Boosted by improved public confidence in his economic stewardship, President Barack Obama for the first time holds a clear edge over Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in a hypothetical general-election matchup, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
In a general-election test, Obama leads Romney 52 percent to 43 percent among all Americans and more narrowly, 51 percent to 45 percent, among registered voters.
Romney, who notched his second consecutive victory Saturday by easily winning the Nevada caucuses, continues to solidify his position as the front-runner in the race for the GOP nomination. But as the contest has grown more negative, public impressions of the top Republican contenders have soured.
Obama remains a polarizing figure, with Americans closely divided on whether he deserves re-election as well as on many aspects of his performance in office. His ratings on handling the economy and job creation remain negative, with intensity continuing to run against him.
The survey was conducted Wednesday through Saturday. During that time, the president and the Republican candidates were in the spotlight: Obama had just completed his State of the Union address and held campaign-style rallies in battleground states, and the Republicans were in the middle of a series of primaries and caucuses.
Overall, 55 percent of those who are closely following the campaign say they disapprove of what the GOP candidates have been saying. By better than 2 to 1, Americans say the more they learn about Romney, the less they like him.
Even among Republicans, as many offer negative as positive assessments of him on this question. Judgments about former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., who denounced Romney on Saturday night in Nevada, are negative by about 3 to 1.
Meanwhile, the president’s recent remarks are better reviewed. Among the roughly 6 in 10 Americans who heard or read about the president’s State of the Union address, 57 percent say they approve of most of what he laid out.
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