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Still No Clear Frontrunner in Latest Poll on 2012 GOP Presidential Race

1 year ago
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The latest poll on the pecking order of potential candidates for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination shows the same familiar four in the top tier -- Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich -- although Gingrich does not run as close to the other three as he has in some other surveys.

Huckabee leads the pack with 18 percent, followed by Romney and Palin, each at 16 percent, and Gingrich at 9 percent, according to a Gallup poll conducted Feb. 18-20 among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. Huckabee moved ahead of Romney after trailing him by 3 points in Gallup's November poll, and Gingrich slipped by 4 points

After the top four, it's Ron Paul at 5 percent and every one else with less than that.

The value of these polls, at this stage of the game, is dubious given how much the name recognition factor counts this far in advance of the campaign season. In 2008, Huckabee had barely been a blip on the radar a couple of months before he won the Iowa caucuses and became a top contender.

Gallup says its poll "clearly underscores that there is no early front-runner."



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11 Comments

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jmnardihrt

Where is Bobby Jindal ?????

February 24 2011 at 8:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
joe

A front runner will appear when the campaign debates begin. Why put a front runner out there so early so that the left can trash him or her for over a year before the election? The way I see it is that Obama will not even make the run in 2012. Plenty of time to choose a front runner.

February 23 2011 at 6:31 PM Report abuse -17 rate up rate down Reply
Kenneth

How could this be an issue at this point. I did not hear anyone actually officially announcing they would run. I have not even heard Obama state he would run . I know he set up an office and hired people to run his campaign but he has not officially placed his name on the primary ballot The same goes for the republicans. Just a lot of speculation but no one has stepped up to the plate.

February 23 2011 at 6:09 PM Report abuse -11 rate up rate down Reply
efleishman

MOST OF THE CONSERVATIVES THAT I KNOW SEEM TO THINK THAT THE PRESIDENCY IS SIMPLY A KIND OF TV SOAP. THEY HAVE NO PROBLEM TAKING DIRECTION FROM CORPORATE EXECUTIVES.
THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO COMPASSION FOR THOSE LESS FORTUNATE THAN THEMSELVES. SO...ITS REALLY SIMPLE....FIND THE DUMBEST, UNFEELING, EGOCENTRIC, YES MAN IN WASHINGTON AND RUN HIM AS THE CANDIDATE. [OR HER]

February 23 2011 at 6:00 PM Report abuse +14 rate up rate down Reply
Donna

The more I read and see on TV the idea the left and right's brains are wired differently is a real possibility. Sarah Palen in that bunch? Huckabee is a nice man regardless, and Romney smart. I'll never understand how anyone on any level could possibly think she is qualified to be in the highest office of this country or any for that matter.

February 23 2011 at 4:46 PM Report abuse +16 rate up rate down Reply
carpengo

Michelle Bachmann includded bleeds Sarah Palin chances to take those non conservatives Romney and Huckabee out.

February 23 2011 at 4:40 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
sappy

What an utterly boring field. There is NO one to get excited over. Another four years for Obama.

February 23 2011 at 4:36 PM Report abuse +17 rate up rate down Reply
sysaphus71

That's because the Republicans or conservatives don't need a two year head start to tenderize the public into believing their cannard of the day.

February 23 2011 at 4:15 PM Report abuse -12 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to sysaphus71's comment
sappy

So Palin's constant tweeting is just for her friends?

February 23 2011 at 4:37 PM Report abuse +15 rate up rate down Reply
Charlie

Who cares at this stage? We won't know anything until primaries. At this stage in the 2008 election (February 2007) and well through the year, it was almost assured that it would be Hillary Clinton vs. Rudy Giuliani. And at this stage in 2004 nobody would have even guessed John Kerry would be the candidate for the Democrats.

February 23 2011 at 3:54 PM Report abuse +14 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Charlie's comment
rock121645

Who cares? Look at that list and tell me one person who you would want as President?

February 23 2011 at 5:08 PM Report abuse +4 rate up rate down Reply

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