Earthquake Obscures GOP Gaining Grounds on Obama

Those grounds are shaky, though.

In what can only be called a mammoth-sized Nothing-burger, the press was obsessed yesterday with the 5.8-level earthquake yesterday. East Coasters in a desperate attempt to identify with their West Coast buddies talked up the quake that ran from South Carolina to New Jersey for the entire news cycle. The mini-crisis dulled the potential positive poll impact for President Obama from Muammar Qaddafi‘s ouster and temporarily distracted coverage from his crashing poll numbers -- cue the partisan earthquake jokes: “That wasn’t an earthquake it was Obama’s approval numbers hitting rock bottom” 

However, even amidst the hype some fault-lines are beginning to take shape in the presidential race that I have been noting for quite some time. Two recent polls from Public Policy Polling, a reasonably reliable pollster, show the increasing ability of Mitt Romney to be elected against Obama. Obama is soundly beating Rick Perry 49 to 43% in the first major poll pitting the two against each other, but he is statistically tied with Mitt Romney at 45% a piece. 

What’s better Romney is whalloping the president 49% to 39% in Florida, one of the three upset states Obama pulled off in 2008 (along with Virginia and North Carolina) that he has to do well in for re-election this year. Mind you, there is a note of caution for all Republicans out there putting on your “Mitt is It!” hats for the coming year. Perry is also beating Obama in the sunshine state 46% to 39% according to a poll conducted by a Republican firm.  Either way an even stronger case is being made by these numbers that  Romney would be the better option for a Republican party that wants to win in 2012, even though his chances of winning the nomination seems to be falling between the cracks.