Free Republic

DES MOINES, IA - Every day a new poll measuring the standings of the GOP presidential contenders in Iowa is released. On Thursday, December 29, 2011 Rasmussen shows the latest numbers compiled from a telephone survey of likely GOP caucus participants. Mitt Romney is now in a statistical tie at the top of the poll with Texas Congressman Ron Paul. Romney comes in with 23% support compared to Paul’s 22%. Rick Santorum (16%) is now in a three-way statistical tie for third place with both former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (13%) and Texas Governor Rick Perry (13%). Gingrich’s...

First time ever getting polled about who I would vote for in the primary in SC.........interesting

GOP presidential frontrunner Newt Gingrich still leads the Republican field in Iowa, but Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are back within striking distance, according to an American Research Group poll released on Monday. Gingrich took 22 percent of the support from likely Iowa caucus-goers, which is a five percent drop from the previous poll. Mitt Romney and Ron Paul both came in at 17 percent, followed by Rick Perry at 13 percent, Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum at seven percent, and Jon Huntsman at five percent.

The headline is a grabber: “GOP support for Perry plummets after debate flub.” The second takeaway from the latest NBC poll release also sounds explosive: After his flub at a Republican debate on Wednesday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has seen his support plummet among GOP primary voters, according to a re-contact of Republicans surveyed in this month’s NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.And after another charge of sexual harassment this week, ex-businessman Herman Cain’s support has stagnated or slightly declined.“If this was not a good week for Herman Cain, it was an absolutely horrendous week for Rick Perry,” said Democratic pollster...

President Obama's ratings on the the most important issue for his re-election -- the economy -- have posted the weakest showing of his presidency, according to a poll released Friday by CBS News. About 60 percent of voters said they disapprove of Mr. Obama's handling of the economy, the highest on record. Just 34 percent approve of the job he is doing on the matter. His overall approval ratings are just 43 percent, while 47 percent disapprove of the job he is doing as president. Among independents, just 39 percent are satisfied with his performance, while 76 percent of Democrats...

A recent Eagleton Institute of Politics poll found that word choice matters when gay marriage figures into the question. According to the poll, 52 percent of N.J. residents questioned are in favor of gay marriage, but the number jumps to 61 percent when the question is framed in terms of "marriage equality". Thirty-nine percent oppose legalizing gay marriage, and only 27 percent are against marriage equality. "Framing matters, and we know that," said David Redlawsk, poll director and a professor of political science at the University....

Any of the Republican presidential primary’s frontrunners would beat President Obama in Tennessee if the presidential election were held today, the latest MTSU Poll finds. The same poll shows President Obama’s job approval rate hitting an all-time low in Tennessee, and his disapproval rate hitting an all-time high. The poll also probed knowledge of the state’s new voter ID law, preferences for addressing the finances of the state’s lottery-funded college scholarship program, perceptions about the quality of Tennessee’s public schools, and attitudes on several other issues. Conducted Oct. 3-14 by the College of Mass Communication at Middle Tennessee State University,...

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani maintains his status as the most-preferred nominee among Republican primary voters nationwide, a new CBS News poll finds. But six in ten of his backers say they have reservations about the candidate. Twenty-nine percent of Republican primary voters favor Giuliani, while 21 percent support former Senator Fred Thompson. Senator John McCain's support remains at 18 percent, the same as last month, while former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney receives 12 percent support. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, included in the choices in the poll for the first time, garners 4 percent support. --SNIP-- This...

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 23% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty percent (40%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -17

Two more polls have found that Gov. Rick Perry of Texas has moved past both U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts to lead the Republican presidential pack in Iowa, site of the first caucus battle. A poll of likely Republican caucus voters, taken by Magellan Strategies and released on Thursday, found that Perry topped the field with 24 percent with Bachmann, who won the Iowa Republican straw poll held in Ames two weeks ago, in second with 22 percent. Romney remained in the mix in third place with 19 percent. The rest of...

PRINCETON, NJ -- Shortly after announcing his official candidacy, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has emerged as rank-and-file Republicans' current favorite for their party's 2012 presidential nomination. Twenty-nine percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents nationwide say they are most likely to support Perry, with Mitt Romney next, at 17%. These results are based on an Aug. 17-21 Gallup poll, the first conducted after several important events in the Republican nomination campaign, including the second candidate debate, the Iowa Straw Poll, and Perry's official entry into the race after months of speculation....

