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FOR RELEASE: MARCH 28, 2012

WOMEN FAVOR OBAMA IN FLORIDA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA,QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY SWING STATE POLL FINDS;ECONOMY, HEALTH CARE TOP VOTER CONCERNS

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FLORIDA: Obama 49 – Romney 42; Obama 50 – Santorum 37OHIO: Obama 47 – Romney 41; Obama 47 – Santorum 40PENNSYLVANIA: Obama 45 – Romney 42; Obama 48 – Santorum 41

In his best showing in this election cycle, President Barack Obama pulls away from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum in twocritical swing states, while a third state remains too close to call, according to today’s QuinnipiacUniversity Swing State Poll of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.Women back the president over Romney or Santorum by 6 to 19 percentage points in thethree states, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Most matchupsamong men are too close to call. Voters in these states are much more concerned with theeconomy and health care than they are with social issues and women’s reproductive health.Matching Obama against either Romney or Santorum in each of these key states – no onehas won the White House since 1960 without carrying at least two of them – shows:

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Florida:

Obama tops Romney 49 – 42 percent;Obama beats Santorum 50 – 37 percent.

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Ohio:

Obama over Romney 47 – 41 percent;Obama leads Santorum 47 – 40 percent.

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Pennsylvania:

Obama edges Romney 45 – 42 percent;Obama tops Santorum 48 – 41 percent.“President Barack Obama is on a roll in the key swing states. If the election were today, hewould carry at least two states. And if history repeats itself, that means he would be re-elected,”said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

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Peter A. Brown, AssistantDirector,Quinnipiac University PollingInstitute(203) 582-5201

Rubenstein Associates, Inc.,Public RelationsPat Smith 212 843-8026

Quinnipiac University Poll/March 28, 2012 – page 2

“But the election is not today. It is seven months away. Two months ago PresidentObama and Gov. Mitt Romney were in a statistical tie in Ohio and Florida,” Brown added.“The biggest reason for the president’s improving prospects probably is the economy.Roughly six in 10 voters in all three states think the economy is recovering. Moreover, voters blame the oil companies and oil-producing countries for the rise in gasoline prices and only aboutone in six voters blame them on President Obama.“Although the lead Romney had over Obama in trial matchups late last year hasdisappeared, he remains the stronger of the two major GOP contenders. Voters in Pennsylvaniastill see Romney as better able than the president to fix the economy and both Romney and Obamaare stronger than Sen. Rick Santorum on that measure in each state.“Despite the focus on social issues such as same-sex marriage and women’s reproductivehealth, these issues are lower priorities for the voters.”Voters blame oil companies and oil-producing nations more than Obama for gas prices.And about 60 percent in each state blame environmental regulations for increased prices.

Florida

Florida voters give Obama a split 47 – 49 percent job approval rating, and say 50 – 47 percent he deserves to be reelected.Voters describe candidate positions on these issues as important in their vote:

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The economy – 90 percent “extremely important ” or “very important;”

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Unemployment – 81 percent;

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The 2010 healthcare law – 78 percent;

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The federal budget deficit – 76 percent;

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The war in Afghanistan – 67 percent;

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Gas prices – 66 percent;

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Immigration – 55 percent;

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Women’s reproductive health issues – 48 percent;

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Social issues such as abortion and gay marriage – 39 percent.The economy is in a recession, 68 percent of voters say, but 57 percent say it is beginningto recover. Romney would do a better job on the economy, 48 percent of voters say, while 45 percent pick the president, but Obama tops Santorum 50 – 39 percent on this issue.Oil companies are most to blame for gas prices, 32 percent of voters say, while 23 percent blame oil-producing countries most; 18 percent blame Obama and 16 percent blame supply anddemand.

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Quinnipiac University Poll/March 28, 2012 – page 3

Florida voters oppose 54 – 36 percent releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve tocurb rising gas prices.Florida voters disapprove 52 – 36 percent of the job Gov. Rick Scott is doing, continuinghis year-long streak of negative ratings.“Although a solid majority of Florida voters see environmental regulations as a cause of higher gasoline prices, Sunshine State voters are slightly less likely than their brethren in Ohio andPennsylvania to see things that way. They are also the least supportive of the idea of tapping theStrategic Petroleum Reserve to combat higher gas prices,” Brown said.

Ohio

Ohio voters also give Obama a split 47 – 49 percent job approval rating, and split 48 – 48 percent on whether he deserves to be reelected.Voters describe candidate positions on these issues as important in their vote:

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The economy – 91 percent “extremely important ” or “very important;”

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Unemployment – 82 percent;

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The 2010 healthcare law – 77 percent;

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The federal budget deficit – 75 percent;

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Gas prices – 67 percent;

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The war in Afghanistan – 66 percent;

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Women’s reproductive health issues – 49 percent;

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Immigration – 47 percent;

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Social issues such as abortion and gay marriage – 43 percent.The economy is in a recession, 68 percent of voters say, but 58 percent say it is beginningto recover. Voters split 45 – 45 percent on whether Obama or Romney would do a better job onthe economy, but Obama tops Santorum 48 – 41 percent on this issue.Oil companies are most to blame for gas prices, 39 percent of voters say, while 19 percent blame oil-producing countries most; 18 percent blame Obama and 14 percent blame supply anddemand.Ohio voters oppose 49 – 44 percent releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.Ohio voters split 42 – 42 percent in their approval of the job Gov. John Kasich is doing, his best score since he was elected more than a year ago.“After years as the poster children for the nation’s economic woes, Ohio voters are becoming more optimistic about the economy, and this increasing optimism seems to be helpingGov. John Kasich whose job approval is even, but his best in his first year in office.”

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