(Week of 4/21/2012) Two in three Americans (65%) say they are following the 2012 Presidential election campaign very or somewhat closely.
Republicans (77%) are more interested than Democrats (62%), and so are Independents (73%). Two groups Democrats are counting on in 2012, Hispanics (49%) and adults under age 30 (42%), display the least interest.
That differential in interest levels is what should be expected after a primary campaign season that included only Republican primaries and caucuses at the Presidential level, no campaign activities for Obama and the Democrats. Now both parties face a situation that is unusual in the history of American Presidential politics. Romney and Obama have nothing to do and nowhere to go until the Republican National Convention in Tampa in the last week of August and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in the first week of September. A little over 195 days remain until Election Day in November, but most of that time is unscripted for the two campaigns.
How will Romney’s team and especially Obama’s convince their core voters that there is something in it to get excited about in the campaign right now?
Economist/YouGov poll archives can be found here
Photo source: Press Association
