Republican candidates battled hard yesterday on the eve of key deep South votes as a poll said front-runner Mitt Romney would beat Democrat President Barack Obama if elections were held today.
If elections were held today, Romney would beat Obama 49 per cent to 47 per cent
In a boost to Romney’s campaign, a national poll by ABC News and The Washington Post yesterday for the first time gave the former Massachusetts governor the edge against Obama, hit by anger over rising gas prices.
If elections were held today, Romney would beat Obama 49 per cent to 47 per cent, the poll revealed, adding Obama’s approval rating has plunged below 50 per cent as he bids for a second term in the November vote.
Perhaps more worryingly for the Obama campaign, the poll also showed rising national support for Romney’s main rival Rick Santorum, suggesting the president would only narrowly win against him by 49 per cent to 46 per cent.
Romney is relentlessly racking up the delegates towards the magic number of 1,144 needed for the party’s nomination. So far he has just over a third in his haul with Santorum and former House speaker Newt Gingrich trailing.
Amid calls to quit and allow the conservative vote to coalesce around one candidate, Gingrich is fighting to stay in the race to be the Republican standard-bearer to challenge Obama.
He has said today’s primaries in Alabama and Mississippi are must-wins after pocketing just two of the 26 contests held so far.
But polls out yesterday suggested a very tight three-way race in both states.
The status of the Republican race differs depending on whom you ask: Romney says it’s already over, Santorum says it’s now a two-horse race between him and Romney, while Gingrich says wait for today’s results.
“Mathematically, this thing is about over, but emotionally it’s not,” senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said last Sunday.
“If Romney does well, wins either Mississippi or Alabama and wins Illinois (on March 20), then I think it’s virtually impossible for this thing to continue much beyond early May,” Graham added.
Romney yesterday announced he had picked up some key endorsements in Alabama, saying voters were looking for a change of direction in Washington.
“President Obama has grown government at the expense of the private sector. I will shrink government and expand the private sector.”
The stakes couldn’t be higher today for Gingrich, who must sweep both Mississippi and Alabama if he is to change the narrative of the race.
Public Policy Polling said, however, it “looks like it’s going to be a close election night in both Mississippi and Alabama.”
“It’s not really clear who, if anyone has the momentum in these states,” it said, and blamed “the split in the conservative vote” for giving Romney the chance to win.
According to PPP’s polling, Gingrich held a slight lead in Mississippi with 33 per cent over 31 per cent for Romney, with Santorum on 27 per cent. In Alabama, the race is even closer with 31 for Romney, 30 per cent for Gingrich and 29 per cent for Santorum.
Romney has now won 17 of the 26 state or territory votes, compared to seven wins for Santorum – eight if you include a straw poll in Missouri – and none for Texas congressman Ron Paul.