The Week in Polls: Jan. 19

Romney leads GOP rivals but trails Obama nationally.

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Lines in the Sand - After days of playing "show me yours; no, show me yours," President Obama and congressional Republicans have each made opening offers and resoundingly rejected the other's. While some American voters know what kind of deal they'd like to see reached, others aren't sure what the fiscal cliff is. Obama is up, Congress is down, Americans are divided on same-sex marriage and more. — Joyce Jones and Britt Middleton(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Mitt Romney - According to a Gallup poll released Jan. 16, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney holds a commanding 23 percent lead over his closest competitor, with 37 percent of support among Republican registered voters nationwide. Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich each have 14 percent, and Ron Paul has 12 percent of support.(Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Mitt Romney - According to a Gallup poll released Jan. 16, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney holds a commanding 23 percent lead over his closest competitor, with 37 percent of support among Republican registered voters nationwide. Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich each have 14 percent, and Ron Paul has 12 percent of support.(Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Where Is the Money Going? - Most of the cash raised for super PACs have gone toward attack ads. According to recent reports, super PACs spent more than $9 million in advertising in South Carolina, which votes Jan. 21. Restore Our Future, the super PAC backing GOP contender Mitt Romney, recently bought $3.4 million in TV ads in Florida, which votes Jan. 31, the Washington Examiner reports.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Super PACs - Seventy-eight percent of people who are aware of super PACS, which were created following a 2010 Supreme Court decision to allow corporations and individuals to spend as much money as they want on political advertising as long as it is not coordinated with candidate campaigns, say that super PACs are having a negative impact on the 2012 presidential campaign, according to a Pew Research Center survey published Jan. 17. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Romney's Mormon Faith - More than half (53 percent) of white evangelical Protestants, who compose a large part of the Republican electoral base, say that the Mormon religion is not a Christian faith, compared to half of all Americans who believe that it is, a Pew Research Center poll published Jan. 17, has found. Still, 91 percent of white evangelical Republican voters say they would choose Mitt Romney over President Obama in a general election contest. (Photo: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints via Getty Images)

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Romney's Mormon Faith - More than half (53 percent) of white evangelical Protestants, who compose a large part of the Republican electoral base, say that the Mormon religion is not a Christian faith, compared to half of all Americans who believe that it is, a Pew Research Center poll published Jan. 17, has found. Still, 91 percent of white evangelical Republican voters say they would choose Mitt Romney over President Obama in a general election contest. (Photo: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints via Getty Images)

Obama vs. Romney - In a nationwide survey released by Public Policy Polling Jan. 17, President Obama leads GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney by 49 percent to 44 percent. Forty-seven percent of voters, however, disapprove of Obama’s job performance, but only 35 percent give Romney a positive approval rating. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Obama vs. Romney - In a nationwide survey released by Public Policy Polling Jan. 17, President Obama leads GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney by 49 percent to 44 percent. Forty-seven percent of voters, however, disapprove of Obama’s job performance, but only 35 percent give Romney a positive approval rating. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Florida Primary - Mitt Romney leads the Republican field in Florida with 41 percent. He is trailed by Newt Gingrich (26 percent); Rick Santorum (11 percent); Ron Paul (10 percent); and Rick Perry (4 percent), according to a Public Policy Polling survey published Jan. 16.(Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Florida Primary - Mitt Romney leads the Republican field in Florida with 41 percent. He is trailed by Newt Gingrich (26 percent); Rick Santorum (11 percent); Ron Paul (10 percent); and Rick Perry (4 percent), according to a Public Policy Polling survey published Jan. 16.(Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Congress's Approval Rating - A new ABC News/Washington Post poll published Jan. 16 found that a mere 13 percent of Americans approve of the way Congress is handling its job, compared to 84 percent who disapprove and 65 percent disapprove “strongly.” This is its worst rating since 1974.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Congress's Approval Rating - A new ABC News/Washington Post poll published Jan. 16 found that a mere 13 percent of Americans approve of the way Congress is handling its job, compared to 84 percent who disapprove and 65 percent disapprove “strongly.” This is its worst rating since 1974.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)