Politics
Herman Cain Passes Mitt Romney While Rick Perry Tumbles to Fourth in Poll
Around the State
Rick Perry, Herman Cain and Mitt Romney | Credit: Gage Skidmore - FlickrAccording to Public Policy Polling, a firm with connections to prominent national Democrats, businessman Herman Cain has jumped ahead of former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts to lead the pack of hopefuls for the Republican presidential nomination.
PPP released a national poll on Wednesday showing Cain with 30 percent and Romney trailing with 22 percent. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich was barely leading Texas Gov. Rick Perry for third place, taking 15 percent, with the governor of the Lone Star State right behind him with 14 percent.
The rest of the field trailed in single digits. Two members of Congress -- U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas -- took 5 percent apiece. Former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah garnered 2 percent. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania took 1 percent and former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico lagged with less than 1 percent.
“Cain’s the flavor of the week, but with 70 percent of Republican voters either undecided or willing to change their minds, this race is as wide open as it’s ever been,” said Dean Debnam, president of PPP, on Wednesday. Cain had led the pack in a poll PPP took of Iowa, home of the first caucus, earlier in the week.
In the PPP poll in September, Perry led the pack with 31 percent, followed by Romney with 18 percent, Paul with 11 percent and Gingrich with 10 percent. Bachmann, who had led a national PPP poll back in July, took 9 percent while Cain was in sixth place with 8 percent.
Cain was helped by impressive numbers among usual Republican primary voters. Sixty-six percent of those surveyed held Cain in favorable regard while 15 percent saw him as unfavorable. Gingrich was seen as favorable by 57 percent but 30 percent viewed the former congressional leader as unfavorable. Romney also was seen as favorable by a majority of those surveyed -- 55 percent -- while less than a third -- 31 percent -- saw him as unfavorable. While barely 60 percent of those surveyed had an opinion of him, the PPP poll found that Santorum had left a solid impression with 43 percent seeing him as favorable while only 18 percent saw him as unfavorable.
Two of the candidates were barely breaking even in the poll. Forty-two percent viewed Perry as favorable while 38 percent saw him as unfavorable. Bachmann had similar numbers, with 41 percent seeing her as favorable and 39 percent seeing her in an unfavorable light.
The poll found Paul was upside down, with a majority of those surveyed -- 54 percent -- seeing him as unfavorable and only 29 percent seeing the Texas congressman as favorable. Huntsman was also upside down with 31 percent seeing him as unfavorable and 20 percent viewing him with favor.
The other candidates were mostly unknown. Johnson was seen as favorable by 9 percent and unfavorable by 23 percent. Former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Lousiana was seen as favorable by 5 percent and unfavorable by 18 percent. Activist Fred Karger was the most unknown candidate with 2 percent seeing him as favorable and 19 percent as unfavorable.
The poll surveyed 484 usual Republican primary voters and was taken from Oct. 7-10; it had a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
Comments (2)
Mitt Romney is NOT a conservative, barely a real Republican. Newt put it succinctly recently; he is the Nelson Rockefeller of today. I’m old enough to have worked in the Barry Goldwater campaign back in 1964. That year we lost, but we finally made the GOP the conservative party and planted the seeds for Ronald Reagan in 1980. At the same time we hoped we’d crushed forever the northeastern liberal “Republican” establishment personified by New York governor Nelson Rockefeller. But the hydra headed monster is back.
It is Mitt Romney, the “last hope” of the inside the beltway GOP “leadership” establishment! Another northeastern former governor (People’s Republic of Taxachussetts,) he is exactly what the Tea Party conservatives have been fighting against. The base of today’s GOP is the SOUTH, MIDWEST, AND WEST, and the Tea Party is the core of conservative activists who decide who our nominee will be. We DO NOT want Romney!
Why? First look at his record. He’s been on both sides of almost every major issue but seems to have his natural philosophical “home” with the center-left. His vile “Obamneycare” socialized medicine program in Massachusetts is the most telling example. It IS the basis for Obamacare! The same individuals who advised HIM on HIS socialist program also helped the Democrat-socialists craft Obamacare (see link below.) THAT alone disqualifies him for the GOP nomination. Yes I KNOW states have the right to do what they want. But we don’t want a governor who did such a thing to his own state as our nominee!
http://dailycaller.com/2011/10/11/white-house-met-with-three-romney-advi...
As if THAT weren’t enough we also now learn that he bought in to Al Gore’s absurd anti-industry, anti-life man caused “global warming” nonsense; still refuses to denounce it. Not surprising since HIS “environmental” advisor was John Holdren, environmental extremist and now “science” adviser to the Obamanistas. See link below.
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=588168&p=1
But even politically, Romney is the WRONG choice. The Tea Party movement sprang up spontaneously in 2009 in response to Obamacare being shoved down our throats. It is the REAL VOICE of American conservatives and can provide, as it did in 2010, the activists and “boots on the ground” to achieve an overwhelming GOP victory in 2012. How on EARTH can Romney campaign against socialist Obama on THIS issue? He can’t. Moreover, millions of our traditionalist-religious conservative brethren could, as with loser McCain in 2008, sit out the election or at very least be most unenthusiastic.
We CAN stop the Romney locomotive here in Florida! We need to unite behind ONE genuine conservative candidate in our January 31st primary. For all his slick performance and huge money reserves, Romney can be beaten here and in South Carolina. Time to unite behind ONE genuine conservative leader who not only can beat Romney, but defeat Obama and bring in CONSERVATIVE Republican congress. That man is Herman Cain.
Happiness is Mitt Romney heading back to Massachusetts with Charlie Crist and George LeMieux under his arms!