The Huffington Post reports that more Americans would prefer to see Barack Obama re-elected than would prefer a Republican to win in 2012, according to a new poll released by the Pew Research Center.
The poll, which was conducted March 8-14, questioned 1,525 adults. It's hard to put too much stock in that teeny sample, but for what it's worth, 48 percent of respondents said they would rather see Obama re-elected, while 35 percent said they would prefer a Republican and 16 percent didn't know. Among registered voters, 47 percent favored Obama, and 37 percent preferred a Republican.
By comparison, in 2003 a Pew survey of registered voters found that 48 percent wanted to see George W. Bush re-elected, and 35 percent would have preferred a Democrat. Bush's approval rating then was higher than Obama's is now, and more people said they were satisfied than dissatisfied with the direction of the country.
We're not sure how to get our heads around the idea that doing almost as well as George W. Bush appears to be something to celebrate. It doesn't quite compute. But whether the poll results are interpreted to be hopeful or depressing, they represent little more than fantasy and speculation at this point. No one should get too attached to them before the emergence of an actual Republican candidate.
Read more at the Huffington Post.
In other news: Poll: Gabrielle Union Stands Up for Planned Parenthood.