Fox poll: Obama widens lead over Romney

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Democratic President Barack Obama has widened his lead over his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, a Fox News poll released Thursday indicated.

The poll gave Obama the support of 49 percent of those surveyed. Romney got 40 percent. That's up from a 45-41 percent split last month.

Fox noted it is Obama's biggest lead since Romney became the presumptive GOP nominee.

Fox said the president is gaining traction among independents as he seeks a second term. While Romney had held the advantage among independents through early June, Obama now holds an 11 percentage-point edge with 30 percent of independents saying they still haven't made up their minds, Fox News said.

The Fox News Poll, conducted jointly by Anderson Robbins Research and Shaw & Co. Research, surveyed about 930 registered voters by phone Sunday through Tuesday. The margin of error was 3 percentage points.