AP

It's a statistical dead heat between President Obama and Mitt Romney, according to a CNN/ORC poll released Monday.

If the election were held today, 48 percent of those surveyed say they would vote for the former Massachusetts governor, while 47 percent would vote for the president. Both numbers are well within the 3 percent margin of error.

Obama fares similarly against Texas Rep. Ron Paul, 48 percent to 46 percent. Against Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, the president enjoys a wider margin: 51 percent-45 percent if facing Santorum, 52 percent-43 percent against the former House Speaker.

Both Obama and Romney are seen as strong leaders by those surveyed, with more seeing Romney as a political opportunist, whose values and views change for political reasons.

Fifty-three percent see Romney as more capable of jump-starting the economy, but the majority of those surveyed also see him as out of touch with ordinary Americans. That Romney weakness is an Obama strength among those polled; a majority surveyed see Obama as able to relate to the needs of everyday people more.

Voter enthusiasm, often critical in a close election, is beginning to even out after wildly favoring Republicans three months ago: enthusiasm among Republicans has dropped 10 percentage points to 54 percent, while Democrats' enthusiasm has risen 6 percentage points, to 49 percent.

Just over 1,000 people were surveyed for this poll.