Washington: A new poll has shown that US President Barack Obama’s re-election prospects are essentially a 50-50 proposition though public outlook on the economy is improving.
The Associated Press-GfK poll found that 52 percent of respondents said Obama should be voted out of office while 43 percent said he deserves another term.
The poll found that 34 percent respondents described the US economy as "very poor" as compared to 43 percent in October, The Courier Mail reports.
Twenty percent of respondents said the economy has improved in the past month, while 37 percent said they expected the economy to improve in 2012. Obama’s approval rating on unemployment has, however, climbed to 45 percent as the country’s jobless rate fell to 8.6 percent in November.
But his approval rating on his tackling US economy remained stagnant with 39 per cent approving it and 60 percent disapproving it.
Obama``s overall job approval has reached a new low of 44 percent approving and 54 per cent disapproving.
47 percent of respondents said they would support Obama and 46 percent favoured former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. The poll found that 51 percent of respondents prefer Obama as compared to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who received 42 percent support.
Obama``s personal favourability rating is constant at 53 per cent, while 46 percent hold the contrary view. About three-quarters called him likable. The Associated Press-GfK poll surveyed 1000 American adults between December 8 and 12. ANI