Polling Memo: A Sincerity Struggle

The Economist/YouGov: Obama’s Sincerity

On Tuesday, President Obama held a press conference to address his forthcoming sequester, a provision that will make automatic spending cuts come March 1^st.

According to Politico, the President’s statement touted his usual “fill-in-the-blank,” formulaic approach, replacing anything substantive with a layer of ambiguity.  It looked a little something like this:

 “Tout what he’s already done. Say the public’s in his corner. Demand Congress do something. Lament Washington dysfunction. Lay out his own plan. Avoid details. Urge voters to keep up the pressure. Warn it won’t be easy. Bask in the applause.” (Carrie Budoff Brown, “President Obama’s fill-in-the-blank sales pitch,” Politico, February 6, 2013)

With this, the question quickly becomes, are voters buying it?  While Americans on the whole remain split, a new poll from The Economist/You Gov shows Obama experiencing a sincerity struggle with two key demographic groups—Independents and seniors—as a majority among both are convinced Obama simply says what people want to hear.

POLLSTER: The Economist/YouGov

DATE: Conducted 1/26-28/2013

SAMPLE: Sampled 1,000 Adults; 18±; MoE ±5.1%

SOURCE: http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/document/9e5hbws0mp/20130126_econTabReport.pdf

Politico Article: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/president-obamas-fill-in-the-blank-sales-pitch-87243_Page2.html</>

New poll shows Obama having a sincerity struggle among Seniors & Independents #tcot nrcc.org/2013/02/08/pol…

— Topline Translator (@ToplineReport) February 8, 2013