Gallup: Americans See Obama as Solid Favorite to Win Election [View all]

[Drunken Irishman]

While not a head-to-head poll, perception is always important in a campaign. If people see you as a loser, they'll be less likely to support your campaign. It also could help demoralize the base of your opponent. Of course, we shouldn't get complacent - so, while we should always enjoy good news, realize it should also mean we need to work a little harder to keep this sustained.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/154670/Americans-See-Obama-Solid-Favorite-Win-Election.aspx

Fifty-six percent of Americans think Barack Obama will win the 2012 presidential election, compared with 36% who think Mitt Romney will win. Democrats are more likely to believe that Obama will win than Republicans are to believe Romney will. Independents are nearly twice as likely to think that Obama, rather than Romney, will prevail.

Including the 2008 election, Americans' predictions of the four prior presidential elections were also generally accurate.

In three separate measurements in 2004, Americans thought Bush would be the winner in two and were split in their predictions in the other, conducted immediately after the Democratic convention. In the final prediction, from mid-October, 56% thought Bush would win and 36% thought Kerry would.

The accuracy of the 2000 election prediction is harder to evaluate, given that Al Gore won the popular vote and George W. Bush the electoral vote. In four out of five measurements that year, Americans thought Bush would win, though in the final measurement, taken in mid-September, Americans gave Gore the edge.

In an August 1996 poll, Americans overwhelmingly believed incumbent Bill Clinton (69%) would defeat Bob Dole (24%).