April 19, 2012 09:20 PM UTC

Obama's Strengths and Weaknesses

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• by: Colorado Pols

The Wall Street Journal on a new Quinnipiac University poll out today:

President Barack Obama’s popularity with women and minorities contributes to his 46%-42% lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released Thursday.

Mr. Romney’s difficulty in making a personal connection with voters persists, according to the poll, but the likely Republican presidential nominee is virtually tied with the president on Americans’ ability to view him as a leader.

Asked about each candidate’s personal characteristics, 81% find the president likable, compared with 63% who say that about Mr. Romney.  More voters, 57%, say Mr. Obama cares about their needs and problems, compared with only 44% for Mr. Romney.  Still, 61% of those polled say the former Bain Capital chief has “strong leadership qualities,” more than the president’s 60%…

The poll of 2,577 American voters is the latest of several suggesting a close race in November.

Within the big picture of a four-point lead for President Barack Obama there are some interesting numbers: a familiar Ken Buck-style gap between support for Obama among women vs. more men supporting Romney, as well as stark racial disparities in support for the two candidates. But Romney’s relative strength in this poll on jobs and the economy is certainly worrisome for Obama, and shows his political dependence on how the economy continues to recover between now and Election Day.

Not surprisingly, this leads directly to the next partisan divide–CBS News:

Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to view both the condition and the direction of the economy favorably. Fifty-four percent of Democrats think the economy is getting better, and 42 percent think its condition is at least somewhat good. Only 16 percent of Republicans think the economy is getting better…

With other factors crystallizing, this perception–or perception gap–is a must-win battlefield.