A survey of likely Florida voters released on Tuesday from Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connections to prominent Democrats, shows a tight battle to control the Sunshine State with President Barack Obama barely ahead of former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, the presumptive Republican candidate -- but the poll also finds that Romney could help win the biggest swing state in the nation with the right vice presidential candidate.
The poll shows Obama taking 48 percent while Romney is right on his tail with 47 percent with 5 percent remaining undecided.
Florida looks like it will once again be among the closest states in the country with neither candidate having a clear advantage there, said Dean Debnam, the president of PPP.
The poll finds both candidates are upside down in the Sunshine State. Half of those surveyed -- 50 percent -- disapprove of Obama while 47 percent approve of him. Romney has strikingly similar numbers, with 49 percent seeing him as unfavorable while 46 percent view him in a favorable light.
But Romneys fortunes in the poll change when U.S. Sen. Macro Rubio, R-Fla., is added to the ticket. While national pundits discount Rubios chances of winding up as Romneys running mate, he helps the former Massachusetts governor in the poll. The Romney-Rubio ticket takes 49 percent while Obama-Vice President Joe Biden follow with 47 percent.
The poll shows that former U.S. Secretary of State Condi Rice -- another dark horse to end up on the ticket -- also helps Romney in Florida. The Romney-Rice pairing take 46 percent while Obama-Biden follow with 45 percent.
Rubio is above water in the poll, with 45 percent approving of him and 42 percent disapproving of the junior senator from Florida. Rice does much better in the poll, with 59 percent of those surveyed seeing her in a favorable light and 28 percent viewing her as unfavorable.
Other possible running mates do little to help Romney beat Obama in the poll.
When matched with Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Romney takes 44 percent while the Democrat incumbents lead with 47 percent. Jindal is known to a majority of those surveyed with 29 percent seeing him as favorable, the same percentage viewing him as unfavorable and 42 percentnot sure what they think of the Louisiana governor.
When former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota was included as the running mate, Romney treads water in Florida. Obama-Biden take 46 percent while Romney-Pawlenty follow with 45 percent. Despite Pawlentys bid for the Republican presidential nomination earlier in the election cycle, 44 percent of those surveyed are not sure what they think of the former Minnesota governor. Around a quarter of those surveyed -- 26 percent -- see Pawlenty as favorable while 30 percent view him in an unfavorable light.
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio does less for Romney and is easily the most unknown of the vice presidential possibilities included in the poll . The Obama-Biden pairing takes 46 percent while the Romney-Portman ticket garners 42 percent. Only 18 percent of those surveyed see Portman as favorable and 27 percent view him as unfavorable. A clear majority of those surveyed -- 55 percent -- are not sure what they think of Portman.
The poll of 871 likely Florida voters was taken from July 26-29 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
