Michigan holds the No. 4 spot when it comes to the states with the nation's worst unemployment, so it is perhaps no surprise the economy is front and center on residents' minds in the newest polls. Released Friday, the numbers show that not only are Michiganders pessimistic about the state's economy, but also about economic recovery on a national level.
Additional polling reveals that Michigan is no longer squarely in President Barack Obama's corner either. The survey, while specific to the state, reflects the overall dissatisfaction with the economy and the president that is popping up fairly clearly in polls taken across the nation this past week as well.
Here is some of the key information related to the new polling regarding Michigan's economy and the state's national outlook.
* The poll regarding Michigan's economy was conducted by EPIC-MRA from Aug. 13 to 16 and involved some 600 registered voters from around the state.
* A full 65 percent of those polled said they believe that Michigan's economy is either still on a downward slide and getting worse or has leveled off to stay stagnant and remains poor overall.
* Michigan's unemployment rate for July rose for the third straight month, by 0.4 percent, to a high of 10.9 percent, the largest unemployment percentage so far this year.
* The Epic-MRA poll also found that some 54 percent of Michiganders believe the state is on the wrong track as a whole, as opposed to 31 percent who think it is moving in the right direction.
* Additionally, the poll found 75 percent of Michiganders when asked reported that they felt that the nation as a whole was moving in the wrong direction, and 40 percent of those surveyed also gave failing marks to President Obama.
* A Gallup poll released Wednesday that involved voters from across the nation appeared to mostly echo the sentiments of the Michigan poll. Some 71 percent of those surveyed gave President Obama a failing grade on his handling of the national economy.
* A poll by Rasmussen Reports released on Saturday put President Obama's national job approval rating at 42 percent overall, some of the lowest polling numbers he has faced since he took office.
* In 2008, Michigan voted for President Obama against Sen. John McCain by a margin of 57.4 percent to 40.9 percent, respectively.
* No Republican has won the state of Michigan in a presidential election since President George H.W. Bush in 1988.
* In the Epic-MRA poll, Obama would have lost to Republican Mitt Romney by 45 percent to 43 percent if the 2012 presidential election had been held this past week.
Vanessa Evans is a musician and former freelance writer based in Michigan, with a lifelong interest in politics and public issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.