A new CNN poll shows President Obama with an approval rating in the fifties for the first time since May of last year, the weeks after Osama bin Laden was killed, as 48 percent disapprove. Like other polling out this week, Obama’s improved rating translates into wider margins in matchups with his potential Republican challengers this fall among registered voters — Obama has a five point lead on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (Romney had lead in February’s CNN polling), seven point leads on former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and a 13 point advantage on former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
The survey suggests that the contentious Republican primary season has decreased enthusiasm among Republican voters, virtually erasing the “enthusiasm gap” that promised to provide the ultimate GOP presidential nominee with a major advantage in the fall. In October, 64% of Republicans said that they were extremely or very enthusiastic about voting for president, compared to only 43% of Democratic voters. GOP enthusiasm since that time has tumbled 13 points, to 51%, virtually the same as the Democrats’ level of enthusiasm.
Here’s the trend in our TPM Poll Average since the first votes were cast in the Republican presidential primary race.
