Washington (CNN) - A majority of independent voters said they would vote for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney or lean toward Romney in a hypothetical 2012 matchup against President Barack Obama, a new poll says.
Fully 54% of independent voters surveyed by the Pew Research Center said they would support Romney, while fewer, 41%, said they would choose the president.
In a contest between Obama and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, another GOP front-runner in the presidential race, the voter divide is more evenly split. The poll showed that 48% favored Perry, and 45% favored Obama, a margin that falls within the sampling error.
Among all registered voters, not just independents, Obama and Romney are tied at 48%. In an Obama-Perry matchup, Perry trails Obama by four percentage points.
The survey reflects similar results from a CNN/ORC International Poll released last week, showing Obama and Romney virtually tied among registered voters, whereas Obama polled higher than Perry by five percentage points.
The Pew survey also revealed Obama as the driving force in voter motivation for 2012. In other words, most Romney and Perry supporters said their vote is a vote against the president, rather than a vote for their preferred Republican candidate.
Conversely, most Obama supporters said their vote is a vote for the president.
The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press surveyed 2,410 adults by telephone between Sept. 22-Oct. 4 with a sampling error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
The CNN poll was conducted by ORC International from September 23-25, with 1,010 adult Americans, including 447 Republicans and independents who lean towards the GOP questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.
– CNN's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Also see:
New polls: Cain up, Perry down, Romney steady
From CNN Politics
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Our economy is in better shape than our plain old common sense.
Did not you idiots learn the last time you voted for this idiot obama.
Corporations are people will win no
You didn't poll me or a bunch of other independents I know. I will NEVER vote for a man that worships Joseph Smith.
I will vote for an intelligent, thoughtful, even-handed reasonable half-white man that is working in spite of the entire republican party that is killing this country in order to get rid of him.
I don't believe a word of this.
What a conundrum! I'm an idiot teapartier who thinks Romney is a flip floppin' commie but he might be the only one who can run the anti-christ out of the white house. What to do, what to do.
He is tied with the president until people find out he was a corporate raider that broke up companies and send jobs over seas, and that he was 47th in job creation in Mass. We had a president that was a businessman, how did that work out? His name was GW BUSH!!!
Remember teapartiers– compromise of your hardline stance is NOT an option, so Romney is not your candidate. You need to stick to your guns and nominate someone who is on your side, regardless of whether they are an unelectable nutcase or not.
are these these the same"independent" morons who put the GOP back in congress!!..why are there so many "nonthinking "people in this country!?
The primaries can't come soon enough. Romney might as well begin debating the President now. This election will be closer than Gore-Bush.
I'm an Independent and have never been polled. Until Romney is actually the candidate, these polls mean nothing and most people aren't even paying attention to this election talk yet. Our President will prevail and win a second term when people realize what Romney has to offer which won't be much. How is he going to defend Romneycare??
Vote for Mitt Romney 2012!!!
@ GI Joe: Amen Brother I agree.
"In other words, most Romney and Perry supporters said their vote is a vote against the president, rather than a vote for their preferred Republican candidate. "
So it's pretty much wonderfully analogous to the GOP/Teatrolls' policy and governance decisions for the past 3 years: their votes were votes against Obama rather than votes for certain policies, solutions, proposals, etc.
It is amazing how many people on the right want all Americans to return to the republican culture of corruption.
I am sick and tired of these polls of .00033 percent of the US population. It makes me feel that I have no say.
Not this independent! There exists no concrete proof that Romney has ever created a job for working Americans. There is however, lots of proof where he eliminated American jobs and made himself wealthy doing it. I would guess that most of his money is invested in China and 3rd world countries that are exercising unfair trade against the U.S. under so called "free trade agreements".
The republican party are the idiots!! Instead of coming together to strengthen our economy, their entertaining thoughts of impeaching Obama for killing a terrorist. What is this country coming too??
Not this Independent. I know who has actually produced and who has done nothing but give a bunch of rodents in Kentucky $260K......Keep up the good work GOP. I know, I know $200,00 for a simulator in Tenn. is a great bargain and very fiscally responsible..no matter what anyone says.
@G.I.Joe, I am also sharing your opinion.
The polls are wrong. The public is not thinking through the problem with a clear mind. Has not Obama been trying his best to revive the economy of the country? Think for a minute. Had it not been for the GOP led congress opposing his every proposal things would have been much better by now. please think with a clear mind who is better. Not many us will be millionaires to be affected by the tax increase. it is just a dream that the GOP is selling.
So independents want us to revert back to the VERY same policies that fostered the Great Recession? That's what they are saying about favoring Romney. His economic plan is a virtual carbon copy of those Bush/GOP policies that were in place throughout the build up to the recession.
Time for the independents to get a little educated instaed of basing their opinions on emotion. Something different isn't necessarily something better and going backwards most certainly is NOT better.
except the Independents need to consider which Romney they may be voting for!
What a crock.
Romney, huh? Good luck pushing that cart of bologna the next many months, GOPers.