With the Republican presidential field for 2012 still figuring itself out, President Obama continues to hold double-digit leads against potential challengers in the polls. In a recent poll from Reuters/Ipsos, Obama’s approval rating ticked up 1 percentage point from May to 50 percent, but his real strength is in his popularity-by-comparison numbers.
Matched up against the Republican front-runner, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Obama leads 51 percent to 38 percent, a margin of 13 percentage points. He also holds a 19-point advantage over former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and a 23-point lead on former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has not officially entered the race.
Obama’s advantages don’t mean that voters are satisfied with the direction of the country. In fact, Reuters reports that the number of Americans who believe the U.S. is on the wrong track rose from 56 percent in May to 60 percent now. What it means is that while the Republican field remains in a nascent stage, they will struggle for name recognition.
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