Obama gets the needs of average Americans very or fairly well, more than half said. Poll: Obama best understands people

Most Americans say President Barack Obama understands the problems of average Americans better than either Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich do, according to a new poll Monday.

More than half of voters, or 55 percent, say Obama connects with the needs of average Americans very or fairly well, a Pew Research Center/Washington Post poll found. Still, 41 percent told pollsters the president doesn’t understand people’s problems too well or not at all well. The two Republican candidates, however, fare much worse: only 39 percent say Romney understands the problems of average Americans very or fairly well, and just 36 percent say the same for Gingrich.


And 51 percent say Gingrich does not connect with the needs of typical Americans well, while just under half — 48 percent — told pollsters Romney understands people’s problems not too well or not at all well.

Slightly more than half of independent voters, or 53 percent, say Obama is empathetic, while only 38 percent and 37 percent, respectively, had the same positive rating for Romney and Gingrich.

Along party lines, a whopping 84 percent of Democrats say Obama does connect with the concerns of average people. Among Republicans, 61 percent told pollsters Romney does connect well, and 60 percent say the same for Gingrich.

The poll surveyed 1,006 adults Jan. 26-29. The margin of error is plus or minus four percentage points.