Obama more likable, but Romney a better manager, new Gallup poll

President Barack Obama may be more likable, but many Americans think GOP challenger Mitt Romney would be a better manager if elected, a Gallup poll released Wednesday showed.

Presented with a list of eight personal characteristics that could describe the presidential candidates, 81 percent of respondents said Obama "is likable." Only 64 percent said the same of Romney, USA Today reported.

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Likability topped the list of attributes for both candidates.

Romney will likely need to chip away at some of that 17-point advantage to buoy his chances this fall. The presidential candidate with the higher likability polling numbers has won every election since 1980, according to The Hill.

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On a positive note for Romney, 53 percent of those polled said they felt he "can manage government effectively," compared with 45 percent for Obama, according to the poll.

Respondents also labeled Romney as a stronger and more decisive leader than Obama.

Neither candidate scored well when it comes to having a clear plan to solve the country's problems. Just 38 percent of those surveyed believe Romney does, and 40 percent believe Obama does, Politico reported.

Obama has strengthened his lead over Romney in the battleground states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, a Quinnipiac University poll released Wesdnesday showed.