Survey: Romney, Obama Tied in Swing States; Gingrich Behind

(Newsroom America) -- President Obama and GOP presidential challenger Mitt Romney are tied while Republican rival Newt Gingrich lags behind in the latest Swing State survey.

The USA Today/Gallup survey measured competitiveness among the top Republican candidates in a prospective match-up with Obama in 12 of the nation's most competitive states. According to the survey's results, Romney outpolled Obama 48-47 percent, but those results were well within the survey's margin of error.

That said, Obama leads Gingrich by a much wider margin, 54-40 percent. "The president's standing against him has risen nine points since early December; Gingrich has fallen by eight," USA Today reported.

Gingrich actually polls lower than GOP Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who lags behind Obama 50-43 percent. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum also falls to Obama 51-44 percent.

"Gingrich's efforts to win the Republican nomination have set back his efforts to win the general election," political scientist Larry Jacobs of the University of Minnesota told the paper. By trying to appeal to Tea Party conservatives, Gingrich's effort has "moved him out of the mainstream of American politics," Jacobs said.

The Swing State survey focused on voters in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, in Florida, where the next primary will be held on Tuesday, Romney held a commanding lead over Gingrich 42-27 percent, according to the latest Marist Poll.

Gingrich has blamed his falling poll numbers on a concerted effort by Romney to cast him negatively. Romney, meanwhile, fired back that Gingrich should "look in a mirror" regarding the running of negative ads.

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