Newsweek / Daily Beast Poll Reveals American Voters Unaffected by President's bin Laden Victory

NEW YORK, May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- An exclusive Newsweek / Daily Beast poll using exclusive data conducted immediately before the president's Sunday announcement about the death of the FBI's most wanted terrorist - and immediately after - indicates that President Obama's approval ratings have remained static despite media rhetoric to the contrary.  

Polling 1200 voters – 600 on Saturday April 30th and Sunday May 1st, and a further 600 on Monday May 2nd and Tuesday May 3rd - Newsweek and The Daily Beast discovered that in the aftermath of bin Laden's death;

There was no change to President Obama's overall approval rating  

BEFORE: 48% APPROVE, 49% DISAPPROVE

AFTER: 48% APPROVE, 49% DISAPPROVE

There was a 10% increase in those who now feel the country is headed in the right direction

BEFORE: Right, 20%, Wrong, 65%

AFTER: Right, 30%, Wrong 55%

27 % feel the economy is headed in the right direction

BEFORE: Right, 31%, Wrong, 56%

AFTER: Right, 27%, Wrong 60%

Further research revealed;

- 55% think President Obama is a strong leader overall

- 63% think President Obama is a strong leader in the war on terrorism

- 38% feel President Obama has made the world more safe

- 45% of American's say President Bush has done a better job at prosecuting the war on terror than President Obama

- 26% of American's feel safer following the news that Osama bin Laden has been killed

- Only 5% of Americans say news that Osama bin Laden has been killed has changed the way they will vote in the 2012 presidential election

Looking ahead to the 2012 election;

In an Obama / Romney 2012 race, 42% would vote for Obama / 36% for Romney

In an Obama / Huckabee 2012 race, 42% would vote for Obama / 38% Huckabee

In an Obama / Palin 2012 race, 50% would vote for Obama / 29% Palin

In an Obama / Trump 2012 race, 53% would vote for Obama / 25% Trump

To review the comprehensive poll findings and full methodology, please visit www.thedailybeast.com  

The poll was conducted by Douglas E. Schoen, LLC on behalf of Newsweek/The Daily Beast, and has a margin of sampling error of +/-3 percent.

SOURCE The Daily Beast