Obama Understands People Best: Poll

More than half say he relates to average Americans

By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 30, 2012 6:06 PM CST

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Obama Understands People Best: Poll — President Barack Obama shares a laugh as he is introduced by Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., before speaking at the House Democratic Issues Conference, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, in Cambridge, Md. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

No-Drama Obama may be lying low these days, but most Americans say he relates to their problems best. A new Pew Research/Washington Post poll of 1,006 adults gives President Obama good marks on the empathy scale, Politico reports:

55% say he relates to the needs of average people fairly or very well. Not bad, next to 39% for Mitt Romney and 36% for Newt Gingrich.

Some 41% of those polled say Obama doesn't understand average problems well or at all. Asked the same about Gingrich, 51% agreed; 48% gave the same answer about Romney.
Among independent voters, 53% call Obama empathetic, while only 38% and 37% say the same of Romney and Gingrich, respectively.
Among Democrats, a striking 84% say the president relates to the concerns of average Americans. Among Republicans, 61% say Romney relates, and 60% say as much of Gingrich.

See the entire poll here. (Read more President Obama stories.)