Obama and Romney?

The race for the Republican presidential nomination is far from over. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is on the rise with three big wins this week. Before that happened, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was looking more and more like the nominee.

Mr. Romney still could prevail. If that happens, President Barack Obama maintains a clear advantage over him, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll.

In the poll taken last week, the president leads the Republican front-runner 52 percent to 43 percent among all Americans and 51 percent to 45 percent among registered voters.

President Obama’s approval rating is at 50 percent, with 46 percent disapproving. Some 49 percent of registered voters say his job performance has earned him a second term; the same number of respondents disagree.

Independents could determine the outcome of the general election Among that group, 47 percent like the job the president is doing and 50 percent do not. In a matchup against Mr. Romney, President Obama splits the independent vote with his rival, 48 percent to 47 percent. In the last poll, Mr. Romney held a 12-point lead.

On issues such as job creation and handling taxes, President Obama and Mr. Romney are about even, according to the poll. The president leads on the questions of who would better protect the middle class, conduct foreign policy and fight terrorism, the Post notes.

Who better understands Americans’ economic struggles? President Obama wins 52 percent of the vote there to Mr. Romney’s 37 percent.

Mr. Romney’s business experience receives mixed reviews. The same number of independents say his private-equity work created jobs as argue he eliminated jobs. Some 43 percent of all Americans view his fortune — $250 million — as a positive because he is living the American Dream. Two of three Americans question whether he is paying his fair share of taxes.

In general, Republicans hope the election is a referendum on the president’s first-term performance while Democrats seek to frame it as a choice between the incumbent and the challenger.

First, of course, Mitt Romney must secure the nomination. President Obama and his Democratic strategists were assuming that he would. Rick Santorum has injected some doubt into the equation with his victories this week.