Poll: NC casts skeptical eye at Romney

The Elon University Poll surveyed 640 people statewide Sunday through Wednesday and also found residents overwhelmingly reject the idea of unlimited campaign contributions and support higher taxes for wealthy Americans.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

Forty-nine percent of respondents have a favorable opinion of Obama, compared with only 28 percent for Romney. Obama's unfavorable rating was at 42 percent, while Romney's was 43 percent.

The economy is, by far, the most important issue to North Carolina residents. Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed cited jobs and unemployment as the biggest issue facing the state, while education was second at 13.2 percent.

Fifty-four percent of respondents said they don't like the way Obama has handled the economy, while only 21 percent said they support the steps the president has taken.

In other issues, the poll found that nearly two-thirds of North Carolina residents believe super PACs, the political groups that can spend unlimited amounts on behalf of candidates they support, should be outlawed. Fifty-three percent said limits should be in place for individual campaign contributions, while 73 percent called for limits on corporate contributions and 69 percent said they want limits on campaign donations by unions.

The so-called "Buffett rule," which would place a 30 percent tax rate on people making more than $1 million a year, is backed by 61 percent of those polled, while 33 percent said they would oppose raising the tax rate on wealthy Americans.