Mike Huckabee,  Mitt Romney,  Polling,  President 2012

President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Mitt Romney is NOT Generating Strong Political Intensity



According to the latest Gallup Poll.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who Monday announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee, is among the most recognized Republicans who are thought to be most likely to run for president in 2012. At the same time, his Positive Intensity Score among Republicans nationwide does not stand out.

The fact is Mitt Romney is an old face/POL where the GOP wants someone new, who can beat President Barack Obama. Of course, Romney is not going to poll well, when there is a chance of a “NEW” candidate emerging.

Let’s look at the Gallup Poll graph that shows the relationship between positive intensity and recognition.

So, who among the candidates on the right side of the graph, has polled well and has decent name recognition? That would be Mike Huckabee.

Romney’s major challenge as he gears up for his presumed presidential run is to generate enthusiasm among potential GOP voters. Romney is in the enviable position of being widely known among Republicans nationwide, which helps him in traditional trial-heat ballot tests among Republicans. But to date, Republicans who know him are not highly likely to show positive intensity in their views of him.

Romney has so far taken a low-key approach to his candidacy, avoiding the national spotlight and sticking to visits in the crucial early primary states such as New Hampshire, where he filmed his new “exploratory committee” YouTube video. He thus has the possibility to increase the positive intensity with which Republicans view him as he ramps up his campaign efforts in the months ahead. Visitors to Romney’s new website see pictures and video of the former governor dressed in shirt sleeves, no doubt in an attempt to soften his stiff “suit and tie” image and increase the connection between him and potential voters.

Meanwhile, Republicans continue to feel most positive about Mike Huckabee, despite the fact that he has no exploratory committee and has avoided any statements suggesting that he is going to run for the presidency.

I think that Mitt Romney could win the GOP nomination and perhaps beat President Obama. Romney is a “safe” candidate and lackluster at best.

Mike Huckabee, on the other hand, is a likeable character that would fire up the GOP base and would give President Obama a race in the key battleground states. But, will he run?

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