US President extends lead over Romney

WASHINGTON - Reuters

Obama gives the Hawaiian shaka sign in Washington in this photo. AFP photo

U.S. President Barack Obama extended his lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney to 7 percentage points because of increased support from independent voters and some optimism over the U.S. economy, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on May 8.

With six months to go before Election Day on Nov. 6, Obama was backed by 49 percent of registered voters in the telephone poll, compared to 42 percent who supported Romney. In April, the poll showed Obama leading Romney 47 percent to 43 percent. The numbers suggest Romney’s general election campaign has not yet taken off, although he has effectively clinched the Republican nomination in recent weeks when Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich dropped out of the race.

Independents swung behind Obama. Forty eight percent approved and 40 percent disapproved of his performance in May compared to 37 percent who approved and 57 percent who disapproved in April. Obama’s overall approval rating among the 1,131 adults surveyed was 50 percent, up 1 point from last month as the anniversary of the killing of Osama Bin Laden gave Obama a chance to tout his national security credentials and stage a high-profile visit to Afghanistan. Forty-seven percent of people in the poll disapproved of how Obama handles his presidency.