Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama holds double digit leads over the top two GOP presidential candidates, according to a new national survey.
A Politico/George Washington University Battleground Poll released Monday indicates Obama topping former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney 53% to 43% in a hypothetical general election matchup, with the president leading former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania 53% to 42%.
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Matched up against a generic GOP opponent in the general election (an unnamed candidate who has not suffered negative attacks during the primary process), Obama has a five-point advantage (50%-45%), up from a dead heat back in November. It's also telling that the president is at or above 50% in all three general election matchups.
A new national poll from USA Today/Gallup tells a different story. According to the survey, which was also released Monday, Obama and Romney are deadlocked at 47% in a hypothetical matchup, with Santorum holding a 49%-46% margin over the president.
The Battleground poll indicates that the debates, caucuses and primaries appear to be taking a toll on Romney, with 51% of independent voters holding a unfavorable opinion of him, compared to just 33% who see him in a positive light. Among independents, Romney trails the president by 22 points in the hypothetical general election matchup. Forty percent of independents have a favorable view of Santorum, with 32% saying they see him in a negative way.
Among Republicans only, the battle for the GOP nomination appears to be all tied up, with Santorum at 36% and Romney at 34%. Santorum's two-point margin is within the poll's sampling error. The survey is similar to the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll's numbers on the Republican horse race.
Four out of ten say that Romney has run the most negative campaign, followed by Gingrich at 33% and Santorum and Paul each at 4%, with nearly one in five unsure.
The Politico/George Washington University Battleground Poll was conduced between February 19 and February 22, with 1,000 likely voters nationwide questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
The USA Today/Gallup poll was conducted between February 20 and February 21, with 881 registered voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points.
Just hold your panties until we get down to one candidate.
Of course he does. The Republicans have nothing to offer except failed policies and no one to offer them except an out of touch rich guy and a religious fanatic. They are making it very easy to support Obama/Biden in 2012.
The more people see the GOP the more they like Obama.
Obama / Biden 2012!
What have we been saying from day one about the GOP candidate field?
Clown car.
Who EVER took these guys seriously?
he will win
Republican candidates are nuts,unable to relate to majority of people .They have gone extreme on social issues and damaged them shelves .They are getting alienated from independents ,women, minorities and middle/lower income people .They seems to care about upper 1 % income .
Reagan is rolling in his Grave! These Republicans are acting like "Clowns". To those Clowns at Ringling Bros. Circus, this in no way reflects on your high standards.
I told he will win landslide victory. Last time, GOP sent Robo calls, DVDs, this time, will not work. GM alive, Bin Laden dead...period. God Bless our President. Obama2012.
Waits for the Republicans to call these numbers bogus or accuse CNN of propaganda because they favor the president........typical GOP
With the approval of the Obama administration, an electric car company that received a $529 million federal government loan guarantee is assembling its first line of cars in Finland, saying it could not find a facility in the United States capable of doing the work.
Vice President Joseph Biden heralded the Energy Department's $529 million loan to the start-up electric car company called Fisker as a bright new path to thousands of American manufacturing jobs. But two years after the loan was announced, the company's manufacturing jobs are still limited to the assembly of the flashy electric Fisker Karma sports car in Finland.
Don't get too excited, Democrats...November is a long way away. However, if Mittens and Pope Santorum are really the best the GOP has to offer...
This is about the time that the other side states that polls don't mean a thing.
Should be an interesting race, if Obama win I say the GOP try and say he stole the election or something to try and convince the GOP party that they are not the minority. =)
As expected. This will be a walk in the park.
Gee, what choice do they have? The Republican base hates Romney. His standing among independents is taking a beating as he panders to the Republican base. The Republican establishment hates Gingrich. Both Gingrich and Santorum are poison for independents. Ron Paul cannot win a primary or a caucus against this field. Republicans might as well give up now.
The best thing about Obama is that he is not a screaming, extreme right-wing lunatic.
I like that in a man.
Once october 2012 comes and gas is over $4 then the people will swing in the GOP favor.
Way to go, Mr. President! I look forward to voting for you AGAIN and the rest of the Dems...and I'm a registered Republican!! What a joke my party has become. They have left me, and I will soon leave them!
The facts are that the economy is improving and Obama is steady and careful. Romney appears inauthentic and Santorum, dangerously right-wing. This country is, by in large, moderate. You can't have a strict tea-partier or social conservative and not turn off the moderates and independents.
Until the Repubs come up with a SINGLE solid idea as to how they are going to improve anything in this country, just bashing Obama for anything and everything he has done won't fly!
Now is not the time to sit back...Obama needs to knock them out!!!
The "three stooges" represent the "lowest form of communication" ever delivered from an opposing party!
We must thank the GOP for delivering the "best" they have to offer!!!
So this means whoever candidate will be picked, will be crushed by the President. Just wait how GOP will spin this poll. They will say it is too early to take this poll seriously. Too early?? while we are counting only months (8) left to General Election!!
Gee, why am I not surprised by this news? Could it be that the GOP has nothing but a bunch of clowns running, duh!
Who ever doubted that?
Obama with all his flaws – is a reasonable candidate.
GOP runners with all their advantages – are bunch of losers. And I am conservative.