GOP race for White House is "corrosive": Obama adviser

New York, Mar.12 (ANI): Former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs is of the view that the Republican presidential campaign has "weakened", and may not be a match-up against Barack Obama when the campaign heats up in the fall.

Robert Gibbs, now a re-election campaign strategist, told CBS News' "Face the Nation" that the negative ads and campaign trail rhetoric has damaged whoever the potential nominee is.

"I know at what these candidates have been saying, tearing each other apart with negative ads, it is a process that in many ways has torn each of them down, and I think has weakened them for a fall election," Gibbs said.

He said the campaign has become "corrosive" for both front-runners Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.

"I think it's become destructive," Gibbs said.

Still, he offered that "it's a fascinating process to watch."

Nearly half of the states have voted in this Republican nominating season, and no candidate is close to achieving the necessary 1,144 delegates necessary to clinch the nomination.

Mitt Romney is in the lead with 428 delegates, followed by Rick Santorum with 179 delegates, according to estimates by CBS News. (ANI)