Washington (CNN) – A new national survey is further proof that Texas Gov. Rick Perry's entrance earlier this month into the race for the White House has dramatically altered the battle for the Republican presidential nomination.
According to a CNN/ORC International Poll of Republicans and independent voters who lean towards the GOP, Perry now sits atop the list of Republican presidential candidates, with strong support from most demographic groups.
Full results (pdf)
The survey, released Monday, indicates that 27 percent of Republicans nationwide support Perry for their party's nomination, with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who's making his second bid for the White House, at 14 percent. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin follows at ten percent, with Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani at nine percent, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who's making his third bid for the presidency, at six percent. Every one else listed on the questionnaire registered in the low single digits.
The survey follows a Gallup poll out last week which also placed Perry at the top of the GOP field. Other polling released in the past week also confirms the findings of the CNN and Gallup surveys.
"Perry's support is higher among Republican men, at 32 percent, than Republican women, at 23 percent, but he has more support among either group than any other candidate," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.
According to the survey, Perry supporters tend to be older and have higher incomes, but the longtime Texas governor also tops the list, albeit by smaller margins, among lower-income Republicans and those under 50 years old.
"Perry's biggest support comes from Republicans who say they are supporters of the tea party movement - he wins 37 percent of their vote - but he also edges Romney by a couple of points among Republicans who don't call themselves tea party supporters," adds Holland.
While both Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, and Giuliani, who ran for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, have both frequently flirted with bids for the White House, neither has taken concrete steps to launch a campaign.
Take Palin and Giuliani out of the mix and listing only the announced candidates, and the poll indicates Perry with 32 percent support, followed by Romney at 18 percent, Bachmann at 12 percent, Gingrich at seven percent, Paul at six percent, and everyone else in the low single digits.
While Perry has surged in the polls following his late entry into the race, the question remains whether he can maintain his position in future surveys. The last two candidates who made high profile late entries into the race for the White House did not have staying power.
"In 2003, Wesley Clark was a late entrant in the Democratic field and almost immediately jumped to the top of the pack. Fred Thompson did the same thing four years later on the GOP side and quickly was in a virtual tie for first place. But by November, both men had dropped in the polls and neither did very well when the voting started," says Holland. "Bill Clinton was a late entry in 1991 - he filed his papers with the Federal Election Commission in August - but the Democratic field that year was much less crowded than the GOP field today."
Much could change in the coming weeks, as the pace of the race for the White House picks up with a vengeance over the next two months, with five GOP presidential debates (including two CNN debates) and six major events that will also attract many of the candidates.
Meanwhile, the survey indicates that number of Democrats and independents who lean towards the Democratic party who would like the party to nominate someone else besides President Barack Obama has topped out after months of steady growth. Seventy-two percent of Democrats want to see Obama re-nominated, with 27 percent wanting a different candidate. That's virtually unchanged since early August, although it is higher than in June.
The CNN/ORC International Poll was conducted August 24-25, with 467 Republicans and independents who lean Republican, and 463 Democrats and independents who lean Democratic, questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
From CNN Politics
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welcome President Perry
Spend some time reading comments in various strings by people from Texas. The vast majority of them are anti-Perry, and they should know. I'd dismiss the idea of a Perry Presidency as ridiculous, but we elected George Bush twice. I do like to think that maybe more people are waking up now to the realities of the brutal extremist right.
Perry is as bad for the Republicans-as Obama is for the Democrats. Perry passed the Texas Dream Act for illegals in 2001. Perry does believes that we should have open borders with Mexico, and does not believe in a border fence. Perry supported amnesty for illegals. Perry wanted the "Super Highway"-which would have meant open borders from Mexico, into the US, and into Canada. Perry called those who wanted our immigration laws enforced "racists". Those of you who do not believe me-do your research!! Don't believe what Perry is saying "now"--research what he has said/done in the past.
Oh goodie, is he sitting on the "top" with his legs crossed or is he giving us another barf moment to look at the crown jewels of the secessionist family tree?
Yeah, mhmm, sure, whatever. Slow news day, CNN?
run to polls on election day, this man is very dangerous!!!!
