Poll shows Obama ahead of GOP frontrunners

President Barack Obama would win in a match-up against the two leading Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, a new poll shows.

A Washington Post-ABC News survey finds Obama’s prospects have brightened for the first time against his potential rivals as his overall job approval rating climbed on his handling of the slowly recovering economy.

If the election were held now, Obama would win 51% of the vote compared to 45% for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and current Republican frontrunner, according to the poll. He would win with 54% compared to 43% for Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives who has vowed to continue seeking his party’s nomination.