Posted on 07/29/2010 5:54:47 AM PDT by DM1
Former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney is a “major player” nipping at the heels of President Obama and stands as the GOP’s best shot to reclaim the Oval Office in 2012, a new national poll shows.
“In many ways, he’s arguably the establishment front-runner,” pollster John Zogby said of a new poll showing Romney trailing President Obama by just 2 percentage points. “He’s got name recognition, he’s been through it before, and he did credibly in 2008. He’s a major player in the race.”
The Zogby poll of 8,487 likely voters showed Obama edging Romney out 45 to 43 percent.
Romney’s potential GOP opponents, Sarah Palin and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, both fared far worse against Obama. Palin trailed the president by 11 points while Huckabee was behind by 9 points, the poll found.
Romney has yet to say if he’s running again, but the wealthy venture capitalist has been traveling the country raising money for Republicans and handing out endorsements in state races.
“Gov. Romney’s focus is on helping Republicans win in 2010,” Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said. “We don’t want to get off track with speculation about future hypothetical races.”
The poll also found Romney leading the president among independents 47 to 36, which Zogby called “very significant.”
Romney was also stronger among GOP voters than Palin or Huckabee. Republicans favored Romney over Obama 81 percent to 6 percent while 73 percent favored Palin or Huckabee over the president.
“At least as of now, Romney does a better job bringing Republicans in and a significantly better job among independents,” Zogby said.
The poll also pitted the president in hypothetical battles against Republican Hollywood stars Clint Eastwood, Tom Selleck and Chuck Norris. Obama netted nearly half the votes in each scenario with Norris faring the best at 29 percent.
Boston Democratic political analyst Michael Goldman called the poll results “not surprising.” Goldman said it’s typical for presidents to have low mid-term numbers.
“This is the norm, not the exception. I don’t think there’s anyone very shocked by this,” Goldman said. “In the end, it doesn’t mean anything because there are no elections for 2 years.”
Goldman added that Romney still has an uphill battle against the GOP’s “hardcore” base of devout Christians, some of whom have a negative view of Mormonism.
“That first primary in Iowa is driven by fundamentalist Christians,” Goldman said. “He’s got to figure out how to get by that primary without a loss. He’s got to figure out how to get to (the second primary in) New Hampshire.”
In addition to leading the Zogby poll, Romney is winning the early fund-raising battle. His Free and Strong America political action committee is on a torrid pace, hauling in $3.5 million already this year.
anyone other than huckster.
The front-runner? LoooooooooooooooooooooooL.....!!!!
No...this is just the Boston Globe “pushing” Romney
BTW Romney isn’t the anti-Palin, he is the “establisment” player, the GOP’s man
Oh one more thing...Mitch is supposedly soft on immigration and has been praised by lefty magazines and sites within the pass few month..what does that tell you about Mitch?
Mitt=RINO=RINOmndy=No Go
If he runs, I will sit on my hands! I WILL NOT vote for the bastard!
Like far too many Pubbies, Romney puts his finger in the air to see which way the voters lean and has few core beliefs.
Pro or anti abortion?
Pro or anti big govt?
Pro or anti govt. healthcare?
Depends on how the wind blows?
Just say NO to RINOs.
Just say No to Romney.
Nominating Romney in 2012 would take health care reform off the table.
If the GOP falls for Romney in 2012, they deserve to lose. You cannot succeed in politics by repeatedly defying your own core principles and issues, and by failing to learn from mistakes.
Hehehe, why don’t you tell us what you REALLY mean.....I am not that imressed with him, I am leaning Sarah Palin...
Rule # 1 of the 2012 presidential election:
Do not let the media pick the GOP nominee like they did in 2008.
We do not need another McCain or Bob Dole.
I really hope, for the sake of our country’s future, that we gett some better candidates that the list that currently comprises these polls.
Romney gets nominated, I stay home. ‘nuff said.
or a Newt Gingrich
The media did not pick McCain. They would have much preferred Giuliani. Republican primary voters picked McCain. Traditionally, Republicans vote on the seniority system. Whose turn is it? Usually, it’s the guy that came in 2nd the previous cycle or has been in the wings waiting for a turn...this time, that’s Romney, with a dash of Gingrich...magritte
nothing of that sort. All this is, are left wingers desperately trying to push anyone but Palin using a INTERNET POLL as news
I won’t say it as strongly but I’ll vote 3rd party before I vote to him or Huckleberry.
Just what I was thinking, probably the names not mentioned in the poll or the ones that they have coming in last are the ones the liberals are scared of.
If the Republicans nominate Myth Romney, the Huckster, Jeb Arbusto, or any other 2.0 version of Juan McShame/Bush/Dole, it is doomed to irrelevance.
With the great unwashed ready to throw the marxists out, only the truly Stupid Party could throw this opportunity away like that. But then, they aren’t called the stupid party for nothing.
What poll? I never seen no stink’n poll. Anyway, it’s a joke right?
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