The only candidates that might siphon off independent and Democratic voters are Huntsman, and perhaps Romney (although he is rapidly becoming poisonous with his rightward moves). Perry is G. W.Bush all over again. No one but the GOP/TP will vote for him, whether or not he figures out if he is seceding from the union!. For the rest of us, no way.
The poll indicates that for anyone under 50 years old there is no data (in the 18-34 and 35-50), yet there is data for those under 50 under the same name column. What gives? I'd like to see some of the breakouts for those in the younger demographics.
Every time he salutes is he saluting the confederate flag, the LOSER FLAG?
.
Obviously, another Dubya, will he ATTACK ANOTHER WRONG COUNTRY? IRAQ was already taken by Dubya.
He will most likely be our next Commander of Grief , America Luvs Cowboys !
PERRY/TRUMP
2012
The GOP clown du jour! He'll be the darling until his lack of control over his mouth and crazy ideas get sufficient coverage. He's the male version of Bachmann or Palin. All fluff, no substance. Or as they say in Texas, all hat, no cattle.
Can Perry sustain his levels at the top of the polls? If history is any guide, he won't last there long enough to get the nomination. I am sure that there will be questions raised about the kind of jobs that these people have that he claims. There are more questions to come; you can count on that.
Before you pick another Texan you better check the State's Deficit. Big Spender PERRY
Romney can balance a check book..He is my man..
Can this guy look ANY more like a stereotypical, made for a TV movie, politician?
I live in Texas...I got to tell you...you don't want the guy leading the country.
So most republicans think that states should secede from the Union and governors should appoint Senators rather than elect them? Abuse of power only breeds more abuse and you want this man with these ideas to be president. How sick!
So he's officially the top Idiot?
Oh no, the rich evil senior citizens like Perry.
Perry tried to have Texas secede from the union two years ago. Now he wants to lead it. Kinda shows his level of patriotism.
Perry's sordid past will eventually catch up with him. Anyway, he's pretty much an empty suit...Al Gores former campaign chair. Can Republicans really be so gullible as to vote for this guy? Paul, or even Romney, would be a much better choice.
Remember everyone. God told Perry to run. Of course he also told Bachman to run. God is such a flip flopper.
I don't get it. This guy is an absolute loon. His view on Texas leaving the union are absolutely NUTS... and THIS is the guy who is in the lead?!?!?!? Republicans are all NUTCASES.
Perry will flame out in 6 weeks, even though corporations have given him a blank check to be a yes man.
lol.... Palin isnt even in the race and she is beating Bachmann. Obama's only hope is that the repubs are putting up a bunch of religious nuts and bozo's.
You can bet it's the religious fanatics on the right propelling Perry support over Romney. The fact that Romney is a better candidate doesn't matter because he's a Mormon, which doesn't jive with the religious right. Just like blacks voted for Obama because he's black, the religious right will vote for their own too.
All the while, the BEST candidate, Herman Cain, remains further back in the field. Obama has ruined the chances of another black candidate winning an election for president for quite some time.
I cannot believe people cannot see what I see
Is this what a front row seat to the decline of our civilization looks like? Perry, Bachmann, and even Palin, all considered viable presidential material? Seriously? Are there no reasonable republicans remaining after the GOP let the birchers in?
How is it possible that he is on top of any poll? I know the rest of the field is worthless but considering he is worthless, the Bush factor, and worse of all the treason factor how can anyone support this guy and sleep well at night?
RIck Perry would be more of the same–Bush/Obama–overspending our economy into oblivion. Ron Paul 2012.
Polls don't matter now. McCain got a big boost when he announced Sarah Palin as his running mate–everyone was so thrilled that a woman was on the ticket–only to have that disappear into thin air about a month later.
Perry has not been vetted on the national scene, so let's give the poll stuff a rest. The time to discuss polls is a long way off. Perry is a fast horse out of the gate, but with no stamina–wait and see.
Wait until the press educates the voting public about Perry's extremist background. Tea party support alone won't get anyone into the white house. The moderate republicans and independents will stay home or go for Obama!
Rick Perry is and always has been a "GOVERNMENT WELFARE RECEIPIENT" because he's never in his life had a private sector job. Ask yourself, how he got rich working for the Government all his life. Better yet, ask Perry himself. Inquiring minds need to know.
