Poll: Obama Poised To Again Carry Former GOP Stronghold Virginia In 2012

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In 2008, President Obama became the first Democrat to carry the Virginia since Lyndon Johnson did so in 1964. And according to a new PPP poll of registered voters in Virginia, he could easily claim the state again in 2012 against the biggest names the GOP has to offer.

In the poll, Obama led Mitt Romney 48% to 42%, and beat Mike Huckabee 51% to 43%. Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich each trailed by double-digits, with Gingrich lagging 51% to 39%, while Palin trailed 54% to 35%.

Obama won Virginia by about six points last time around, and if any of these leading GOP contenders finally leap into the race, the poll suggests Obama is poised to improve on that margin.

The poll did not test Obama against pizza magnate turned talk radio host Herman Cain, the only Republican to have formally launched a presidential exploratory committee at this stage. Cain won a Tea Party straw poll on the GOP primary over the weekend, though it’s unclear if that will boost him from his relative obscurity.

Also not tested in the poll was Donald Trump, who came within a hair of tying Obama in on recent national poll. Trump has hinted at a presidential bid, but has said he needs to finish filming his television show, The Apprentice, before he can declare for sure.

The PPP poll was conducted February 24-27 among 524 voters in Virginia. It has a margin of error of 3.5%.

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