{"id":49849,"date":"2012-09-10T15:38:28","date_gmt":"2012-09-10T20:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2012\/09\/10\/democratic-convention-highlights-clinton-outshines-obama\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T04:10:39","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T09:10:39","slug":"democratic-convention-highlights-clinton-outshines-obama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2012\/09\/10\/democratic-convention-highlights-clinton-outshines-obama\/","title":{"rendered":"Democratic Convention Highlights: Clinton Outshines Obama"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/h2>\n\n

Like Mitt Romney, Barack Obama was not the highlight of his party\u2019s convention. Among those who watched at least a little coverage of the Democratic convention, 29% say the highlight <\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

was Bill Clinton\u2019s speech, while 16% name Obama\u2019s speech as the highlight. About as many (15%) say that first lady Michelle Obama\u2019s speech was the highlight of the convention.<\/p>\n\n

The latest survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Sept. 7-9, 2012 among 1,012 adults nationwide, finds that while Obama\u2019s speech was not the highlight of the convention, it is evaluated more positively than Romney\u2019s convention address. Six-in-ten (60%) of those who watched at least a little convention coverage rate Obama\u2019s speech as excellent or good; that compares with 53% of GOP convention watchers who rated Romney\u2019s speech positively.<\/p>\n\n

However, Obama\u2019s speech was not viewed nearly as positively as his address at the convention four years ago: 73% said that speech was excellent or good. In 2008, 42% of convention watchers rated Obama\u2019s speech as excellent, compared with 29% who rate it that highly today.<\/p>\n\n

While Obama\u2019s speech was overshadowed by Clinton\u2019s, Romney shared the spotlight with actor Clint Eastwood. About as many said Eastwood\u2019s speech was the highlight of the GOP convention as mentioned Romney\u2019s speech. (For more, see \u201cRNC Highlights: Romney Shares Top Billing with Eastwood,\u201d<\/a> Sept. 5, 2012.)<\/p>\n\n

Views of Obama: Before and After<\/h3>\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Overall views of Obama, like opinions about Romney, have improved modestly in the wake of his party\u2019s convention. In the new survey, 26% say their opinion of Obama has become more favorable in the past few days, while 20% say their opinion has become less favorable. Nearly half (48%) say their view of Obama has not changed.<\/p>\n\n

In a survey conducted in late August, prior to the Charlotte convention, 16% said their opinion of Obama had become more favorable recently while 22% said it had become less favorable; 56% said it had not changed.<\/p>\n\n

Recent opinions of Romney showed a similar positive shift after the GOP convention: The percentage saying they had come to have a more favorable view of Romney increased by seven points, from 18% before the Republican convention to 25% after it.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Overall, more Americans say they watched all or most of the Democratic convention than the Republican convention (22% vs. 17%); A third (33%) say they watched none of the coverage of the Democratic convention, compared with 40% who watched none of the coverage of the GOP convention.<\/p>\n\n

Interest in this year\u2019s Democratic convention is on par with interest in the party\u2019s convention four years ago. In the 2008 post-convention survey, 22% said they watched all or most of the convention, the same percentage as in the current survey.<\/p>\n\n

Among those who watched at least a little of the convention coverage, 60% rated Obama\u2019s speech as excellent (29%) or good (31%), compared with 53% who viewed Romney\u2019s speech as either excellent (21%) or good (32%).<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Women, younger people and independents viewed Obama\u2019s acceptance more positively than Romney\u2019s. Among women who watched at least a little convention coverage, 62% said Obama\u2019s speech was excellent or good, while 50% said the same about Romney\u2019s speech. Fully 63% of those younger than 50 rated Obama\u2019s speech positively, compared with 43% who said Romney\u2019s speech was excellent or good.<\/p>\n\n

And while partisans overwhelmingly view the speech of their nominee positively, more independents expressed positive opinions about Obama\u2019s speech than Romney\u2019s (57% vs. 46%).<\/p>\n\n

Obama Overshadowed<\/h3>\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Four years ago, Obama\u2019s speech was the clear highlight of the Democratic party convention<\/a>. Nearly four-in-ten (38%) of those who watched at least a little convention coverage said his speech was the highlight; Hillary Clinton\u2019s speech was a distant second at 16%.<\/p>\n\n

This year, however, Obama\u2019s speech was overshadowed by Bill Clinton\u2019s address: 29% say Clinton\u2019s speech was the highlight, nearly twice the percentage citing Obama\u2019s speech (16%).<\/p>\n\n

More Democrats mentioned Clinton\u2019s speech as the highlight than cited Obama\u2019s address (36% vs. 24%). Independents also are more likely to say that Clinton\u2019s speech was the convention highlight (29% vs. 15%).<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Like Mitt Romney, Barack Obama was not the highlight of his party\u2019s convention. Among those who watched at least a little coverage of the Democratic convention, 29% say the highlight was Bill Clinton\u2019s speech, while 16% name Obama\u2019s speech as the highlight. About as many (15%) say that first lady Michelle Obama\u2019s speech was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sub_headline":"But Obama's Speech Gets Better Marks than Romney's","sub_title":"But Obama's Speech Gets Better Marks than 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