Washington (CNN) - As the Republican presidential primary race continues its slow march out of the gate, a new poll suggests likely GOP voters are significantly less satisfied with the potential field of contenders than they were four years ago.
Less than 50 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents give positive marks to the still-in-flux GOP presidential field, down markedly from 2008 when nearly two-thirds said they were happy with that cycle's crop of candidates, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll.
And in another sign no potential candidate has yet to register momentum within the party, only former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney scored in the double digits (16 percent) when likely Republican voters were asked who they would support in the primaries and caucuses. The answer "no opinion" by contrast was the response of 33 percent of respondents, while an additional 12 percent said flatly "no one."
Behind Romney comes perhaps-serious candidate and business mogul Donald Trump at 8 percent, followed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, at 6 percent and 5 percent respectively.
Several other candidates were at 2 percent or less, including: Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has said he will not run.
The telephone poll was conducted April 14-17 and carries sampling error of 5 points.
From CNN Politics
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I say Bachman or Palin Easy win for the Dems
If repug voters would look at the facts on the economy, they would see what a great job the Obama administration has done so far, even with repug pols doing their best to stop him.
What a group of Joker's! Trump, Palin, Romny, Mitch Daniels for God's sake... What a clown car!!!
If ANY of these clowns were voted into the White House, we'd have to go back to claiming to being Canadians whenever we travelled abroad. That is, IF, any country would be willing to grant us a visa allowing us to set foot on their soil.
Just remember America...they are all Taliban!
I think that trump topping republican polls spells trouble for the GOP. It means that the fringe is now the base of the republican party, I think that if Palin really wanted the nomination she could probably get it, which is scary.
Bad news for the taxpayers....ohh heck what's a little 11 BILLION dollar loss
The U.S. government is currently biggest owner of General Motors stock. It was a condition of that company’s bailout in 2009. So when you hear that the government is looking at selling off all its stock, that may seem like a good thing. Until you read what the Wall Street Journal put out today. Mainly, that GM stock is currently at about $30 and in order for the government to break even it needs to sell its shares at about $53. And then you read that despite the over $11 billion loss that would ensue, the Obama administration might do it anyway this summer. Why? Because 2012 is an election year.
I find it interesting that the GOP can put people out there who want to only represent around 50% of us like Bush did, and can disparage the other 50% of us. Lovely. Presidential material they are not. Can you just imagine President Obama calling Americans he doesn't agree with politically "thugs?" All he did was disagree with Paul Ryan's budget plan, saying that's not who we are, and the GOP went screaming and crying to every camera and mic they could find. The Republican Party is a disgrace. They should never have let the bigoted Birchers in. They're destroying the party. Hopefully the GOP comes to its senses. We need at least two viable political parties. And they need to learn how to debate again, instead of name calling and hate mongering.
The really shocking part is that Donald Trump may actually be a better candidate than most of the leading contenders.
The republican "FREAK" vote is being split between two many wackos. Most of these garbage candidates will drop out when the right wing freak lecture series money dries up after they fail to register for the election. But until then, its great to see some many freaks make the republican party look like a party of ....freaks!
Chris Christie – nuff said.
Great job CNN in bashing the Republicans and promoting Obama!
With a potential line-up like this, who wouldn't be unhappy? The GOP's finest – the gift that keeps on giving. This is great stuff.
Just remember this in the voting booth, how a candidate runs his campaign is usually how they will run their political office.
what a surprise that none of these are especially popular. Romney is the only one with even a slight chance of beating Obama while the rest should just mail it in as it would a landslide of epic proportions.
As a disinterested/Democratic voter, I'd say that Pawlenty would probably make the best candidate. He seems to have the most mainstream presentation, good energy, and he doesn't ooze with the crazy vibe, so far as I've seen.
I'm not happy either. Romney passed health care reform in Massachusetts. Palin and Bachmann are screwups. Huckabee and Trump are birthers. The only feasible option is Ron Paul, and good luck to him...I honestly blame the Tea Party. They've split the Republican ideology and we can't decide between a moderate or extreme right.
Telephone poll? Ron Paul less than 2%? Who did you call? I call BFS!
Palin, Bachmann,Trump....all got extra helpings of mouth when the brains were passed out. Pawlenty and Romney were short changed on personality and Huckabee would be a perfect President, of the Bible Belt. I see no one capable of leading the country among this cast of clowns.
Republicans have more problems than solutions, and America seems to want things to be better.
Even the TEA Party "Patriots" want things to be better... I don't think they understand the consequences of what they are asking for, but they're out there, looking for a better America and they don't like any of the Republican field.
Independents (the ones who aren't "secret" ULTRA "Right" wing Conservatives), the ones who actually THINK, don't like any of their options.
Democrats won't vote for any of the Republican Candidates.
Doesn't leave much "Hope" for Republicans.
The GOP is making it increasingly difficult for their supporters to get behind them. Other than the "pull the plug on Grandma plan," they have nothing. And with a lot of their voters being older, they may want to rethink that plan. Or in the alternative they could lose, which would be just fine with me. Extremism on either side isn't very appealing.
Listen dudes, we are not Reagan era, nor Bush era, to vote Blindly...i mean "Blindly". None of these clowns are worth mentioning this includes Romney...........o.k, My vote goes for "Obama". period....they need to quit socialism, and communism, etc, o.k, they are more worried of power and corporate America, but to their surprise, majority of Americans are ordinary Americans, I mean, hand to mouth Americans....they need stop saying Deficit, deficit, and deficit, it is they those nasty animals of GOP thugs created, not clinton, nor Obama....learn...learn, learn....work for America, then you are better off.....not for corporate America....I am happy that Obama passed Health care, and fin. reg. reform....Nation is on right track by all means....o.k....jobs are coming back, slowly.....well, big mess big ditch created by GOP thugs, idiots, and nasty animals....true, true, and true...you read this 1000000000000000000000000000000000000times.....true..Obama 2012.....
IMO they all are horrible. It is hard to make yourself look appealing to voters when all you do is complain and try to place blame on the current president. If any of them actually had a valid plan that might change but making abortion your biggest line in the sand will always push me the other way. I believe it is a woman's choice and until they stop bringing church into govt affairs I'll keep my vote elsewhere.
In regard to the Michele Bachmans of America... Remember this
The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism — ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. ”
— Franklin D. Roosevelt
Let's see–boring, stupid, or crazy. Which do we want to lead the most powerful country on earth?