Q poll: Obama job approval still negative

Here are the Pa findings from the Quinnipiac swing state poll released this morning, showing the president's job approval ratings at a negative 52% (crosstabs here):

Gingrich is number one in Pennsylvania’s Republican primary pack with 31 percent, eclipsing Romney’s 17 percent.  Native son Rick Santorum has 9 percent and no other candidate tops 7 percent.

In a two-man faceoff, Gingrich thumps Romney 50 – 31 percent.

Gingrich gets a negative 30 – 44 percent favorability rating from all Pennsylvania voters, compared to Romney’s positive 34 – 30 percent and Obama’s 46 – 47 percent split.

Biden, a Scranton native with deep blue collar roots, has a 43 – 39 percent favorability.

Pennsylvania voters disapprove 52 – 43 percent of the job Obama is doing and split       47 – 49 percent on whether he deserves reelection.

For 43 percent of Pennsylvania Republicans, the economy is the most important issue.  Republicans say 30 – 22 percent that Gingrich rather than Romney would do the best job among GOP contenders on the economy.   All voters say 48 – 42 percent that Romney would do a better job on the economy than Obama.  Obama gets 46 percent to Gingrich’s 45 percent on the economy.

Comparing Gingrich and Romney on other issues, Pennsylvania Republicans say:

• 47 – 12 percent that Gingrich would do a better job on foreign policy;
• 49 – 18 percent that Gingrich has the knowledge and experience to be a good president;
• 26 – 9 percent that Romney has strong moral character;
• 41 – 22 percent that Gingrich is a strong leader.

“The fact that both Romney and Gingrich trail the president by 3 and 8 points respectively at this point in the Keystone State could be a good sign for the Republicans given that Obama carried Pennsylvania by double digits in 2008,” said Brown. “It is almost impossible to come up with a reasonable scenario in which Obama loses Pennsylvania – which hasn’t voted Republican for President since 1988 – and keeps his job.