Obama, generic GOP candidate in dead heat

PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 10 (UPI) -- President Obama is in a virtual tie with the generic Republican candidate among U.S. voters asked about their likely choice in the 2012 election, Gallup said.

Obama has a 43 percent-to-42 percent edge over an unnamed GOP challenger, a difference from the two previous months, when the Republican candidate was ahead, results released Thursday indicated.

Republicans and Democrats still firmly back their party's candidate, although Democrats are more inclined to support a Republican candidate (10 percent) than Republicans are likely to support Obama (3 percent), the Princeton, N.J, polling agency said.

Independents were divided, giving 38 percent support to each candidate.

The changes in support between Obama and a generic Republican candidate foreshadow the potential for political volatility expected during the next 12 months, Gallup said.

Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews with 1,012 adults conducted Nov. 3-6.

The margin of error is 4 percentage points. Results based on a sub-sample of 889 registered voters have a margin of error of 4 percentage points.