Ron Paul Campaign Press Release - Ron Paul Competitive Against Obama in Latest Rasmussen Poll

LAKE JACKSON, Texas — 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul statistically ties President Barack Obama in a head-to-head matchup, according to a recent Rasmussen survey of likely voters.

Notable in the poll is that among alternatives to Massachusetts establishment-moderate Mitt Romney, Ron Paul is the most competitive when matched against the incumbent President. Paul is statistically tied with President Obama with a strong 41 percent to Obama's 42 percent, and outperforms faux Romney alternatives Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.

As Republican nominee, Rick Santorum would lose the White House with only 43 percent to Obama's 46 percent, while Newt Gingrich would give it away with a six-point 46 to 40 percent landslide victory for Obama. Particularly worrisome for conservatives is Rasmussen's stark prediction that, "The president runs strongest within his party when Gingrich is his opponent."

According to Rasmussen, "Paul currently does best of the four [Republican candidates] among voters not affiliated with either of the major political parties" — a crucial bellwether in electability. The poll, then, forecasts that the 12-term Congressman from Texas remains competitive outside the Republican Party base, and that he is best able to win over America's largest voting bloc, self-identified independents.

"In poll after poll, Ron Paul is the most electable conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, and the sole candidate able to provide real contrast with Obama. Dr. Paul is the only candidate on the ballot in all 50 states with the organization and stamina to defeat Romney, and transition into a decisive general election victory over the sitting President," said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton.

Poll results are based on telephone surveys of 1,500 likely voters and have a +/- 3-percentage point margin of error.