Washington, June 30: A generic Republican candidate would beat US President Barack Obama in a hypothetical 2012 election match-up, according to a new poll.
A new Rasmussen poll covering 3,500 likely voters, showed that a no-name Republican holds a four-point lead, with 46 percent, while Obama lags behind at 42 percent, the Daily News reports.
The gap is the largest lead the Republicans have had over Obama since he became the underdog five weeks ago.
According to the poll, three percent respondents said they preferred some other candidate, and nine percent said they were undecided.
According to Rasmussen, any incumbent who earns less than 50 percent support is considered “politically vulnerable.”
When Republican candidates are named, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has been the reliable frontrunner in national polls, while support for Republican Michele Bachmann has also recently surged.