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is racing upward in terms of national recognition, Gallup’s most recent polling data shows. But that chart only tells a small part of the story. What also matters is the intensity with which his supporters back him. Passionate supporters are more likely to donate, volunteer and, eventually, vote for the candidate. While it’s still extremely early in Perry’s candidacy, his voter intensity has held rock solid even as Perry is introduced to people who didn’t know him several weeks ago. His score in the chart below is 22, off only slightly from the previous reading of...

I wrote just last week that it was too soon to declare Rick Perry the new front runner in the race for the Republican nomination, but a week later things are starting to shape up well for him. Gallup polling dispels the idea that Perry cannot beat Barack Obama. They are tied among registered voters, which would more than likely put Perry ahead in likely voters. Mitt Romney still polls better against Obaam and has more money, but Romney also has higher name identification. Interestingly, as Perry’s name ID goes up, his favorable ratings go up too. Right now, though,...

Positive intensity ranking: #1 out of all GOP candidates or potential candidates polled. Positive intensity score: 26. Strongly favorable: 26 percent (highest out of all GOP candidates or potential candidates). Strongly unfavorable: 0 percent (only candidate in GOP field to have 0 percent "unfavorable"). Name recognition: 48 percent (up 8 points in a single month). Total favorability: 77 percent (highest in entire GOP field).

The Des Moines Register poll of Republicans caused quite a stir this week. The congresswoman from Minnesota could not have asked for a better piece of news to correspond with her official announcement: It showed Michele Bachmann down just one point to Mitt Romney in Iowa. Meanwhile, Tim Pawlenty had to suffer through idle questions about whether or not he was a “first tier” candidate. But just how seriously should we take that poll, and others like it? I say, not very seriously at all. Let’s start with some recent history. At this point in 2007 the Iowa caucus polls...

JULIA Gillard admits Australia is a long way from consensus on climate change - and says the debate may become ever tougher for Labor - as new polling reveals her behind Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister for the first time. ..... Ms Gillard said today the polling was a result of her plan to put a price on carbon, and that while it was a tough reform "it may get even tougher, before it gets easier". “I believe that once carbon pricing is in place people will see how the system works and the benefits of it,” the Prime...

Mitt Romney has the lead in PPP's first Iowa poll since Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump exited the race, but with six different candidates polling in double digits it's clear this thing is wide open. Romney polls at 21%. Sarah Palin and Herman Cain are tied for second at 15%. Newt Gingrich is 4th with 12%, Michele Bachmann 5th with 11%, Tim Pawlenty 6th with 10%, Ron Paul 7th with 8%, and Jon Huntsman 8th with 0% (only one respondent to the poll picked him.) 8% said they supported someone else or were undecided. Cain and Palin have been the...

The new poll from CNN gives plenty of reason for skepticism, and not just because they failed to include any demographic data from their sample. Barack Obama hit his highest approval rating in months in the survey at 54%, rising from 52% earlier this month — but still underwater on almost all issues: "President Barack Obama’s performance on national security and international affairs and his image as a strong leader appear to be behind his rising approval rating, according to new national poll conducted as the president was on an overseas visit to four countries. A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey...

A new IBOPE Zogby poll shows Atlanta businessman Herman Cain vaulting into the No. 1 front-runner position among active candidates as the choice to win the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. Cain, a longtime Pillsbury executive who later became chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, was the preferred choice of 14 percent of the likely Republican primary voters polled. His showing placed second only to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who got 17 percent. Christie, however, has insisted repeatedly that he will not be running for president in 2012. Ron Paul placed third with 10 percent,...

Pocketbook Concerns: Prices Matter More than Jobs With the public growing more anxious about the economy and concerned about overseas commitments, Barack Obama’s job rating has edged lower. About as many now approve (47%) as disapprove (45%) of the way Obama is handling his job as president. In March, opinions about Obama’s job performance were more positive; 51% approved of his job performance and 39% disapproved. The current measure is similar to Obama’s ratings from last fall through early 2011.