President Obama Snags Lead Over Mitt Romney In New CNN Poll

A new CNN poll shows that incumbent President Barack Obama leads GOP opponent and presidential hopeful Mitt Romney by seven points among registered voters, signaling some potential trouble for Romney as we head into election season.

The latest national poll from CNN shows President Obama up 52 percent to 45 percent over Mitt Romney. According to the data, most Americans think that the GOP candidate favors the rich, and many don’t believe that Romney’s election will usher in any improvement for the US’s limping economy. There is some hidden benefit to Romney, however. A CNN/ORC poll shows that Romney’s supporters are getting more and more involved in the election and more outwardly endorsing the candidate.

Regardless, the president boasts a crucial lead among the nation’s most divided base: independents. “Among independent voters, the poll indicates President Obama has a 53%-42% lead,” CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. “The president holds a nine point advantage among women voters and a smaller six point edge among men.”

The polls also shows that the Obama campaign’s attacks against Mitt Romney appear to be working. Roughly 68 percent of independents believe that Romney favors the rich over the middle class, and 67 percent of the same group want to see more tax returns out of the presumptive GOP nominee. “These are all signs that a summer of negative campaigning on the part of the Democrats seems to be taking its toll on the presumptive GOP nominee,” says Holland.

Overall, regardless of support, 63 percent of Americans believe that President Obama will win himself another term in office. That doesn’t necessarily mean he will, and it’s a long way to November, but it’s still significant. “That may not translate directly into votes, but it is worth noting that in August of previous election years, the public accurately predicted the winner in 1996, 2000 and 2008, and in 2004 George W. Bush and John Kerry were tied,” adds Holland.

Do you think that President Obama will win a second term?