A new Fox news poll of swing states (Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin) shows President Obama with an advantage on all of his possible Republican challengers in 2012. The President leads former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney 47 – 39, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum 48 – 39, along with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) by double digits.
Voters in the Dixie tier are generally more upbeat than voters in the other tiers and nationally. These Southern-state voters are more likely to approve of Obama’s job performance, be satisfied with the way things are going in the country, and think the economy has started to improve.
That translates into more support for the president at the ballot box. Obama currently holds a 14-point lead over Romney in the Dixie states, and an 18-point edge over Santorum.
Compare that to the more cautious mood in the Rust Belt states where Santorum ties with the president, and voters are almost evenly split between Romney and Obama (+1 point).
