The Hill News

A new poll from Rasmussen shows President Obama with sizable leads in hypothetical matchups against either of the leading Republican candidates, with Obama besting Mitt Romney by 7 points and Rick Santorum by 6 points.

That's a far stronger showing for the president than a similar poll from Gallup released Friday, which showed Romney with a 4-point lead on Obama and the president leading Santorum by a single percentage point.

What accounts for the numbers swing discrepancy is unclear, although the Rasmussen poll had a larger sample size â€" 1500 respondents compared to 898 for Gallup â€" and was taken more recently. The Republican candidates may have been hurt by recent discussion over social issues and contraceptive access, issues many Democrats believe could serve as a wedge with female voters.

Read more...