Fully 83 percent of Republicans say the GOP nominee — whoever he or she may be — is likely to claim the presidency next year. Among Democrats, far fewer, 58 percent, say they think Obama will win a second term. A third of Democrats expect a GOP win; just 13 percent of Republicans sense a repeat for Obama.

Combined with a series of Gallup surveys last week that also painted an exceedingly bleak picture for Barack Obama, The Post/ABC News poll is the stuff of nightmares for an increasingly nervous presidency. Although the presidential election remains 13 months away, practically every major poll now shows Obama in deep trouble. And with self-described conservatives now outnumbering liberals by 41 per cent to 20 per cent, with declining support among moderates, the president’s Left-wing big government agenda is looking increasingly out of touch with most Americans. With the economy by far the dominant issue for voters, unemployment stubbornly stuck at above 9 per cent and no sign of sustained job growth, it is hard to see how Mr Obama can claw his way back to a winning position.