2012 U.s. Presidential Election, Mitt Romney | featured news

Republicans Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee hold a slight lead over President Barack Obama in a new poll of Florida residents on next year's presidential election. If the election were held now, 48 percent said they would vote for Romney while 43 percent preferred Obama. Huckabee was favored 49 percent to 44 percent in the same matchup. The two former governors were the only Republicans leading the incumbent president in a survey of 800 likely voters taken between April 4 and April 7 by Washington-based Mason-Dixon Polling and Research. The random telephone survey, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points was completed the day before Obama and Congress announced their compromise on the federal budget.

That's been the Romney way this fall. Head down, low profile, tending to the business of deepening relationships in a Republican Party that turned aside his bid for the presidential nomination in 2008. While other potential GOP presidential candidates have sought or drawn attention this fall, Romney seemingly has done the opposite.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is the best known and most positively rated of five possible contenders for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Her 76% favorable rating among Republicans is higher than those for Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and Bobby Jindal.