Poll: Americans oppose 2012 GOP hopefuls as much as they do Obama

Forty-six percent won't vote for Obama, but about the same percentage say likewise for Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.

Forty-six percent of Americans say they definitely won't vote for President Obama in 2012, but at least as many say the same about Obama's would-be Republican challengers.

While much has been made about the number of voters who have ruled out voting for Obama, four of the Republicans hoping to unseat the Democratic president face equally strong opposition, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll released Tuesday.

Forty-five percent of Americans said they would definitely not vote for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R), while 46 percent said they would definitely not vote for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R).

That level of opposition tracks with the 46 percent who said they definitely wouldn't vote for Obama. But the president enjoys a higher number — 31 percent — who said they will definitely vote for him in 2012.

Just 6 percent said they would definitely vote for Romney, and 7 percent said they would definitely vote for Huckabee.

Still, Romney and Huckabee, who consistently lead the Republican field in 2012 in polling, don't face as widespread opposition as do two current conservative rock stars, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) and real estate mogul Donald Trump.

In the case of Palin and Trump, a much larger segment of the population ruled out supporting either candidate in 2012. Sixty-four percent of U.S. adults said they definitely wouldn't vote for Trump, while 65 percent said the same for Palin.

While Trump and Palin enjoy some support from Republican primary voters, figures like these, suggesting that they might not be electable, could be used to the advantage of other candidates like Romney and Huckabee, who might make their electability a key point in their campaigns. 

The poll, conducted April 20-23, has a 4 percent margin of error.

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