Third-Party Colbert Would Get 13%: Poll

If Stephen Colbert decided to run for president as a third-party candidate, his performance might not be too shabby: He'd pull in 13% of the vote, Public Policy Polling finds. In that hypothetical scenario, President Obama would get 41% and Mitt Romney 38%. If the Comedy Central host were to go third-party, he'd help out Republicans, the poll finds: In a contest between Obama and Romney, Colbert voters unsurprisingly prefer Obama 52-38.

Colbert stacks up well against Republicans: His 36% favorability rating is higher than any current GOP candidate, with Romney coming closest at 35%. Some 47% of Democrats have a favorable view of the comedian, compared with 43% of independents, and 18% of Republicans. (In the poll's real-world findings, Obama has a 49-44 lead over Romney nationally.)