Poll: Obama leads 2012 GOP hopefuls in Florida

Despite lukewarm approval ratings for President Obama in the battleground state of Florida, new numbers out Wednesday show Obama leading all of the rumored field of 2012 Republican hopefuls in the state.  

Obama easily bests former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin — 52 percent to 38 percent — and leads former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee by five points, according to Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling. 

The president's approval rating in Florida is upside-down, with 49 percent disapproving of his performance, compared to just 45 percent of voters who approve. Among Democrats, Obama's approval stands at just 69 percent. 

The only rumored 2012 contender on the Republican side with positive approval numbers in the state is former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The Republican also comes closest to Obama in a hypothetical general-election match-up in the state. Obama leads Romney 46 percent to 44 percent.