Mitt Romney has jumped to a strong lead in Florida, the largest swing state, according to a poll released Thursday.

The Republican leads 51 percent to 44 percent for President Barack Obama, in a survey by Mason-Dixon, reported by Talking Points Memo. The survey of 800 likely voters was conducted Monday through Wednesday, and has a 3.5 percent margin of error. In the previous Mason-Dixon poll, conducted in mid-September, Obama had an edge of 48 percent to 47 percent.

"There's no question in my mind that debate made people stand up and pay attention, and it really wiped away any questions people had about Romney, whether they were undecided or soft for Obama," polling director Brad Coker told the Tampa Bay Times, which co-sponsored the poll.

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