(CNN) - President Barack Obama tops the Republican presidential frontrunners in hypothetical head-to-head matchups, according to a new survey.
The ABC/Washington Post Poll indicated Obama is ahead of Mitt Romney, 51% to 45%, among registered voters. The new figure is the first time Obama cracked 50% against the former Massachusetts governor in the survey. He received 46% to Romney's 47% in mid-January.
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It appears Obama was also aided by an increase in support among independent voters, who were split 48% for Obama and 47% for Romney. The former Massachusetts governor held a 12-point edge in January.
The new figures showed Romney's business background, which he often touts on the campaign trail, is a positive element of his candidacy. He held a narrow edge over Obama on who is best to handle the economy.
The president also bested Gingrich, 54% to 43%, among registered votes, although it was a smaller margin than the 15% by which Obama led the former House speaker in January.
In an interview on Sunday the president said he deserves a second term. The poll found 49% of registered voters agreed, while 49% said he does not deserve a second term.
But the president did not fare as well among independent voters, who will likely play a significant role in the 2012 elections.
Obama received a 47% approval rate among the key voting bloc and a 50% disapproval figure.
The poll questioned 1,000 adults between Wednesday and Saturday with a sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points.
– CNN's Gabriella Schwarz and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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From CNN Politics
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Early polls are like liberals...useless.
This just means that the polls are meaningless until just before the election.
The more the GOP hopefuls talk the better chance Obama has come November.
I'll never understand how questioning 1,000 people out of 300,000,000 people is supposed to tell us anything of value.
More interviews to Romney please!!!! we are yet to understand what he stands for.
The more the GOP hopefuls talk...the better chance for Obama come November.
All hypothetical of course !
Steady leadership for the American people.
Godspeed Obama 2012
No one in the right mind will ever vote for Mitt Romney. Don't they know Bain-Capital collapse, Tax cheat, KB Toys Bankruptcy after sending 120,000 jobs to China before this taking hundreds of thousands of dollars, and buying property in Cayman Island, and stashing Currency in Bermuda, Cayman and Swiss Accounts. Whose eyes you are closing. May be Americans, not world's......God bless. Obama2012.
PS; Economy is on right track. No new Republican idiots with WAR and Trickle down. Election is Rich v. Middle Class.
Thank God. If Romney gets in we're really screwed. He cares nothing about the poor or the middle class. Newt is just a circus sideshow act.
So much for Mitt Phoney's inevitability… the more people learn about him the more they hate him!
Keep up the work Mr. President. contrary to the notion that liberals are lazy, welfare receiving, drug addict s with socialist marxist and communist views, who just blindly fall in line to empty rhetoric, many of us are actually very hard workers and very intelligent and support your ideas, we do not want a freebie we do not want handouts we just want a chance to be able to work hard and succeed. come general election time republicans will have to answer for all the lies that they have been telling all this time, those of us that understand will make sure to spread this information and give you your second term
OBAMA 2012
President Obama will be able to convince the voter with his work, his dedication to all Americans, his class, his caring, his fight for the best solutions to all the many problems the country faces. With a new Congress and a few new Senators he will make all the difference to the better in the future!
The GOP/TP has disqualified itself for so many years now. They first brought the country down and then refused to help get it back on its feet. The GOP/TP has nothing to offer – it still is the party of “NO”, obstruction, bad decisions, and GREED OVER NEED!
If you vote for anyone but Obama you have not done your homework.
Republican voting straight Democratic Ticket 2012.
The GOP candidate crop is a joke. Romney has lead in the GOP polls because he has only been going against GOP candidates and he is pouring tons of money into bashing them over the head with negative ads. He is not winning based on likability – and he needs that to win a general election...and it isn't going to ever happen. The GOP knows this.
Why is that so difficult to understand? Obama's clearly the best one running for president.
What about Ron Paul? Of wait, we aren't supposed to speak of him. Shhhhh.
I believe he needs a second term. this time let history prove that the GOP HELP with recovery.
No surprises here. Don't worry GOP, he isn't much more liberal then Romney.
Should anyone here be surprised?
I mean.....c'mon; we're talking about 'Mittens' and 'Newt the Hoot'. If these clowns are the best the Republicans can come up with......
And seriously, Mittens is best equipped to handle the economy? People need to take a closer look at his governance of Massachusetts ans his 'business' background....then try again!
What a dishonest, flip-floppin' clown.
Obama 2012!
"President Barack Obama tops the Republican presidential frontrunners in hypothetical head-to-head matchups, according to a new survey", A new democrat survey, just more WH propaganda typical of the deadbeat obama administration.
With Republicans and Tea Party screaming SOCIALIST!! BIRTH CERTIFICATE!! DEATH SQUAD!!! Obama calmly led us out of a deep, deep hole. Now our economy is (slowly) growing, Osama Bin Laden is fish-food, and Detroit is on the mend. Does he deserve a 2nd term? You bet he does!
I'm still undecided but oh my watch the fur fly when all the haters wake up and see this one
Good! The GOP cannot be trusted to be in charge of this country ever again. That party and its supporters need to be demoralized and marginalized, because America is too great to let them ruin it with their ridiculous, embarrassing, superstitious foolishness.