President 2012 New Hampshire Poll Watch: Romney 46% Vs. Obama 44%

According to the lastest PPP Poll.

Obama’s New Hampshire approval rating is 46%, with 49% disapproving of him. When PPP last looked at the state in April voters were split right down the middle on him at 46% approval and disapproval. His decline since then has come with independents. Where previously he was on narrowly positive ground with them at 46/43, now they split against him 39/53. As is the case most everywhere Democrats (83%) are nearly unanimous in their approval of him while Republicans (85%) are just as unified in their disapproval.

Obama trails Romney 46-44, largely because of a 46-35 deficit with independents. New Hampshire is emblematic of how much more electable Romney is looking than the rest of the GOP field right now- Obama leads all the other Republicans by pretty healthy margins. He has a 7 point lead over both Michele Bachmann (49-42) and Tim Pawlenty (48-41), as well as a 10 point advantage on Herman Cain at 49-39 and a 15 point one over Sarah Palin (53-38).

Remember President Obama beat John McCain by 10 points in 2008, but is in deep trouble for the 2012 race. New Hampshire is a key battleground state that the GOP needs to win in order to beat Obama in the Electoral College.

Romney’s New Hampshire performance will either be parlayed to the nomination (as the most electable Republican vs. Obama) or sink as the GOP nomination race moves south. But, for now, if Romney is the nominee, the GOP will capture one state and four EC votes they lost just four years ago.