Washington Post-ABC News Poll: Paul Run Would Split GOP Voters

Should Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, decide to run on a third-party ticket for the White House, it would wreak havoc for the GOP. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that in a three-way matchup, President Barack Obama would win re-election by 10 points, The Washington Post’s blog Behind the Numbers reported.

If the choices were between Obama, Paul and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Obama would win by 10. If former House Speaker Newt Gingrich replaced Romney, Obama would win by 11 points. The poll showed that without Paul in the mix, Obama is tied with Romney and leading Gingrich by 8 points.

A Paul third-party run would draw more votes from Republicans and Republican leaning independents than from Democrats. With Paul in the race, Romney’s support among Republicans drops from 85 percent to 66 while Obama’s support among Democrat drops from 85 to 79 percent, the Post reported.