Perry is a Bilderburg member and worked for Al Gore
Ron Paul 2012
Just how well would a Democrat running as a Republican do in the poles?
Can't wait if Perry wins the nomination, to see him debate Obama. That would be hilarious.
I don't believe the poll. I have nothing against any of the candidates it's just that I don't believe the polls and I would even go so far as to say there is a purpose behind an alleged poll reporting as they did.
Nobody ever LIKED romney. Romney has zero likeability to everyone except old women like karl rove.
Wait until they get to know him
Rick Perry scares me; he has actually run a large state for 12 years, has worked to reduce harmful regulations, taxes, and litigation, and his state has an excellent economy relative to the other 49. Obama, on the other hand, had zero experience running anything, had zero accomplishments in the senate, and has worked hard to increase taxes and regulations on businesses while rewarding his union buddies. This election will be a tough call for me.
What can these people be thinking? After Perry ruined Texas some Americans want him in the White House? This corporate lap-dog has flipped-flopped on every issue to gather voters. He "balanced' the Texas budget on the back of stimulus money – but still produced a 27 billion dollar shortfall. Our schools are going downhill and our infrastructure is crumbling. He believes the Earth is less than six thousand years old. He said the Bible is the only book kids really need. He wants to kill the EPA, MEDICARE, and Social Security. What sort of right-wing freak would a person need to be to vote for this fool?
Seventy-two percent of Democrats want to see Obama re-nominated, with 27 percent wanting a different candidate.
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It's nice to see that 27% of Democrats have given up the kool-aide but 73% is still a very high number that want to continue down the road to destruction with Obama at the helm. Let's see what this looks like after another year of the Obama nightmare.
HaHaHaHa! A National Poll???? Who's participants are all from THE SOUTH. Then you have the nerve to say Perry leading nationwide. YOU WISH!
At this point, that's about what I would expect.
Perry is a globalist stooge. U might as well vote for obama if u like perry and that goes for bachmann and romney too. While perry was pushing al gore, dr. ron paul was pushing libertarian ideas based only on the constitution. Perry pushed the deadly gardisil vaccination on litle girls in texas, pushed for nafta control of texas highways, allowed tsa to continue molesting travellers by not signing an anti gropping bill into law after passed in state legislature, perry met w bilderberg group is determine his ability to help their agenda. Perry will be worse than w. bush. Might as well vote for obama instead. They both will 'lead' the exact same.
Vote for Perry "more of the same"
You can bet it's the religious fanatics on the right propelling Perry support over Romney. The fact that Romney is a better candidate doesn't matter because he's a Mormon, which doesn't jive with the religious right. Just like b lacks voted for Obama because he's b lack, the religious right will vote for their own too.
All the while, the BEST candidate, Herman Cain, remains further back in the field. Obama has ruined the chances of another b lack candidate winning an election for president for quite some time.
You can bet it's the religious fanatics on the right propelling Perry support over Romney. The fact that Romney is a better candidate doesn't matter because he's a M ormon, which doesn't jive with the religious right. Just like b lacks voted for Obama because he's b lack, the religious right will vote for their own too.
All the while, the BEST candidate, Herman Cain, remains further back in the field. Obama has ruined the chances of another b lack candidate winning an election for president for quite some time.
Being the front runner in such a gaggle of misfits means little...only that one misfit had lot more corporate money than they do. His real story wil be revealed when and if the mainstream Republicans and the Obama team find out he is the nominee.
The guy is delusional. Plain and simple. Maybe he'll pray for votes like he prayed for rain... Here's hoping he gets the same results.
Anyone would be better than Obama. He complained and criticized President Bush for FOUR YEARS. He placed direct blame for the economy on President Bush.
However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Congressional Budget Offic, the average unemployment rate under President Bush was 5.3%. Under Barack Obama, the average unemployment rate has been 9.4%!!!
Yeah, Barack Obama has been a major mistake for America. It is time to move on from his experimental economic policies that have been destroying America.
I would take a Rick Perry - the governor of a huge state with low unemployment, no state income tax, and many other low taxes - than the prospect of four more miserable years of Barack Obama.
The more I observe and hear him, the more he looks like Bush to me. Don't me have enough Bush?
