A new wave of polls offers a closer look at the political aftermath of Mitt Romney's comments on the "47 percent," with an overwhelming number of voters responding that they both knew of the now-infamous video of Romney at a private fundraiser and viewed him less favorably as a result. The Republican presidential nominee has been widely criticized for saying that nearly half of Americans back President Barack Obama because they are government-dependent "victims" who believe they are "entitled" to health care, food and housing.

Voters have a mostly negative reaction toward the 47-percent comments at a time when the president appears to be widening his lead across swing states. The latest findings are also consistent with other national surveys taken in the days immediately after the video was widely reported, but paint a more troubling picture of the impact those remarks may have had on Romney's standing with independent voters.