Poll: Independents Break for Generic GOP 2012 Nominee Over Obama

While it's unknown who the GOP nominee will be in 2012, a new poll shows whoever it is has a fair chance of defeating President Obama.

According to a Gallup poll taken between Feb.1 -3, independents, whose support was critical to Obama's electoral success in the last presidential race, prefer the Republican candidate to Obama by 45 to 31 percent.

Overall in the poll, 44 percent of registered voters say they are more likely to vote for Obama while 42 percent said they would vote for the Republican candidate. The remaining 14 percent are undecided or would vote for another candidate.

Obama is tied among all voters because a greater proportion of registered voters identify themselves as Democrat in the poll.

Most Republican poll respondents, 42 percent, said they had not decided who they would like to see as the party's 2012 presidential nominee. But 14 percent mentioned former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who ran in 2008, and 11 percent cited former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 nominee, drew 7 percent and newly elected Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown drew 3 percent, along with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Click here to read the Gallup poll results.