While Republican presidential candidates battle each other ahead of Tuesday's primary in Ohio, a new polls shows President Obama ahead of all them in the Buckeye State. Obama leads Mitt Romney 50-38% in Ohio, with the other 12% undecided, according to a new NBC News/Marist Poll.
The president enjoys a 50-36% lead over Rick Santorum, and a 51-36% advantage over Newt Gingrich, the poll adds.
Ron Paul comes closest to Obama, trailing the president by a margin of 48-38%.
It's hard to see any Republican dislodging Obama from the White House without winning Ohio.
It's not as if Obama is revered in Ohio. Only 45% of registered voters in Ohio approve of Obama's job performance, while 45% disapprove.
"President Obama's advantage over his potential challengers in Ohio is underscored by the fact that more voters support him over the GOP field than approve of his job performance," said Lee M. Miringoff, director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.
Marist also reports that Obama leads the Republicans in another key state that has a primary race on Tuesday: Virginia.
As for the Republican race in Ohio -- the most anticipated race this Super Tuesday -- Santorum leads Romney by 34-32%. Gingrich and Paul trail with 15% and 13%, respectively.
"Here we go again," Miringoff said. "It's another make or break state and it could go either way."
