Former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs has indicated that he might consider an independent bid for the White House in 2012, and early polling shows he could attract up to 14% of the vote. However, some of that is almost certainly a generic protest vote as an unnamed “some other candidate” picks up between six percent (6%) and nine percent (9%) of the vote in similar 2012 match-ups.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that if the choice is between President Obama, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Dobbs, Obama leads 42% to 34% with Dobbs pulling 14% of the vote.

With Mike Huckabee as the Republican nominee, Obama leads 42% to 36%, with Dobbs at 12%.

If Sarah Palin is the GOP nominee, it’s Obama 44%, Palin 37% and Dobbs 12%.

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Obviously, it’s way too early to evaluate the political environment for the 2012 election, and it’s important to remember that four years ago Obama would not have been considered a serious national challenger for 2008. For Dobbs, the data shows how improbable such an independent bid could be.

With Dobbs out of the equation, Obama and Romney are tied at 44%, Obama leads Huckabee 45% to 41%, and the president leads Palin 46% to 43%.

The similarity of results regardless of the GOP hopeful suggests that voters currently see the question simply as a referendum on the president. The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll shows that Obama’s ratings have recently fallen to the lowest levels of his term.

While the president has a long way to go before facing voters again himself, Democrats in Congress don’t have the same luxury. They trail the GOP on the Generic Congressional Ballot,and Democratic senators are struggling in Nevada, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Colorado and Illinois.

Dobbs is currently viewed favorably by 33% of likely voters nationwide and unfavorably by 42%. However, most of the opinions about him are soft. Just seven percent (7%) have a Very Favorable view and 16% hold a Very Unfavorable opinion.

For Romney, the numbers are 49% favorable and 38% unfavorable (14% Very Favorable, 10% Very Unfavorable).

Huckabee is better like with 58% offering a positive assessment and 30% negative, including 21% Very Favorable and 13% Very Unfavorable.

Opinions are strongest about Palin. Overall, her numbers come in at 46% favorable and 49% unfavorable. Those numbers include 27% with a Very Favorable opinion and 31% with a Very Unfavorable view.

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