President Obama has a six-point lead over Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Growing improvements to the economy appear to be the tipping pint.

The six-point lead is among registered voters. Among the public overall, Obama leads the former Massachusetts governor by nine points.

Here are details from the poll.

The survey shows that the president holds a 15-point advantage over the wealthy former private equity firm executive in terms of who better understands the economic problems people are facing. The president's overall approval rating also took a jump - to 50 percent - although nearly the same amount disapprove of his job performance.

It's worth noting here that poll season is becoming even more intense and focused as Republicans get closer to settling on a nominee. The surveys are coming in fast and furiously. So they should be read with some perspective. Things could change dramatically between now the fall.

That said, the new survey, in conjunction with another last week by the Democratic firm, Public Policy Polling showing Obama rising in Missouri - long a presidential bellwether and where he has been deeply unpopular for most of his term - could indicate a shift in the political landscape. Or perhaps not.