Romney ahead among independents -- poll WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney is leading President Obama among independent voters, Politico's weekly tracking poll indicates. The Politico/George Washington University Battleground Poll indicates, however, the Democratic incumbent is leading overall among likely voters, 49 percent to 47 percent, in a race that tightened by a point from last week. Romney was ahead by 4 points among independents. Forty-six percent of those queried said they would vote to re-elect Obama, while 42 percent said they'll vote against him. The poll gave Obama a 49 percent approval rating with an identical 49 percent viewing his job performance negatively. Fifty percent of respondents said their personal view of Obama is favorable, while 47 percent said they have a negative opinion. Forty-six percent said they view Romney favorably compared to 48 percent unfavorably. Among women, 54 percent said they view Obama favorably, while 51 percent said they view Romney negatively. Obama also increased his lead over Romney regarding foreign policy to 12 points despite the initial response to the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya. Only 75 percent of Democrats said they intend to vote, down from 81 percent right after the Democratic convention, compared to 80 percent of Republicans. No matter for whom they plan to vote, 61 percent of those queried said they expect Obama to win. When it comes to the economy, voters said they think Romney is better equipped to handle the situation, 49 percent versus 47 percent. Fifty-two percent said they disapprove of the way Obama has handled the economy thus far. The poll queried 1,000 likely voters last Monday through Thursday and had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.