Gingrich, Romney in dead heat with Obama

PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich virtually tie U.S. President Obama in hypothetical matchups the 2012 election, Gallup said.

Fifty percent of registered voters said they would support Obama in the matchups, while 48 percent said they would vote either for former Massachusetts Gov. Romney or former House Speaker Gingrich, the Gallup-USA Today poll results release Tuesday indicated. The margin of error means Obama basically tied with either Gingrich or Romney.

In follow-up questioning, respondents said their decision represented a vote for Obama rather than a vote against the Republican candidate, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said. However, voters supporting the Republican candidates said their choice mainly represents a vote against Obama rather than for either Gingrich or Romney.

A breakdown showed in an Obama-Romney race 39 percent back Obama because they are for him and 11 percent support Obama as a vote against Romney. Thirty percent said they back Romney as a vote against Obama while 18 percent said they back Romney because they support him.

Findings were similar in an Obama-Gingrich tilt. However, the percentage of registered voters saying their vote for Obama would be a vote against Gingrich is slightly higher at 15 percent, than the percentage of voters who said their vote for Obama was a vote against Romney.

Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews conducted Thursday through Sunday with 1,019 adults. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.