Who would Obama rather face?

[Iosif]

I think it's Romney.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I think Romney for no other reason than he's extremely predictable...

[GLPman]

Gingrich. He's far more flawed.

[Tender Branson]

Gingrich, because Obama would start out far more electable in places like NH, MI, CO, NV, AZ, NM and elsewhere.

Which further means Obama does not have to spend ad money in these states like he would need to with Romney.

[Niemeyerite]

Romney could make the race closer.. but he'd have more problems to get to 270.
Gingrich could lose by a landslide, but also have great debate perfomances, fire up the conservative base and carry the election by a good margin.

[Volrath50]

Overall, Gingrich would probably be easier to beat. Gingrich is, however, unpredictable and could really crush Obama in the debates and win the election that way.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Newt has essentially no chance at winning a nationwide general election barring a huge scandal on Obama or another economic crash worse than 2008.

At least with Mittens, he has a decent chance as long as the economy sputters along, but I still put his chances below 50% in the election.

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

Gingrich has a lower floor but higher ceiling.

I think the Obama campaign is content with either candidate. I'm sure they have lengthy Oppo files on both of them. Romney is predictably boring and Gingrich unpredictably says stupid things.

[auburntiger]

Since the number 270 is all that matters, he'd rather face Gingrich. 

[Mr. Taft Republican]

Romney, his opponents have done most of Obama's work for him.

[Earthling]

Romney.

Gingrich, like him or not, knows how to keep the race alive. He is the better debater and probably the better campaigner.

Romney is just boring.

[Averroës Nix]

Romney's electability is hugely overrated, but I see no legitimate reason to disagree with the prevailing wisdom that he stands a better chance of defeating Obama than Gingrich. Despite this, it's not clear to me that Obama would prefer to face Gingrich.

Gingrich, by far, would be easier for Obama to defeat; but his nomination would be a symptom of a Republican Party that has radicalized even further than now seems to be the case. This would be an toxic political environment in which to govern, even if Democrats won gigantic victories in the House and Senate.

[Earthling]

The political environment is already as toxic as it could be. Since January 20, 2009 the Republicans have only one objective and that is to make Obama's presidency a living hell.

[J. J.]

I think it's Romney.

As can be seen from yesterday, there are a lot of negatives in Gingrich's background.  While 15 years old, many were very very well known at the time.  Obama just needs to remind the public of them (and will get the held of half the people that knew Gingrich in the 1990's).

Remember, Gingrich is the guy who was forced from the Speakership by the Republicans.

[angus]

As can be seen from yesterday, there are a lot of negatives in Gingrich's background. 

I don't think a vote for Romney in this poll should necessarily be misconstrued as a statement about his electability relative to Gingrich's.  I also think Romney would stand a better chance at winning than Gingrich, for many reasons, but if I were Obama I'd still rather face Romney.  For one thing, it'll be a negative campaign either way, but it's likely to be much nastier with Gingrich than with Romney.  (Both ways, since Obama's people will get nasty too, and it depresses turnout.)  For another thing, Obama, for all his faults, is an honorable man, and he knows that there's a chance that he might lose either way, and it could have more to do with factors beyond anyone's control than with the candidates.  Better to lose to Romney than to lose to Gingrich.  Better for all of us.  Finally, Obama knows that it is very likely that both chambers will be controlled by the GOP in the next congress.  Gingrich with that congress is a more scary proposition for Obama than Romney. 

[J. J.]

As can be seen from yesterday, there are a lot of negatives in Gingrich's background. 

I don't think a vote for Romney in this poll should necessarily be misconstrued as a statement about his electability relative to Gingrich's.  I also think Romney would stand a better chance at winning than Gingrich, for many reasons, but if I were Obama I'd still rather face Romney.  For one thing, it'll be a negative campaign either way, but it's likely to be much nastier with Gingrich than with Romney.  (Both ways, since Obama's people will get nasty too, and it depresses turnout.)  For another thing, Obama, for all his faults, is an honorable man, and he knows that there's a chance that he might lose either way, and it could have more to do with factors beyond anyone's control than with the candidates.  Better to lose to Romney than to lose to Gingrich.  Better for all of us.  Finally, Obama knows that it is very likely that both chambers will be controlled by the GOP in the next congress.  Gingrich with that congress is a more scary proposition for Obama than Romney. 

The thing with Gingrich, and negative attacks, they tend to backfire.

Gingrich had a terrible week last week, and much of that was the Bain Capital attack.  He launched it.

If I were Obama, I'd love watching Gingrich shooting himself in the foot in mid-October.

[Averroës Nix]

Gingrich is a good debater I think obama would rather face romney

Gingrich debates well when he has a right-wing audience to play to. It's delusional to expect that his style would hold appeal to many of those outside certain segments of the Republican base.

More importantly, debates matter much less in the general election than they do in primaries - and even their apparent importance to the Republican contest so far is somewhat anomalous.

[CLARENCE 2015!]

Gingrich can fire up his base more and can debate far better and is overall seen as smarter and more charismatic... Romney is a  moderate flip-flopping former CEO whose reputation is nearly as bad as Newt's in the integrity dept due to his slick political games. This is like Kerry vs Dean- maybe if Dean had provided a clear contrast to Bush he would have won, but Kerry did not provide that distinction

[TheGlobalizer]

Gingrich will get destroyed in nearly every scenario.  Romney has paths.