(CNN) - Sarah Palin's book tour brings her to Iowa in two weeks. If the former Alaska governor and last year's GOP vice presidential nominee decides to return to Iowa down to road to explore a race for the White House, a new survey suggests that Republicans in the state like her - but have some doubts.
According to a Des Moines Register Iowa poll, 68 percent of Hawkeye Republicans view Palin favorably. That's a statistically insignificant 2 points behind those who have a positive view of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa caucuses, which traditionally kick off the presidential primary season.
Among other potential 2012 candidates: The survey indicates that two out of three view former House Speaker Newt Gingrich favorably and 58 percent have a positive view of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
"With those kinds of numbers, if she were to become a candidate, while it's not a sure thing, she would be starting out in a very good position," veteran Iowa GOP strategist David Roederer told the Des Moines Register. Roederer ran McCain's 2008 Iowa campaign.
But according to the poll, nearly one in four Iowa Republicans view Palin unfavorably. That's double the 12 percent who view Huckabee in an unfavorable way.
Among all Iowans, the survey indicates that 55 percent hold an unfavorable opinion, with 37 percent seeing her in a positive light.
Palin's tour for her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life," brings her to Iowa on December 6. Palin's scheduled to sign copies of her book at a Barnes and Noble bookstore in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Des Moines Register Iowa poll was conducted November 8-11, with 800 registered voters in Iowa questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for the overall sample.
–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn
From CNN Politics
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Any district that could elect Steven King would be a good place for Sarah to set up her death panels.
it is silly to try to guess or determine now who the republicans will field in 2012. so much can change until then. having this discussion now is a waste of time. does no one remember the saga of hillary clinton? did everyone forget that she was all-but-crowned the democratic nominee a year before their convention, and yet on that night someone named obama was named their presidential nominee. besides, while she hints that she may be interested in running, no one really knows if she would or would not. so why don't we just wait till the actuall race for 2012 starts and then we can all be surprised who comes out on top.
Iowa Republicans are irrelevant.
Palin as well as numerous others would be able to do a much better job than Obama. Obama is making worse everyday he is in the White House.
I cannot believe this poll. I live in Des Moines and read the full article in the Register this morning. GOP leaders do NOT want Sarah Palin in this state for anything to do with politics. She was invited by a Conservative-leaning group to speak in Iowa and GOP leaders recoiled at the thought because she wanted to be paid $100 grand. There was a story about this not even a week ago. They don't want Palin to be a player within her own party and they want her to stay away from their campaigns.
If she comes to Iowa in 2012 to campaign for President, I'll be here to campaign against her.
numbers like these tell me really illustrate how many republicans can fit in a short yellow bus ... disturbing how stupid some Americans are
Palin is an ambitious kook. She is not presidential. She is too undignified for that. She doesn't have broad enough support to win the presidency. If she DID win, she would not know what to do once she got in there. I don't think she really wants to WORK, anyway. She likes the clothes and the lights and the adulation, not the work and the demands.
Please let her run in 2012, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She is the best thing to happen to the Democrats in my lifetime
I hope all you CONServatives keep her in the spotlight from now on!!!
Rush, Sean, Bill-O, Glenn, and the rest of Fox, make sure you book her as much as possible!!!
Thank God for Sarah Palin!!!
Obama/Biden '12
Sarah Palin's popularity rises while Obama's drops. She will be a very successful President and will fix all of Obama's failures after 2013.
No matter who it is why are we talking about polls for the 2012 presidental race? OMG it's still 3 years away and according to the Mayans it wont matter anyway!
Doesn't that Palin Lady just drive you Liberals nuts!!??
Conservatism = 68% Americans
Liberalism = 21%
One thing I can give you Libs.....you know your days are numbered in Washington and you are grabbing all you can, while you can.....however remember this; there's nothing that can't be "un-done"!
George W Bush was popular because he came across as someone with whom the average american could relate. He had an elementary command of language, couldn't articulate his thoughts in a intellectually convincing manner, didn't read any periodicals, etc. Sarah Palin just may win at least some of the Republican primaries due to this same perception – being a simpleton who you'd like to have a beer with. Does this make for qualified presidential candidates? Of course not, but sense when have the Republicans been a serious political party?
Personally, I believe Sarah Palin is less interested in running for President and more interested in creating a brand she can market.
Was this the Iowa "2009 biggest Doofus" poll?! Oh boy!
I thought Saint Sarah of the Silly's latest book was supposed to be a chart topper and debut at number one according to all the cons.
I searched the NYT lists and she was nowhere to be found, I searched the Barnes and Noble lists, again nowhere to be found. Guess all the 2 million adoring fans and Dick Armey were too busy with Thanksgiving preparations to rush out and by her tome.
Of course, since FactCheck has indicated that most of her accusations are false, maybe I should have been looking in the fiction category for "Going Rogue, An American LIE"
what a joke all we ever get no matter what side is polls and more polls !!! God give it a rest already!
Pretty hard to take conservaties or the Republican party serious when the leaders are Palin and Huckabee.
I think Bill Maher said it best when he quipped, "The left has moved to the right, and the right has moved right into the nut house".
I'm ashamed of my home state.
Let's do the math ... some percentage of the less than 20% of Americans who will admit to being "republican" isn't enough to win an election. Of course, a recent poll found "republicans" would rather have their principles than win ... which means we all can breathe easier – they won't be forcing the rest of us to support their beliefs.
If their failed policies were so wonderful, why did the GOP leave with 2 unfinished wars, Wall Street Meltdown and a recession heading towards a depression ... don't blame Clinton – the GOP had 8 years to fix those policies if they wanted to.
Who cares about this pig. The 535 comedians in Congress have a week off. REJOICE.
You gotta be kidding me, I think most of America have seen about enough of Sarah Palin.....
Lets not kid ourselves here, this woman is a train wreck, a freak show to put it mildly.....
I'm sure the Republican party is enamoured with her appeal, an appeal thats almost boarding on a reality show....
But behind closed doors, you know the brass of the Republican Party wants Sarah Palin and her DRAMA no where near any real ELECTION PROCESS..
Sarah knows she's basically ruined ANY REAL chances of being elected to ANY POLITICAL OFFICE, she knows this deep down inside that very limited brain of hers....If she was smart, she would just continue doing what she's doing and forget about any elected office...
This is definitely more a reflection on iowa than palin...
CNN, on a Monday morning following a dark of night vote in the Senate on proceeding toward the government dictating how 1/6th of the economy is going to be administered, a poll of how people in one sparsely populated state feel about Sarah Palin tops your "Political Ticker"?
Since this is brought to us by "CNN's Best Political Team", what would your worst political team bring us, results of the Arkansas Lawn Bowling championships and a hard hitting interview with the 68 year old one-eyed man from Pine Bluff that was eliminated in the quarter-finals?
What is particularly disturbing for democrats is that Palin and Obama are purportedly tied early in Sarah's book tour. Give it a little more time, and she will distance herself from him. And, it is only 2009 at this point in time. And, 2010 elections are just around the corner. Patriotic Americans are stepping forward, as Sarah has called, and quickly becoming a silent, formidable force. The liberal media can just watch.
Yes! She would be a great GOP candidate (evil laughter inserted)!!!!