Entering 2012, President Obama faces a weak GOP field (Photo: White House)
Lake Research Partners/The Tarrance Group for Politico/George Washington University (PDF). November 6-9. Registered voters. ±3.1%.
President Obama: 43
Generic Republican: 43
President Obama: 49
Mitt Romney: 43
President Obama: 49
Herman Cain: 40
So in the abstract, voters are open to considering a Republican alternative to President Obama, but when they are faced with the reality of the top GOP candidates, they side with the president. As Celinda Lake says:
“Generic Republicans never flip-flopped on a position and never had any problems in their personal life,” said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, who helped conduct the bipartisan poll. “When it’s a choice, we’re in a much, much stronger position.”
And generic Republicans generally don't come with a history of sexual harassment allegations and settlements. Or, to loosely paraphrase Pete Nicely (aka @LOLGOP), compared to Mitt Romney and Herman Cain, a generic Republican doesn't look half-bad.