Chris Christie,  Herman Cain,  Jeb Bush,  Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  Paul Ryan,  Polling,  President 2012,  Sarah Palin,  Tim Pawlenty

President 2012 Iowa GOP Poll Watch: Romney 21% Cain 15% Palin 15% Gingrich 12%

According to the latest PPP Poll.

Favorable Vs. Unfavorable:

  • Newt Gingrich – 39% Vs. 41%
  • Sarah Palin – 59% Vs. 31%
  • Mitt Romney – 51% Vs. 34%
  • Tim Pawlenty – 48% Vs. 18%
  • Herman Cain – 38% Vs. 24% Vs Not Sure = 38%
  • Michele Bachmann – 53% Vs. 16%
  • Jeb Bush – 51% Vs. 20%
  • Ron Paul – 42% Vs. 29%
  • Rick Santorum – 29% Vs. 18% Vs. Not Sure = 53%
  • Rudy Giuliani – 49% Vs. 31%
  • Donald Trump – 28% vs. 56%
  • Jon Huntsman – 7% Vs. 23% Vs. Not Sure = 70%
  • Chris Christie – 42% Vs. 12% Vs. Not Sure = 46%
  • Rick Perry – 21% Vs. 16% Vs. Not Sure = 63%
  • Paul Ryan – 42% Vs. 14% Vs. Not Sure = 45%

GOP Primary Caucus Head to Head:

Given the choices of Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, and Mitt Romney, who would you most like to see as
the Republican candidate for President next year?

  • Romney – 21%
  • Palin – 15%
  • Cain – 15%
  • Gingrich -12%
  • Pawlenty – 10%
  • Ron Paul – 8%
  • Jon Huntsman – 0%

If Sarah Palin does not run then?

  • Romney – 26%
  • Cain – 16%
  • Gingrich – 15%
  • Bachmann – 14%
  • Pawlenty – 10%
  • Paul – 11%
  • Huntsman – 1%

If the Republican nomination came down to Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin, who would you vote for?

  • Romney – 48% Vs. Palin – 41% Vs. Not Sure = 11%

If the Republican nomination came down to Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty, who would you vote for?

  • Romney – 41% Vs. Pawlenty – 41% Vs. Not Sure = 18%

If the Republican nomination came down to Mitt Romney and Herman Cain, who would you vote for?

  • Romney – 48% Vs. Cain – 34% Vs. Not Sure = 19%

If the Republican nomination came down to Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann, who would you vote for?

Romney – 46% Vs. Bachmann – 38% Vs. Not Sure = 16%

Mitt Romney is leading in Iowa ever since Mike Huckabee exited the race, but he is being challenged by a surging Herman Cain. Iowa will be the first primary state for the 2012 Presidential nominee and is a caucus state.

Cain and Palin have been the biggest beneficiaries in Iowa of Huckabee and Trump’s decisions not to run. Cain is at 15% now despite not even having been included on our last poll. Palin’s gained 7 points in the six weeks since our last poll compared to 5 point gains for Romney, Pawlenty, and Bachmann, a 3 point gain for Gingrich, and a 2 point bump for Paul.

Romney’s leading in Iowa based on his strength with centrist and center right Republican voters. With moderates he’s at 34% to 16% for Palin, 13% for Paul, and 11% for Gingrich. With ‘somewhat conservative’ voters he’s at 24% to 15% for Pawlenty, 13% for Palin, and 12% for Gingrich and Cain. His strength with those two groups outweighs his continuing weakness with the furthest right group of voters in the state, which constitute the largest segment of the Republican electorate at 41%. With those ‘very conservative’ folks Romney can muster only a fourth place finish at 13%. Cain and Palin tie for the lead with that group of voters at 19% followed by Bachmann at 15%.

I would think one would have to say that while Mitt Romney is leading, conservative candidates Cain, Palin and Bachmann are splitting votes. If Iowa conservatives were to consolidate on one candidate, then Romney is in trouble. Surprisingly, Tim Pawlenty, a moderate-conservative does the best head to head with Romney though.

Here is a summary of the favorable vs unfavorable data:

So, what does this all mean?

There is definitely room for the entry of a “new” candidate like Paul Ryan, Chris Christie or Jeb Bush. The $1 million question is whether Sarah Palin runs and if she does, whether the GOP establishment then run someone else against her, ie. Ryan,Christie or Bush?

Tim Pawlenty is not catching fire and Jon Huntsman fledgling campaign is on life support – at least in Iowa.

The entire poll is here.