A majority of voters believe the country is worse off today than it was four years ago and that President Obama does not deserve reelection, according to a new poll for The Hill.

Fifty-two percent of likely voters say the nation is in “worse condition” now than in September 2008, while 54 percent say Obama does not deserve reelection based solely on his job performance.

Only 31 percent of voters believe the nation is in “better condition,” while 15 percent say it is “about the same,” the poll found. Just 40 percent of voters said Obama deserves reelection.

The results highlight the depth of voter dissatisfaction confronting Obama as he makes his case for a second term at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC.

They also strongly suggest Democrats need to convince voters the election should be a choice between Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney, rather than a referendum on the president.

Obama’s biggest problem remains voter unhappiness with his handling of the economy.

Fifty percent of voters said they were “very unsatisfied” with Obama’s stewardship of the economy. Another 8 percent said they were somewhat unsatisfied.

More voters in The Hill’s poll think Romney will win the fall election than think Obama will win -- despite state-by-state polls that suggest the president would have an edge in a number of swing states if the election were held today. The poll found 46 percent of voters believe Romney will win the Nov. 6 election, compared to 43 percent who said they expect Obama to win.

The Hill’s poll was conducted Sept. 2 among 1,000 likely voters by Pulse Opinion Research. It has a 3 percentage point margin of error...

The Hill’s polling shows skepticism about the president is entrenched among coveted centrist voters who are key to the election outcome.

Fifty-two percent of centrists said Obama does not deserve reelection based on his job performance, 56 percent are unsatisfied with his handling of the economy and 53 percent feel the country is worse off.

Men (57 percent) are more likely than women (51 percent) to believe Obama does not deserve reelection.

The poll found sharp partisan differences in views about Obama. While 78 percent of Democrats believe the president deserves reelection, 1 in 5 do not believe he should get a second term. A poll for The Hill in early July also found 1 in 5 Democrats feel Obama has changed the nation for the worse as president. Eighty percent of Republicans believe Obama doesn’t deserve reelection, and only 11 percent think he does.

Among “other” voters -- those who said they were neither Democrats nor Republicans -- 61 percent say Obama does not deserve reelection...

Among those aged 18-39 -- a voting bloc that helped push Obama to victory in 2008 -- 51 percent said the president does not deserve reelection, while 40 percent said he does.

Anti-Obama sentiment is strongest among seniors, the poll found. Sixty-five percent of voters aged 65 and over said Obama shouldn’t get a second term, while 53 percent of voters 40-64 years old feel the same.

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Editor's Note: We recognize that the only polls that matter are the internal polls of each party (which we will never see for obvious reasons) and then the only poll that counts, the election on November 6th. That said, this is a damning poll for the Obama campaign, being that it reflects the pulse of the nation.


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