Despite the belief that Wisconsin voters vote strictly partisan, a small segment of Independents that support Gov. Scott Walker will likely cast their ballot for President Barack Obama this fall, according to a recent poll.

The poll, released by Marquette University, notes that a small percentage of voters are still planning on voting for Obama although they are content with Walker’s policies.

University of Wisconsin political science professor Donald Downs said he believes independent voters are voting for Obama over opponent Mitt Romney because Romney lacks personal appeal and his message is vague.

According to Downs, Romney picked Ryan as his running mate and then resorted to playing it safe. The lack of any risk taking has kept the Romney/Ryan ticket back in the polls, Downs said.

“Romney cannot rely on beating the incumbent at the very end. I personally would not advise this strategy,” Downs said.

Both campaigns of the Walker and Obama administrations have seen greater success connecting to the voting population and in gaining traction for the vote, Downs said.

According to Downs, Romney has yet to see that and instead is consistently running his campaign on “cruise control” even though he is behind.

If Downs is correct in his analysis, this situation could lead to the re-election of the Obama administration. According to a statement from Obama for Wisconsin Communications Director Joe Zepecki, the president’s success in office is what will win him votes.

“When President Obama was sworn in, the U.S. economy was losing 750,000 jobs per month,” Zepecki said in the statement. “Through bold action and steady leadership President Obama put a floor under the crash and has begun the long, hard work of remaking our economy from the middle class up.”

Zepecki also lauded more of the president’s achievements, including adding 4.6 million new jobs, an achievable plan for a $4 trillion reduction in the deficit and taking Osama bin Laden off the playing field. Obama’s accomplishments appeal to a broad cross section of America, Zepecki said in the statement.

Nathan Conrad, speaker for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said he does not believe there is such a partisanship in voting trends in the state, and does not think anyone who voted for Walker as a fiscal conservative would want to vote for Obama.

“I’d be very surprised to see anyone who is fiscally conservative voting to bring back the failed policies of the Obama administration,” Conrad said.

He cited the national debt crisis and drew a line in saying that Romney, like Walker, is just as concerned and capable of fixing the budget – something both Republicans believe Obama has failed to do in his first year in office.

Conrad said Republicans are mobilized and eager to gain votes from Independents that are on the fence.

“We have a legion of grass roots supporters,” Conrad said. “We make countless calls, and we go door-to-door to spread the message of true reform for the Romney/Ryan ticket.”