Former Arkansas Gov.
Mike Huckabee is running neck and neck with another former governor, Mitt Romney, R-Mass., for the GOP nomination. Nonetheless, President Barack Obama leads in matchups with potential GOP nominees even after taking a five point drop in his approval rating, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows.
Among GOP voters, Huckabee leads the field for the presidential nomination, garnering the support of 26 percent, while Romney came in second with 21 percent -- followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, at 13; former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin with 12 percent; Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex., at 6; Pawlenty, 3; Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, 3; former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, 2; former Utah governor and Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, 1. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour drew less than one percent support.
However, Obama led Romney by 49 to 40 percent and held a whopping lead over former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty 50 to 31 percent.
Against an unnamed GOP candidate, Obama’s lead slipped to five points, 45 to 40 percent. The president’s approval rating dropped in the last month from 53 percent to 48 percent and 46 percent disapprove of his job performance, the poll of 1,000 adult Americans with a 3.1 percent margin of error showed.
The poll also showed:
• Americans, including tea party supporters, find significant cuts to Social Security to cut the deficit unacceptable, while 60 percent supported reducing Social Security and Medicare benefits to wealthy Americans and half favored raising the retirement age.
• More than half those polled feared the GOP would go too far in spending cuts, including young voters, independents, seniors and suburban women.
• Some 62 percent of Americans oppose stripping government workers of their rights to collectively bargain.