A new Gallup poll testing the waters of the 2012 presidential race has tantalizingly good news for Republicans, but not so much for Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

The poll, of likely Republican voters and those who say they lean to the GOP, found that only 1 percent would vote for Palenty in a GOP primary. Despite his near-nonstop stumping across the country, Pawlenty has consistently been mired in the single digits in 2012 horse race polls.

The poll, released today, found that among Republicans, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads with 14 percent support, closely followed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, supported by 11 percent.

The upside for the GOP: In a matchup with a "generic" Republican candidate, registered voters give President Obama a 2 percentage-point edge in 2012, well within the poll's margin of sampling error.