Herman Cain,  Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  Polling,  President 2012,  Sarah Palin,  Tim Pawlenty

President 2012 Ohio GOP Poll Watch: Romney 21% Vs. Sarah Palin 16% Vs. Herman Cain 12%

According to the latest PPP Poll.

Favorable Vs. Unfavorable:

  • Sarah Palin – 66% vs. 24%
  • Mitt Romney – 55% Vs. 25%
  • Newt Gingrich – 42% vs. 34%

GOP Primary Head to Head:

  • Romney – 21%
  • Palin – 16%
  • Cain – 12%
  • Gingrich – 12%
  • Bachmann – 10%
  • Paul – 9%
  • Pawlenty – 5%
  • Huntsman – 1%
  • Someone else/not sure – 15%

The entire poll is here.

Romney’s ahead in Ohio because he has a broad lead with voters describing themselves as ‘somewhat conservative,’ getting 27% with Gingrich coming in second at 14%. He’s also ahead with moderates at 22% to Palin’s 18%. Voters falling into the ‘very conservative’ camp continue to be a problem for him though. His favorability with them is a +37 spread at 61/24. That puts him a whooping 33 points below Palin’s standing with that same group, which is a +70 spread at 83/13. 

Palin leads the horse race with those voters at 20% with Michele Bachmann at 15%, and Romney tying Cain for third at 13%. Maybe voters on the far right will split their votes enough that their lack of support doesn’t cost Romney the nomination but for now they look like they could be a big problem.

Ohio is a key battleground state and one that the GOP desperately needs to win the general election in the Electoral College. Sarah Palin is showing some signs of a resurgence in the polling now that Mike Huckabee has left the race. I suspect votes for Hermain Cain would go to Palin once she officially declares her candidacy.

Tim Pawlenty is trailing badly and Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann are looking more like an anti-Romney candidate (s).