Obama's Support Plunges Among Independents

Of course, independents are a wishy-washy bunch and their loyalties can switch on a dime, but for now Obama's in trouble with that group:

The sizeable lead Barack Obama held over a generic Republican opponent in polls conducted earlier this year has vanished as his support among independent voters has fallen off.Currently, 41% of registered voters say they would like to see Barack Obama reelected, while 40% say they would prefer to see a Republican candidate win in 2012. In May, Obama held an 11-point lead.

This shift is driven by a steep drop-off in support for Obama among independents. The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted July 20-24 among 1,501 adults and 1,205 registered voters finds that just 31% of independent voters want to see Obama reelected, down from 42% in May and 40% in March. Where Obama held a slim 7-point edge among independent registered voters two months ago, a generic Republican holds an 8-point edge today.

It's amazing to think 41% of voters would be willing to give Obama another four years, but when you realize that 47% of wage earners pay zero income tax, it's not that hard to understand. Being on the receiving end of government services without contributing is hard to give up. Of course they're going to vote for the guy who promises to keep them fat, stupid and lazy.

Mark Steyn also has some thoughts about the independents:

“I don’t have a lot of sympathy for the independents because I think in 2008, they thought they could afford their kind of moral narcissism,” Steyn said. “They voted for Obama to feel good about themselves. They ignored a lot of evidence as to what kind of guy he is and the world which he had been marinated his entire adult life. And they realize like a lot of people that they actually couldn’t afford the consequences of that vote. And I think the reality of that is still staring them in the face.”