Sarah Palin can win the Republican nomination for 2012—but she can't win the presidency, according to the latest Quinnipiac poll. The nationwide poll found that Palin—who recently told Barbara Walters she could defeat President Obama—would narrowly win a primary involving the current most-likely GOP front-runners, but would be defeated by President Obama 48% to 40% in a general election, despite the fact that only 43% of voters believe Obama deserves a second term.
Mitt Romney, who came second in the hypothetical GOP primary, would edge Obama 45% to 44%, and Mike Huckabee, who came third, would finish in a dead heat with the president, pollsters say, noting that Palin has the lowest favorable ratings of any of the GOP contenders. "Virtually all voters have formed an opinion about Palin and that opinion is not encouraging for her candidacy," the assistant director of the Quinnipiac Polling Institute says.
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