President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Rick Perry Best-Positioned Candidate

Perry’s combination of high name recognition and a high Positive Intensity Score help make him the best-positioned candidate for the Republican nomination at this point, underscored by his lead in Republican nomination preferences. Cain’s enthusiastic support is offset by his low name recognition, and other well-known candidates like Romney, Michele Bachmann, and Ron Paul, do not generate the same level of intense feeling as Perry.

It is CW that Texas Governor Rick Perry is now the front-runner for the GOP Presidential nomination. Will the rest of the GOP field start to pick on him, in concert, tomorrow night during the debate?

I would say YES.

Perry’s rise in the polls makes him the candidate to beat for the Republican nomination at the moment. His front-runner status means he will increasingly come under attack from his rivals on the campaign trail and in coming Republican candidate debates. The increased criticism could have a negative effect on the way Republicans view him, though if he responds well Republicans may view him in a more positive light.

As the campaign unfolds, it will be clear whether it is sufficient for Republicans to like someone in order to tap him or her as their party’s presidential nominee, as would appear to be the case if they nominate Romney or one of several other candidates including Bachmann, Paul, and Palin or Giuliani should they run. Or does the nominee need to generate a sufficiently high level of enthusiasm among the party base in order to win the nomination, as is the case for Perry, even if he is no better liked in a broad sense than many of the other contenders.