Rasmussen: Newt has huge national lead

[Tender Branson]

38% Gingrich
17% Romney
  8% Cain
  8% Paul
  4% Bachmann
  4% Perry
  4% Santorum
  3% Huntsman
  3% Others
10% Undecided

In the wake of foreign policy gaffes and sexual harassment allegations, Cain is said to be re-assessing his candidacy. If he drops out of the race, Gingrich leads Romney 42% to 19%.

Gingrich is now viewed favorably by 71% of GOP primary voters,  while Romney is viewed that way by 67%. The only other candidate to receive positive reviews from a majority is Michele Bachmann at 52%.

However, the race remains potentially fluid.  Just 35% are certain of how they will cast their vote. That includes 39% of Gingrich supporters and 36% of Romney’s. Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, says that “We have seen other candidates surge quickly to frontrunner status and fade just as quickly. It remains to be seen whether or not Newt Gingrich has the ability to sustain his newfound status.”

Seventy-eight percent (78%) say they will vote for the Republican candidate even if their own favorite doesn’t get the nomination.

Eighty-five percent (85%) believe the GOP nominee is at least somewhat likely to defeat President Obama next November. That includes 49% who say it’s Very Likely the GOP candidate will win.

Four percent (4%) rate the U.S. economy as good or excellent, a slightly more pessimistic assessment than the national average. Thirty-seven percent (37%) rate their own finances as good or excellent, slightly better than the national average.

If the GOP captures the Presidency, the House and the Senate, 79% believe it’s at least somewhat likely that federal spending will be cut significantly in the next four years. Only 39% consider it Very Likely.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2012/election_2012_presidential_election/election_2012_republican_presidential_primary

[Lief 🗽]

LOL, Mitt Romney. Good job wasting six years of your life, buddy.

[King]

Come on, Scott.  You could have given Huntsman 5%.  It's not like you actually polled anybody anyway.

[CLARENCE 2015!]

This is different....Newt's surge is far greater then Trump's or Perry's or Bachmann's or Cain's

GOP12 says this is the biggest margin between 1st and 2nd plac ethis entire cycle

[M]

This is different....Newt's surge is far greater then Trump's or Perry's or Bachmann's or Cain's

GOP12 says this is the biggest margin between 1st and 2nd plac ethis entire cycle

Numerically, I think it's too soon to say its greater than Perry's at its height.

What's different is that the other surges united most of the anti-Romney voters. This one is doing that, too, but it is also cutting into Romney support.

Interesting.

[Averroës Nix]

What's different is that the other surges united most of the anti-Romney voters. This one is doing that, too, but it is also cutting into Romney support.

My impression had always been that the Perry surge initially involved some Romney supporters (Romney's support fell from about 20% in most polls to the mid-teens toward the end of August just after Perry's entry).

That said, it's interesting that Gingrich has a kind of appeal that goes beyond what I guess is being called the Tea Party portion of the Republican electorate. Both Cain and Bachmann clearly did not.

[big bad fab]

Oh yes, my blue avatar is only a French blue, thanks God.
But if both Romney and Sarkozy lose in 2012, it will be a very sad year for me...

[Simfan34]

Oh yes, my blue avatar is only a French blue, thanks God.
But if both Romney and Sarkozy lose in 2012, it will be a very sad year for me...

We're mad. This entire country is just mad.

[afleitch]

So this means that the Republicans don't want to win?

[NHI]

So this means that the Republicans don't want to win?

Unfortunately. Now in the words of Barney Frank, "He [Newt Gingrich] would be the best thing to happen to the Democrats since Barry Goldwater..."

[Simfan34]

So this means that the Republicans don't want to win?

I think so.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

So this means that the Republicans don't want to win?

Unfortunately. Now in the words of Barney Frank, "He [Newt Gingrich] would be the best thing to happen to the Democrats since Barry Goldwater..."

yeah, let's take as gold the opinion of a homosexual who ran a brothel out of his apartment.

[King]

So, what is your opinion jmfcst?

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

So, what is your opinion jmfcst?

as opposed to the opinion of a homosexual who ran a brothel out of his apartment?  Ok, simple:  while Newt carries baggage, I'm willing to gamble it's known baggage.  *IF* that is the case, then Newt is far better of a choice than Romney to both make a coherent argument against Obama and to implement the draining of the swamp once he is elected.  Romney is not only a bad candidate and is joined at the hip with Obamacare, he can't be trusted to be a conservative president even if he wins.

And I hope this election cycle finally puts to bed the idea the GOP establishment picks the nominee, because that has NEVER been the case (at least not as long as I’ve been old enough to  follow politics).  The fact that every GOP nominee has been supported by BOTH the establishment and the base simply means that both the establishment and the base have come to the same conclusion since at least 1980.  It’s the voters casting the votes who ultimately call the shots, not the Carl Roves.

But the rise of the Tea Party, brought about by several GOP administrations not remaining true to conservative principles (e.g. B41 tax hike, Nixon/Reagan/B41 SCOTUS nominees, B43 increase of social spending) shows that the GOP base is now demanding both social and fiscal conservative approaches.  

We will NOT give the time of day to a candidate who will not drain the fiscal swamp and appoint known conservative judges to the bench.  Those past litmus tests have now become chiseled in stone marching orders.  No exceptions.  No more tolerance for excuses.

That’s why Romney never had a path to the nomination – he was lacking in BOTH areas while the conservative credentials of other candidates like Perry/Bachmann/Santorum/Paul/Cain/Newt were more believable.  And the GOP base is smart enough not to split it’s support and hand the nomination to a non-conservative.

In addition, the GOP base has a love affair with those who have a history (at least prior to taking office) of working across the isle (Reagan/Bush41/Dole/Bush43/McCain) and therefore won’t nominate an extreme hard arse like Bachmann/Santorum/Paul…which is why Newt’s immigration position and the videos of Newt sitting with Pelosi actually HELP Newt, not hurt him.

So, with Newt, the GOP base has a conservative who has learned to actually talk with the other side.  And that’s a powerful combination.

---

And there you have it.  Much more insight then you’ll get from Barney Frank.