If you read the Polling Wrap on Wednesday night, you'll recall that I wondered aloud whether new data due on Thursday would shed further light on the whole "Newt vs. Mitt" electability thing.
The new data came, but the conclusions are pretty hard to come by. A few writers latched onto the Quinnipiac poll in Ohio as evidence that Newt Gingrich is every bit as electable as Mitt Romney. But when Mitt has an incrementally larger lead than Newt ... in Georgia? Meh, maybe not so much on the whole "gap is closed" meme.
Enough chitchat. Judge for yourself, starting with the GOP primary nums:
NATIONAL (Gallup): Gingrich 34, Romney 25, Paul 10, Bachmann 7, Perry 5, Santorum 2, Huntsman 1FLORIDA (Quinnipiac): Gingrich 35, Romney 22, Cain 8, Paul 8, Bachmann 4, Perry 4, Huntsman 2, Santorum 2
FLORIDA (SurveyUSA): Gingrich 45, Romney 23, Bachmann 6, Perry 5, Paul 4, Huntsman 3, Santorum 2
GEORGIA (SurveyUSA): Gingrich 65, Romney 12, Bachmann 5, Paul 5, Perry 4, Huntsman 1, Santorum 1
OHIO (Quinnipiac): Gingrich 36, Romney 18, Cain 7, Paul 7, Bachmann 5, Perry 4, Santorum 2, Huntsman 1
PENNSYLVANIA (Quinnipiac): Gingrich 31, Romney 17, Santorum 9, Paul 7, Bachmann 3, Cain 3, Huntsman 3, Perry 3
And, now, the general election head-to-heads with Barack Obama. Note that both Quinnipiac and SUSA have now elected to recognize the two-horse state of the race on the GOP side, and only tested the president against Gingrich and Romney.
NATIONAL (Rasmussen): Obama d. Gingrich (45-40); Obama d. Perry (46-34); Obama d. Huntsman (41-34)FLORIDA (Quinnipiac): Romney d. Obama (45-42); Obama d. Gingrich (46-44)
GEORGIA (SurveyUSA): Romney d. Obama (49-42); Gingrich d. Obama (48-42)
NORTH CAROLINA (PPP): Obama tied with Romney (46-46); Obama d. Gingrich (49-45); Obama d. Paul (47-42); Obama d. Perry (50-42); Obama d. Cain (50-37)
OHIO (Quinnipiac): Romney d. Obama (43-42); Gingrich d. Obama (43-42)
PENNSYLVANIA (Quinnipiac): Obama d. Romney (46-43); Obama d. Gingrich (48-40)