NO,NO,NO,NO,Noooooo !!!!! I wouldn`t wish our Gov. on the rest of the US. He balances the Texas budget on the backs of ordinary middle class citizens while the rich keep their low property tax rates and corp. breaks. --All the budget cuts are passed on down to local gov`ts to dig their own way out.--- Also, 80% of these jobs "created" are part time, below minimum wage without ANY benefits. ---– But don`t listen to me, check all his "bragging points" out yourself.
Just like Texas, we have a saying in Florida, "Fool me once, . . .something ...something. . .something. Fool me twice, something . . .something. But fool me a third, fourth and fifth time, and you know I am a republican "
its early and a long way to go...
The Great GOP Hope. They will put every dime and borrow some more to make this nut look presidential. He will not win b/c
his boys in the house have already burn the toast. Save the social security, the medicare, medicaid from the hatchers.
Sits atop the GOP? Even CNN is ignoring Ron Paul's consist rankings at each poll, debate, and forum. Yet no one dares mention his name, unless they can quote him out of context. If the media did its job, they report stories, instead of sensationalizing lame topics and politicians who wouldn't do one right thing for the country.
poor little mittens, if you were not so terrified of the cowboy & went after him, but this Great Country knows that you have no spine & this guy will continue to eat the low-life morman for lunch. Perry, not a Morman. where do I get that bumper sticker???????????????
Wow!! Just tells me how week the Republican field is. Has this 27 percent taken the time to really examine this guy? I would think that conservative values aside one would conclude that Perry is a walking sound bite disaster and a borderline bafoon. Obama may not be all we thought he'd be but the opposition in congress to him has damaged his progress. I will still vote for BO no matter who the Repubs nominate.
Still, with Guliani & Palin registering, itLs clear that some in the GOP are saying, " is THIS THE BEST we can do?".
Mitt Romney – you free ride is over. Now you`ll have to demonstrate why anyone should pick you. The nomination is not your exclusive birthright.
Quite the cultural unifier y'all got going for yourselves with candidate Perry, GOPers. He ought to fit in right well with the 20%ers come election day.
“While Perry has surged in the polls following his late entry into the race, the question remains whether he can maintain his position in future surveys. The last two candidates who made high profile late entries into the race for the White House did not have staying power.”
"In 2003, Wesley Clark was a late entrant in the Democratic field and almost immediately jumped to the top of the pack. Fred Thompson did the same thing four years later on the GOP side and quickly was in a virtual tie for first place. But by November, both men had dropped in the polls and neither did very well when the voting started," says Holland.”
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I think ricky perry is just the newest shiny object for Tea Partiers to be infatuated with. They were in love with donald trump who quickly sank in Repub polls with vetting in progress.
I have learned to much about perry’s REAL past and it’s mind boggling. perry will sink once the real vetting begins and all his rattling skeletons have been let out of the closet.
IF unemployment is over 8% come Nov 2012...welcome aboard President Perry...like it or not, USA.
Just keep a cmera and a microphone aimed at Perry. That is all that you need to do.
Perry is on top....... until the first debate that is.... If he is too extreme for Rove and Bush, what does that tell ya?
There comes another Texan. It is cool to watch how things will get nasty when the actual election starts.
What is it about Republican voters and Bible thumping, shoot from the hip cowboys?
Perry's the guy. I know he has faults but if your looking for someone perfect, he/sge does not exist.
Perry is waaaaaay better than Obama.
The shows you that the GOP has learned nothing from putting Bush in the WH. Perry is a clone Bush. Bush is the one who told Perry to run. Don't believe that bull that Bush and Perry don't get along.
Perry is 4 more years of Bush.
The republicans are a sad bunch.
Perry means 4 more years of Obama
way to go GOP!
Will never vote for a politician who uses faith to drive votes.. or that looks and sounds like George W.
Good. Romney is an empty suit, and a fake conservative. He also was the recipient of a big Federal bailout when he was the CEO of a company. He pocketed the money and laid off all his employees. His "business savvy" is vastly overrated. His famous father was the CEO of American Motors, which wasn't exactly a success story either. The Romneys are all hype and no substance.
I doubt this guy won't last past the debates and serious scrutiny. At least I hope so!