We're still 14 months away from the 2012 Iowa caucuses, the first nominating contests of the presidential race, but an Associated Press-Knowledge Networks Poll released today shows President Barack Obama's path to re-nomination, much less re-election, is anything but smooth.
"Among all 2008 voters, 51 percent say he deserves to be defeated in November 2012 while 47 percent support his re-election," the AP reports. Keep in mind that electorate is far more pro-Obama than the likely 2012 electorate.
Nine out of ten Republicans oppose Obama's re-election, unsurprisingly. Among Democrats, one out of four oppose his re-election. Among independents, who decide elections, Obama's re-election bid trails by 10 points, 46 percent to 36 percent.
But it's those Democrat numbers that should give the White House reason to worry. "Among Democrats, 47 percent say Obama should be challenged for the 2012 nomination," the AP reports. Many of those backed Hillary Clinton in the 2008 nomination contest.
Along with 61 percent of Clinton 2008 backers, a troubling 29 percent of Obama's 2008 backers now want a 2012 primary challenger.
"More than 1 in 4 who said in October 2008 that Obama understands the problems of ordinary Americans now say he doesn't. The same is true for those who said he is innovative, cares about people like them and shares their values," the AP reports.
"Of those who said right after the 2008 election that they had a favorable opinion of Obama, nearly one-quarter now view him negatively," the AP reports.
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