Poll: Romney Opens 10-Point Lead Among Key Independent Voters

New poll results are delivering positive news for Republicans, including one survey showing that presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney has opened up a double-digit lead over President Barack Obama among independent voters.

A Politico/George Washington University poll has Romney with a razor-thin lead over Obama among all likely voters, 48 percent to 47 percent. A similar poll in February had Obama ahead by 9 percentage points.

But among voters who identified themselves as independents, Romney garnered 48 percent of the vote to Obama’s 38 percent.

Romney also has a 6-point lead among respondents who said they are “extremely likely” to vote in November.

In other good news for Republicans, the survey found that the GOP has taken a 45 percent to 43 percent lead on the generic congressional ballot, and 65 percent of respondents believe Republicans will continue to control the House after the election.

Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, who helped conduct the poll, said: “There are no fissures on either side, but you have the Democrats less enthusiastic than the Republicans.”

Another new survey, the USA Today/Gallup Swing State Poll, also shows Romney making strides against Obama. Romney trailed Obama by 9 points in March in a dozen swing states, but the new survey results show him behind by just two points, 47 percent to 45 percent.

Voters in the poll described Obama as more likeable than Romney. But Frank Newport, Gallup’s editor in chief, told USA Today that voters view Romney as more capable of handling the economy: “He’s less interested in feeling your pain than telling you how to fix your pain by doing something about it.”

The swing states where the presidential race is expected to be closely contested are Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and North Carolina.

A Gallup poll of registered voters nationwide that was completed this past weekend shows that Romney has now taken a 1-point lead over Obama, 46 percent to 45 percent.