As the potential of a protracted presidential nomination contest threatens to fracture the party, Republicans appear to have another problem: the public is souring on their dueling frontrunners. A new ABC/Washington Post poll shows that both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich continue to be viewed unfavorably by most Americans.
The nationwide survey of adults found that 51 percent of respondents hold unfavorable views of Gingrich, while Romney’s unfavorable rating is now up to 49 percent. That represents a 15 percent spike for Romney’s unfavorable numbers from the previous ABC/Washington Post poll, which was conducted in early January.
Equally disconcerting for the former Massachusetts governor is his downward spiral among whites with income under $50,000. Among that group, 49 percent view Romney unfavorably, which mirrors Gingrich’s unfavorable rating among the same collection of respondents.
The TPM Poll Average also captures Romney’s rising unfavorable rating over the last month, which might undermine his argument that he is the most electable in the GOP field. As a point of comparison, the ABC/Washington Post survey shows President Barack Obama with a favorability rating of 53 percent and an unfavorable rating of 43 percent.
