President Obama's ability to compete in Iowa isn't looking very good as he trails behind three GOP candidates, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney, in a new Iowa poll. Ron Paul leads Obama the most in the Hawkeye state.
The Republican with the biggest lead: Ron Paul, who would defeat Obama by 7 percentage points, 49 percent to 42 percent. Rick Santorum, winner of the 2012 Iowa caucuses, leads Obama 48 percent to 44 percent. Mitt Romney, edged in the caucuses by Santorum, leads Obama 46 percent to 44 percent.
The president defeats only Newt Gingrich, 51 percent to 37 percent.
Iowa is considered a swing state in the general election, critical to Obama’s re-election or victory by the Republican nominee.
Iowa Democrats made Obama the winner of the 2008 Iowa caucuses, launching him on his road to the White House. In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain in Iowa by nearly 10 percentage points.
But Obama is in trouble in Iowa today, hampered by negative perceptions of the job he is doing as president. More Iowans disapprove (48 percent) than approve (46 percent). That’s just one percentage point above his all-time low in job approval, 45 percent in September 2010.
Seems like Iowans are taking a "anybody but Obama and Newt Gingrich" approach to the 2012 election.
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