Romney Leads GOP Pack, Bests Obama As Well

With New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie out of the Republican presidential race, Mitt Romney jumps to a 22 percent lead, followed by business man Herman Cain with 17 percent and Texas Gov. Rick Perry with 14 percent. That makes Romney the clear front runner and marks a 10-point drop in five weeks for Perry. The latest figures are from the Quinnipiac University national poll released today.
These new figures compare to an August 31 survey by the independent Quinnipiac University, showing Perry at 24 percent, followed by Romney at 18 percent, with Cain in sixth place with 5 percent.
If Christie had been in the race, he and Romney would be tied among Republicans and Republican leaners at 17 percent each, followed by 12 percent for Cain, 10 percent for Perry and no other candidate above 7 percent.
In possible 2012 general election matchups:
Romney has a 46 - 42 percent lead over Obama; The president gets 45 percent to Perry's 44 percent.
American voters say 54 - 42 percent that Obama does not deserve a second term, little changed from August 31, when voters said he did not deserve a second term 51 - 42 percent.