On eve of Iowa visit, Bachmann trails Obama in nationwide poll

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann. Photo: Bachmann for Congress, Facebook

On eve of Iowa visit, Bachmann trails Obama in nationwide poll

Public Policy Polling released a nationwide poll of potential candidates for the 2012 Republican nomination against President Barack Obama on Thursday, and U.S. Rep.Michele Bachmann — who is scheduled to speak Friday night at an event in Des Moines — would lose to the incumbent by 18 percentage points.

Bachmann garnered 33 percent against Obama’s 51 percent, putting her at the bottom of the pack of five candidates polled by PPP. Seventeen percent were undecided. Obama beat Mitt Romney at 48 to 43 percent, Mike Huckabee with 49 to 44 percent, Newt Gingrich by 51 to 39 percent and Sarah Palin with 55 to 38 percent.

Bachmann had a net unfavorable rating with 22 percent viewing her as favorable and 31 percent viewing her unfavorably. Forty-eight percent had no opinion of her.

The polls authors said Obama had some of his best polling in recent months.

“Barack Obama’s in his strongest position for reelection in our polling since 2009,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “Democrats have really rallied around him since the party’s defeat in November and he continues to benefit from a pretty weak field of potential opponents.”

In a new Washington Post/ABC poll, Obama has a 54 percent approval rating. Gallup and CNN polls also show him with a 53 percent approval rating.