CNN Poll: Independents Trust Romney More to Fix Economy

GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney is leading with independents and is in a dead heat with President Barack Obama on the top issue with voters — the economy — according to a new poll.

Romney tops Obama 52 percent to 41 percent among independent voters who were asked in a CNN poll which candidate would do a better job handling the economy.

"The economy remains the No. 1 concern to voters, but neither President Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney have an edge on that issue among registered voters nationwide," CNN’s polling director Keating Holland said.

"The groups that think Romney would do a better job — higher-income Americans, men, and older voters — are counterbalanced by lower-income Americans, women, and younger voters who give the edge to Obama. Fifty-two percent of independents think Romney would do a better job on the economy."

Romney has a 10-point advantage over Obama when Americans were asked which candidate would do a better job dealing with the federal budget deficit.

Obama led by 8 points on foreign policy and by 7 on healthcare. Romney holds a 3-point margin on illegal immigration, the CNN poll said.

"Not surprisingly, the poll indicates that the economy's the public's top issue, the only topic that more than half say will be extremely important to their presidential vote in November," Holland said.