A recent Gallup poll has found that 53% of Americans prefer North Korea’s Kim Jong-in to President Barack Obama. The poll asked voters who they would rather vote for to hold office, given the choice, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un or current President Barack Obama. Pollsters were reportedly surprised by the result, expecting Obama to comfortably beat Mr. Kim. This latest embarrassment is sure to cast a shadow on an already embattled Presidency.
Strong support for North Korea’s Mr. Kim across voter segments
Republican voters showed a heavy preference for Kim Jong-un, favoring him 61 percent to Obama’s 39 percent, while the gap among Democrats was much more narrow, 52% to 48%, and within the margin of error. Regionally, preference for Mr. Kim’s rating was highest in the south, with some 64% percent of voters preferring him over Obama. Obama narrowly beat on Mr. Kim on the West coast, securing a 54 percent preference rate.
White voters also showed a stronger preference for the North Korean leader, 54% to 46%. Black voters were the only group to show a strong preference for Obama, with some 55% preferring the President. Asian voters were split 50-50 on who to vote for, though 54% Americans of Korean descent preferred Obama.
Voters cited numerous factors
Jim Jones, a Republican from Ohio, told pollsters, “I mean, I don’t really like Kim Jong-un, but at least he’s a strong leader. When he says he’ll do something, he actually does it. And he’s not afraid to stand up to anybody. He threatens the United States at least once a week and we cower before him. But look at how Obama handled Ukraine and Syria and Congress and everything. He’s weak.”
Mary, from Michigan, cited the United States’ high-unemployment rate, stating “I’ve been unemployed for four years. At least in North Korea they have jobs. Yeah, sure, most of them are in work camps but something is better than nothing, right?”
Unsurprisingly, Obamacare was also cited among many voters. One voter, who wished to remain unidentified, stated “At least in North Korea they don’t have all this socialist health care or any of this other communist crap.” Experts have noted, however, that North Korea was originally founded on Communist principles.
Potential political fallout could impact elections
The White House has yet to respond to the poll, though the potential implications for the 2014 election cycle could be dramatic. The President’s Press Secretary simply stated that the administration is examining the poll and will comment later.
Undoubtedly, Republicans will look to use this development to bring independent voters into the fold. And while the 2012 Presidential cycle is long over, Republicans will almost certainly focus on the President this fall.
The Gallup poll was conducted on April 1st, 2014 and polled 1,162 voters. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percent.
