Republicans clamoring to draft Jeb Bush into the 2012 Republican presidential primary may want to rethink their efforts, as a Fox News poll shows Obama beating Bush in a hypothetical matchup — and it isn’t even close.
In the poll, Obama led Bush by a 20-point margin nationally, 54% to 34%. Back in September, the same Fox poll found Bush, former President George W. Bush’s younger brother, trailing Obama by just eight points, 45% to 37%.
Bush’s standing was so bad that it put him on par with Sarah Palin, who trailed Obama 56% to 35% in the same survey. Polls have consistently shown Palin running far behind Obama, so far, in fact, that she could flip some states to the Democratic column for the first time in 50 years if she emerges as the 2012 GOP nominee.
Bush has become something of a Republican fantasy candidate recently, as Republicans continue to express tepid support for the party’s other prospective presidential hopefuls like Palin, Mitt Romney, and Mike Huckabee. With lagging enthusiasm for the big name candidates, Republicans have been looking elsewhere for a standard bearer, often floating Bush and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as possible contenders.
Efforts to get Bush into the race may be in vain, as the former Florida governor has repeatedly said that he has no intention of running for President in 2012.
Besides Bush and Palin, the Fox poll also showed Obama easily topping the other Republican candidates pitted against him.
Obama led Romney 48% to 41%, and did slightly better against Huckabee, topping the former Arkansas governor 49% to 41%. Newt Gingrich polled about even with Bush and Palin, trailing the President 55% to 35%.
The Fox poll was conducted February 7-9 among 911 registered voters nationwide. It has a margin of error of 3%.
