Gallup: Majority Say Romney’s Wealth Won’t Affect Their Vote

An overwhelming majority of voters – 75 percent – say that Mitt Romney’s $200 million net worth makes no difference in their choice between him and President Barack Obama, according to a new Gallup poll.

Meanwhile, 20 percent of voters say Romney’s wealth makes them less likely to vote for him, and 4 percent say it makes them more likely to vote for him.

Breaking it down by party affiliation, among Republicans, 89 percent say Romney’s riches make no difference, 8 percent say they are a reason to vote for him, and 4 percent say they are a reason to vote against him. Among Democrats, 62 percent don’t care about Romney’s wealth, 37 percent say it’s a negative factor, and 1 percent say it’s positive.

The sentiment of independents may be most important, as they are likely to decide the election’s outcome. In this demographic 76 are indifferent to Romney’s wealth, 19 percent say it makes them less likely to vote for him, and 4 percent say it makes them more likely to vote for him.

Among income categories, the most indifferent toward Romney’s wealth (80 percent) are those earning between $24,000 and $60,000 a year. The most inclined to vote against Romney because of his wealth (28 percent) are those making less than $24,000. And the most likely to vote for Romney because of his wealth (8 percent) are those making between $60,000 and $90,000.

While the Obama campaign seeks to portray Romney as a tool of the rich, “most Americans claim Romney's wealth will not affect their vote, perhaps reflecting Gallup research showing that the majority of Americans believe the U.S. benefits from having a rich class and would themselves like to be rich,” writes Gallup’s Frank Newport.

“Still, enough Americans generally and independents specifically say Romney's wealth makes them less likely to vote for him that it could in theory make a difference at the margins in some key swing states.”