A poll released by Quinnipiac University on Wednesday finds that Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has the lead over Barack Obama in the crucial swing state of Florida.
The poll finds Romney taking 47 percent followed by Obama with 41 percent. Obama led Romney 49 percent to 42 percent in a Q-Poll taken at the end of March, but Romney led 44 percent to 43 percent in one taken in early May.
Despite carrying Florida over John McCain in 2008, Obama is upside down in the Sunshine State according to the new poll. Only 44 percent of those surveyed say that Obama deserves to win a second term while 52 percent oppose it. The same number -- 44 percent -- approve of Obamas job performance in the White House while the same percentage -- 52 percent -- disapprove of it.
Peter Brown, the assistant vice president of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said on Wednesday that this was hurting Obama in the Sunshine State.
"Governor Mitt Romney has slipped into the lead in Florida and that standing is confirmed by his much better numbers than the president when voters are asked whether they view the candidates favorably or unfavorably, Brown said. They view Romney favorably 44 percent to 35 percent, while Obama gets a negative 45 percent to 50 percent favorability."
The poll finds that Romneys chances of carrying Florida approve when a favorite son of the Sunshine State -- U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio -- is added to the Republican ticket. When paired together, a Romney/Rubio ticket takes 49 percent of those surveyed while Obama/Joe Biden garner 41 percent.
Romney continues to score political points as Florida continues to lag behind the rest of the nation in economic recovery. Half of those surveyed -- 50 percent -- think Romney would do a better job of handling the economy while only 40 percent think Obama can do better at that task.
While most voters, 63 percent, say that Obamas recent support of same-sex marriage does not change who they will support, the issue is apparently hurting the president in the Sunshine State as 25 percent say they are less likely to vote for the Democrat incumbent based on it. Only 11 percent say Obamas support of same-sex marriage will make it more likely they will back his bid for a second term.
Brown said that voters concerned about the issue could be important in November.
"While the issue of same-sex marriage looks like it affects only one-third of Florida voters, we know from experience what a few votes can mean in the Sunshine State," Brown said.
Half of those surveyed -- 50 percent -- oppose same-sex marriage while 40 percent of Floridians support it. The poll shows major divides on gender and age over the issue. While 55 percent of Florida men oppose same-sex marriage and 35 percent support it, 46 percent of women favor it while 44 percent do not. A strong majority of voters under 35 -- 57 percent -- support same-sex marriage while 33 percent oppose it.
More than half of voters between 35 and 54 -- 52 percent -- oppose same-sex marriage while 38 percent support it. Among voters 55 and older, 55 percent oppose same-sex marriage while 36 percent support it. The poll shows less opposition to civil unions and, when given the choice, 36 percent favor same-sex marriage, 34 percent support civil unions and only 23 percent oppose all legal recognition.
With 91 percent of Republicans backing Romney and 87 percent of Democrats behind Obama, the battle for independent voters in Florida is on. The poll finds Romney taking 44 percent of independents while Obama has the support of 36 percent.
Brown noted on Wednesday that the poll shows there is a gender gap but that Romney is right on Obamas heels when it comes to getting the support of women voters.
"The overall picture in Florida is positive for Romney, who is ahead 50 percent to 37 percent among men, while women are divided 44 percent to 45 percent, Brown said before pointing to divides among racial lines. And the president is getting just 33 percent of white votes, compared to 85 percent of black votes and 42 percent of Hispanic votes."
The poll of 1,722 registered voters in Florida was taken from May 15-21 and had a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
