Romney tied with Obama in 2012 matchup, Palin trails by 6

Rasmussen Reports:

If the 2012 presidential election were held today, President Obama and possible Republican nominee Mitt Romney would be all tied up at 45% each, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

The president, seeking a second four-year term, beats another potential GOP rival, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, by six points – 48% to 42%.

In both match-ups, seven percent (7%) like some other candidate, with three percent (3%) undecided.

Palin is second only to Romney as the presidential candidate Republican voters say right now that they’ll vote for in 2012 state GOP primaries. But she’s also one of two candidates they least hope wins the party’s nomination.

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I think this reflects the continued negativity of the media and Democrats directed toward Palin. They have pretty much ignored Romney since the primaries. But it also reflects the weakness of Obama in a friendly media environment. The election is a long way off and all of the candidates are likely to see their negatives go up as we get closer. Palin may be an exception to that since there has been a continuous focus on negative stories about her for some time.