For the first time in this election cycle, President Barack Obama inches ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the leading Republican candidate, 47 - 43 percent in Virginia, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Romney has a commanding lead among likely Republican primary voters in the state's no-Newt Gingrich presidential primary. ...
Virginia voters still give the president a slightly negative 46 - 49 percent job approval rating. They split 46 - 48 percent on whether Obama deserves a second term in the Oval Office, but that represents a serious improvement from December when voters said 53 - 41 percent he did not deserve four more years...
In the Obama-Romney matchup, independent voters favor the president 45 - 41 percent, compared to a 41 - 41 percent tie in December. A gender gap is opening up as women shift to the president, backing him 52 - 40 percent, compared to a 43 - 45 percent split in December. Men back Romney 47 - 43 percent, compared to 43 - 42 percent in December....
The president also leads former House Speaker Newt Gingrich 51 - 37 percent, as he tops former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum 49 - 41 percent and Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul 47 - 40 percent.
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/institutes-and-centers/polling-institute/virginia/release-detail?ReleaseID=1700
