The Republican primary isn’t the only contest in which former speaker Newt Gingrich is surging in the polls. Public Policy Polling found that Gingrich has surged from 11 points behind Barack Obama in the general to just 6 points. And it’s not just Republicans who have a better view of the new Republican frontrunner.

The electability gap between Romney and the rest of the Republican field is becoming a little bit narrower. Newt Gingrich is surging for the general election as well as the primary and has turned what was an 11 point deficit against Obama last month into only a 6 point one now at 49-43. Gingrich’s improvement has come across the board- he’s doing 7 points better with independents, 4 points better with Democrats, and 4 points better with Republicans.

Just 45% approve of the job Barack Obama is doing. 51% disapprove. That bodes poorly for the incumbent less than one year before election day.