FReepmail “Antoninus” to be added or removed.
Posted on 02/23/2012 7:00:12 PM PST by SeekAndFind
In a GOP primary in which all four GOP candidates face the rare prospect of a home-state loss, Rick Santorum looks like he might be able to pull off a win in Pennsylvania, after all. Washington Wire calls attention to a new Franklin and Marshall College poll that has good news for the former senator from the Keystone State:
Mr. Santorum [now leads] former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney 45 percent to 16 percent. The other two candidates are in single digits: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich comes it at 9 percent and Ron Paul at 7 percent.
Mr. Santorum’s victories in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri in early February could be prompting Pennsylvania Republicans to take another look. His favorability rating has soared to 63 percent from 46 percent in January. Mr. Romney’s favorability, meanwhile, has dipped slightly, to 40 percent from 46 percent.
Tellingly, Republicans in the state cite a strong moral character (36 percent) or the right experience (23 percent) as the most important qualifications for a presidential candidate to possess. Just 18 percent cite a candidate’s ability to beat Obama and an even smaller percentage — just 13 — say it’s most important that a candidate be a true conservative.
The poll was conducted from Feb. 14 to Feb. 20, though, so it doesn’t take into account reactions to last night’s debate, which probably hurt more than helped Santorum. Then again, just 13 percent of those polled cited the prior GOP debates as a reason for their choice of whom to support. Twelve percent said the debates made no difference at all.
Franklin and Marshall’s findings on the general election are less hopeful for Santorum — or the GOP, in general. Barack Obama leads all the GOP candidates in hypothetical head-to-head match-ups. Both Romney and Santorum — the president’s closest challengers — trail by eight points. Since January, Santorum’s chances against the president have improved in the state, but the president’s job performance and reelect ratings have improved, too. Pennsylvania will definitely be a state to watch in the general election; it was a hard win for Obama in 2008 and it will be again in 2012.
Update (Allahpundit): Speaking of losing on your home turf, I’m thinking this might finish Newt off if it happens:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich leads the pack in the first Rasmussen Reports survey of the Republican Primary race in his home state of Georgia. A new telephone survey of Likely Georgia Republican Primary Voters shows Gingrich with 33% support, followed by former Senator Rick Santorum at 28%. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney runs third with 20% of the vote, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul trails with nine percent (9%).
Georgia is one of three southern states scheduled for Super Tuesday, but Newt’s not on the ballot in one of the others (Virginia) so he needs to win at home and in Tennessee to prove that he’s still a regional force. If Santorum bumps him off in his home state, it’s hard to see why he’d go forward. All it would do is help Romney by siphoning off conservative votes from Sweater Vest and there’s no reason for Newt to want to do that.
Someone needs to buy Allahpundit a Santorum sweater vest for his birthday. ( ^;
However, we're still waiting for a poll after the debate from the 23rd of Feb and later. Not to mention to see what happens after millions of ads carpet bombing, which really started about 2 days ago.
Newt carries Georgia.
Santorum is dropping like a cinder block from a cessna.
I think we’ll see Mr. Santorum taking Georgia. Newt’s home turf advantage will melt away as GOP robocalls are replaced by pulling the lever.
Based on everything I’m hearing from the Santorum people it seems he should be stepping aside in Georgia and let Newt win to ‘derail’ Romney. They all think Newt’s people should vote for their boy all over the place ostensibly to stop Romney. Let’s just have everybody vote their conscience.
We’ll have to see the post-debate ones...
I wish I was having an easier time picturing any of the three remaining real candidates winning... As it is, I can picture Romney or Gingrich winning a national election, but Santorum is a much bigger leap of faith.
RE: Santorum is dropping like a cinder block from a cessna.
Which latest poll tells us that?
RE: I can picture Romney or Gingrich winning a national election, but Santorum is a much bigger leap of faith.
Telling us your reasons for thinking so would be nice.
The only magnanimous man in this race is Newt.
His campaign has ran very little in negative ads against any opponents if at all. The Super Pac that supports him ran negative ads against Romney in South Carolina and some in Florida, but in Florida, Romney hammered him with $20 million dollars in negative ads. That was crazy. Of the 3 candidates against Newt, all of them have run negative ads against him and Newt only responded in kind against Romney after they all hammered him with negative ads.
Newt runs a positive campaign. You can’t say the same about the rest of them.
” As it is, I can picture Romney or Gingrich winning a national election, but Santorum is a much bigger leap of faith. “
I am *iffie* on Romney, blinded by my disdain for the man in nearly every catagory, certainly and thoroughly bored with hearing him in any catagory.
Santorum is noisy but not all that cerebreal. He sets off a little unease because of it, like he maybe could go twitchy any moment. I would say that is not a “plus”. The voters themselves seem to be feeling strained, nervous, and unsettled, and need a little comfort, which Rick Santorum does not lend to this primary. You know what I mean?
I like Newt. I feel comforted and courageous at the same time, with Newt in command of the issues.
They keep talking about the debates,,of everyone ive talked too,they didnt even bother watching them.I personally cant stand to hear Newt talk.If i close my eyes he sounds like a whiny old woman with a case of the ooopsies.
All the conservatives came down on Billy Clinton for Monica Lewinsky,How is that any differant then Newt cheating on his wife with Calista”who was also an intern at the time”
FReepmail “Antoninus” to be added or removed.
I’m in for my fellow amphibian.
Santorum did not present well last night and he's had a campaigns' worth of bad communication in the previous week.
I still expect Romney to win Michigan by 10 points and Gingrich to win Georgia by AT LEAST that much.
Last night's debate showed Ricky for what he is: a blathering blabber mouth fool. He is a two term Senator; trained as a lawyer. Other than that, the man has not accomplished anything of note.
He has spent many years crafting his skills at attaining the highest office in the land. Last night he reverted to a blathering Senatorial fool. This guy is in way over his head.
Ricky boy will be rightfully persecuted for his obsession with using the power of the State to try and make humans "moral" as per his world viewpoint.
Last night he explicitly stated once again open hostility to the individual Liberties that our Founders desired for all.
Fiscal matters mean little to this fool. He would be utterly laughable as a candidate.
Ricky should do the nation a favor and get a "real" job in the private sector and stop obsessing over becoming President.
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