The new Public Policy Polling (D) survey of Michigan, which saw strong Republican gains this year with a pickup of the governorship and other offices, suggests that President Obama is still the early favorite to hold the state again in 2012.
Obama previously carried Michigan by 57%-41% against John McCain in 2008.
In this poll, Obama was tested against various Republicans: He leads Newt Gingrich by 52%-37%, leads Mike Huckabee by 51%-39%, and leads Sarah Palin by 56%-36%. Only native son Mitt Romney comes close — as the son of the late Michigan Governor and auto executive George Romney — but Obama still leads by 47%-43%.
In addition, PPP tested Obama against the new Republican Governor-elect, businessman Rick Snyder, who won his race this past November by a landslide margin of 58%-40%. Obama also leads Snyder by 49%-38%.
“Michigan, like much of the Midwest, was tough territory for Democrats in 2010. But it looks like President Obama will once again easily win the state by regaining the favor of independents who had abandoned his party–unless Mitt Romney is his opponent,” writes PPP president Dean Debnam.
The survey of registered voters has a ±2.8% margin of error.
