The Hill News

When asked to name the better president â€" Barack Obama or George W. Bush â€" the margin of voters that say Obama is shrinking, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research poll.

The survey, conducted from Oct. 5-7, showed that 47 percent think Obama is the better president while 45 percent say so of Bush.

That 2-point spread has significantly decreased since 2009: a CNN/Opinion Research survey from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 of last year had Obama at 57 percent and Bush at 34.

The newer poll shows that Bush fares better against Obama than does former GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who received 42 percent to Obama's 50 in a direct matchup. 

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin faced similar results, with only 42 percent saying she would have do a better job tha! n Vice President Joe Biden. Biden, meanwhile, received support from 52 percent of respondents. 

The poll has a margin of error of 3 points.