We might as well pack it in, guys. A new Bloomberg poll says Obama's up by thirteen points:
Obama leads Romney 53 percent to 40 percent among likely voters, even as the public gives him low marks on handling the economy and the deficit, and six in 10 say the nation is headed down the wrong track, according to the poll conducted June 15- 18. The survey shows Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, has yet to repair the damage done to his image during the Republican primary. Thirty-nine percent of Americans view him favorably, about the same as when he announced his presidential candidacy last June, while 48 percent see him unfavorably -- a 17-percentage point jump during a nomination fight dominated by attacks ads. A majority of likely voters, 55 percent, view him as more out of touch with average Americans compared with 36 percent who say the president is more out of touch.
So Americans apparently believe that President "Doing Fine" is 20 percentage points less "out of touch" with average Americans than his opponent. Fascinating. I'm sure he'll ponder that statistic as he enters the back nine on his 101st presidential golf outing. The survey sample is skewed, obviously, but let's address this survey from another perspective. Ask yourself the following questions:
(1) Do you believe Obama fever is twice as hot as it was in 2008 (when Obama won by roughly 6.5 points)? This poll says it is.
(2) How has Barack Obama netted 13 points since Bloomberg's March poll, which had the race tied at 47?
(3) Does Bloomberg have a better grasp on this race than Rasmussen and Gallup, both of which show Romney ahead today by identical 47-45 margins?
(4) Does Barack Obama have a commanding lead nationally, despite being tied or down in new polls out of Michigan and Iowa -- both states that he won by double digits last time?
(5) If Barack Obama is cruising to a decisive victory, why is an expanding pool of elected Democrats choosing to jump ship from September's Democratic National Convention, where Obama will be re-nominated?
(6) How massive would Obama's lead be if he hadn't just suffered a solid month of failed attacks, exploded narratives, party defections, botched events, inadvertent tells, and dreadful economic news? 30 points? 50?
Parting thought: With economic numbers being revised downward today, might the US cross back into negative job growth this month? It's ugly out there. Thank goodness the private sector is doing fine, and the president has so much breathing room in the polls. Thanks, Bloomberg.