Poll: Obama Would Beat Santorum On His Home Turf

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum has made his ability to win the state he once represented a key argument of his struggling Presidential campaign.

“Pennsylvania is a swing state. We win Pennsylvania, we win the election,” Santorum argued during last month’s GOP debate in Las Vegas. “I’ve won it twice.”

However, according to a new poll from Pennsylvania’s Franklin and Marshall College, Obama would lead the former Senator in his home state by 38 to 25 percent if the election were held today.

Although, as he has stressed during the debates, Santorum has twice won his home state, he was ousted in the 2006 midterm elections by Democrat Bob Casey by a wide 59 to 41 percent margin.

The poll also found Obama leading the GOP field’s frontrunners among the state’s voters. In a match-up with Mitt Romney, Obama leads 35 to 26 percent. Against Herman Cain, Obama leads 38 to 24 percent and against Rick Perry Obama leads by his widest margin, 40 to 20 percent.

However, despite besting his challengers, 52 percent of Pennsylvanians responded that they did not believe Obama deserved re-election as opposed to just 42 percent who say he does.

The survey, released Thursday, was conducted among 525 adults between October 24^th through 30^th.