's favorability ratings steadily high, even in light of fluctuating job-approval ratings, some experts argue. Many nonpartisan, centrist voters still back Obama in encouraging numbers, according to Fergus Cullen, former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party.
Although support for the president is rebounding, Obama faces a disparate Democrat electorate amid declining Democratic enthusiasm and energetic Republican support.
Experts believe that the Democrats' use of partisan tactics to pass legislation, such as contentious health care reform measures, may have turned independents away from the party during the 2010 midterm election. Still, Republicans' similar use of partisan maneuvering, particularly recent attempts to severely reduce funding for Medicare, may help propel Obama toward re-election.
Read more at the Huffington Post.
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