2012 Presidential Polls: Obama Expected to Win Re-election

President Barack Obama is expected to win the re-election in 2012, according to Oliver Pursche, co-portfolio manager of GMG Defensive Beta Fund.

Obama, the first African American to hold the office, is expected to get another four-year term as a Democratic Party candidate. If re-elected, it would be Obama's second as well as final term.

Obama, who has announced his re-election campaign, is not expected to face a significant challenge in the Democratic primaries. However, he would face several activist candidates, including pro-life challenger Randall Terry as well as the possibility of an yet to be named progressive challenger or challengers in the 2012 Democratic Primaries which begin with the Iowa Caucuses, expected to be held in Jan. 2012.

In spite of a weak economy and continued high unemployment, the Republican Party's own lack of leadership and cohesiveness will weaken them to the point where Obama looks like the better option, said Pursche.

Moreover, the Party's willingness to pander to the right wing will make them unpopular with middle class and middle of the road voters.

As a result, I would expect the election to be marked by record low turnout, frustration, apathy and disgust, but at the end of the day, Obama will have won four more years in office, added Pursche.

Meanwhile, there were also contrary predictions that the Republican Party could sweep 2012 Presidential elections. With a little less than a year until the election, FBR Capital Markets analyst Edward Mills believes that the Republican Party is well positioned to win a majority in both the House and the Senate.

In the battle for the Presidency, Mills believes Mitt Romney is in the best position to capture the Republican nomination and will be considered the favorite in a battle against President Barack Obama. Other Republican contenders include Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum.

After years of policy battles dominating headlines and weighing on sentiment, we believe that we are approaching an inflection point where these decisions will provide a positive shift in sentiment as the outcome of the 2012 election comes into focus, said Mills.

The U.S. Presidential elections would be held on Nov. 6, 2012 and would be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United States on Dec. 17, 2012, will be chosen.

The 2012 presidential election will coincide with the Senate and House of Representatives elections.