While President Barack Obama and New York's Democratic senators do not have to really worry about winning over the state's voters in the November elections, a new exclusive NY1-Marist College poll shows that the president still has an approval rating of below 50 percent in New York State. NY1's Bobby Cuza filed the following report.
The 2012 presidential election is now essentially a two-man race. But with some national polls showing Mitt Romney ahead of President Barack Obama, here in New York it is a different story.
An exclusive NY1-Marist College poll shows voters statewide support Obama over Romney 57 to 35 percent, with just 8 percent undecided.
“Barack Obama has a double-digit lead — 22 percentage points — over Mitt Romney in New York State. And that doesn’t come as any shocking news,” says NY1-Marist pollster Lee Miringoff. The poll does show some stark demographic and geographic differences. In New York City, for instance, Obama enjoys a 46 percentage-point lead over Romney; upstate, his lead is just 10 points.
The racial divide is even wider: among whites, Obama leads by just 5 percentage points, 48 to 43 percent. Among non-whites, he leads by 63 points.
Similarly, among men Obama enjoys a 9 percentage-point lead. Among women, it’s 34 points.
“You see that as a huge gender gap in New York. We’re seeing it nationally as well," says Miringoff. "In New York, of course, he’s carrying men as well. Nationally, that can be a very different picture.”
With New York leaning heavily towards Obama, one probably will not see much of the candidates in the city this fall, except to fundraise.
But what may be of concern to the president are his approval numbers, which even here in New York remain mired under 50 percent.
Just 47 percent of New York voters approve of Obama’s job performance, versus 53 percent who disapprove.
“So it’s not that people think he’s doing such a terrific job. It’s just that when it comes a choice between Obama and Romney, they clearly go in Obama’s direction,” says Miringoff.
Meanwhile, the poll shows Senator Kirsten Gillibrand well-positioned as she runs for her first full term in office.
About 42 percent say they plan to vote for her, versus just 23 percent say they will vote against her. Unsure voters make up 35 percent.
Meanwhile, her Democratic colleague, Senator Charles Schumer, is coasting along with a 54 percent approval rating, though he will not face re-election until 2016.