Washington (CNN) – Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are the names that come up the most when Republicans are asked who they would like to see as their party's vice presidential nominee, according to a new survey.
Rubio is mentioned 66 times in a study conducted by Fairleigh Dickenson University's PublicMind poll. Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania who in the past week and a half has surged to front-runner status in the race for the GOP nomination, is mentioned as the running mate 56 times, with Christie grabbing 47 mentions.
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The national survey questioned Republicans and independent voters who lean towards the GOP.
"The question was open-ended," said Peter Woolley, a political scientist and director of the poll, which means that people came up with their choices for who they'd like to see as the Republican running mate without any prompting.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP running mate in 2008, was mentioned 35 times, with two presidential candidates, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with 32 mentions and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas with 30 mentions, close behind.
While Rubio has edged up by 5 mentions from when this survey was last conducted two months ago, Santorum has surged from just 19 mentions.
"The fact that Santorum is surging in visibility and that his name had already been brought up in interviews combined to push him toward the top of the VP list," added Woolley.
Christie also jumped by 18 mentions from two months ago. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who dropped her bid for the White House the day after the Iowa Caucuses in early January, has also virtually disappeared from vice-presidential sight, according to the survey. She grabbed 60 mentions in the December survey, just 16 mentions now.
A wide range of names were also offered.
"Ronald Reagan was summoned from the grave by one respondent," said Woolley "Clearly, that person has watched too many Republican debates."
The Fairleigh Dickenson University poll was conducted February 6-12, with 799 Republicans and independents who lean towards the GOP questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Also see:
Santorum clarifies 'theology' remark
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"Ronald Reagan was summoned from the grave by one respondent," said Woolley "Clearly, that person has watched too many Republican debates."
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Try too much Fox News and radical right wing radio.
Rubio is not very bright, so he would be the ideal anchor baby candidate for the GOP.
Mr. Big show his leadership style by sitting on the sidelines and refusing to make a decision on constitutional rights. He would never get the VP nod from Mittens if he had done the right thing. A lot of legislation would never have become law if we had taken the lazy Christie approach.
Wow, the GOP has really lost it.
A Santorum / Reagan corpse ticket might be good for Santorum. He probably wouldn't have to worry about his veep showing him up, but I guess there are no certainties in life.
Santorum / Reagan corpse 2012
At this point Karl Rove is scrambling to adjust his Plan to Elect the Next Neocon Robot on the fly. Will Mr. Frothy's price be too high to join the ticket? Will Flipper the Elitist Robot continue his spectacular flame out as his popularity plummets? Has Karl picked someone new to put up for a brokered convention? Stay tuned, same batty time, same batty channel.
a ticket with any two of these nut jobs on it scares the crap out of me. We could just flush the good ol US of A right down the toilet. If this isnt a reason to vote Obama?Biden I don't know what is.
Tubby the Governer would be the only VP candidate that could help. Santorum/ANYONE, including the Almighty himself would be defeated so soundly it would resonate for decades
VERY GOOD,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,IT WILL NEVER BE Romney / Santorum
Romney / Michele =====best team for GOP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mitt Romney / Michael Bachmann !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
best team ever ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Are these four idiots going to run this nation? What a pathetic idiots. I am very sorry for these animals without any brain. Enough of these GOP and Teapublican lies...nonsense. Obama2012.
PS: Now this nation is on right track than ever before. True, True, and True....
The only thing we need to do this November 2012 is to defeat our socialist and dangerious President Barack Obama. A vote for Obama is a vote for disaster. Just day no to Barack Obama.
This is wonderful. Saturday Night Live couldn't write anything better. Please stop with these so called candidates my sides are hurting from all the laughter. Mind you this would make a wonderful comedy movie but you couldn't find any actors who are funny enough to do it justice.
That should free bachmann up so she can get back to her signature light bulb legislation or she could try harder than sarah and put the womens even futher back
Republicans destroyed this nation to the Ground, send all the money to Iraq War and hid in Trickle Down idiotic Theory. Obama is the best president and he is for Middle Class America. Killed Osama Bin Laden, etc, Energy-Efficiency vehicles, etc, passed Fin. Reg. Reform, Health Care, etc, Republicans want to ban your social security, Medicare, and pump Money to Tax saving ans rich....Obama2012.
Oh in answer to 'REPUBLICANS ARE THE GREATEST' just above. Greatest at what? Obviously comedy. Just think all the people who moved to a different country when Bush was in office and called the USA 'The Evil Empire' They moved back when Obama was elected and rightly so, will have to move away again if any of these clowns get within sniffing distance of being in power. Yep! keep the joke coming GOP. (Translation 'Glutton Or Punishment) Sad really Sad.
Thank God I don't I don't live in the USA
Oh in answer to 'REPUBLICANS ARE THE GREATEST' just above. Greatest at what? Obviously comedy. Just think all the people who moved to a different country when Bush was in office and called the USA 'The Evil Empire' They moved back when Obama was elected and rightly so, will have to move away again if any of these clowns get within sniffing distance of being in power. Yep! keep the joke coming GOP. (Translation 'Glutton Or Punishment) Sad really Sad.
Thank God I don't live in the USA
The names for potential VP is no better than the current four front runners for president. Is this the best the GOP/Tea Party has to offer?
"Republicans destroyed this nation to the Ground, send all the money to Iraq War and hid in Trickle Down idiotic Theory. Obama is the best president and he is for Middle Class America. Killed Osama Bin Laden, etc, Energy-Efficiency vehicles, etc, passed Fin. Reg. Reform, Health Care, etc, Republicans want to ban your social security, Medicare, and pump Money to Tax saving ans rich....Obama2012."
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If you're being paid to post this drivel, you're employer is getting the shaft.
Lets's see: Rubio lied for years about his family history ( with his family's permission), Santorum thinks this is a papal election, Christie is one french fry away from a stroke, and Bachmann never passed social studies in high school. All we need is Scott Walker to round out this field of dreams. Yep, makes me happy they could be teaming with the weakest GOP front runner in living memeory to take on resurgent president.
"Thank God I don't live in the USA"
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We do too.
"....A vote for Obama is a vote for disaster. ..."
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Gee, that's odd. The world was so glad that The People elected a Democrat that they gave us a Nobel Prize, and Pres. Obama accepted it for US.
I don't think Chris Christie can be VP, because it would costs the tax payers too much money to operate his forklift to get him around Washington. Plus, if he ever became president, we would go into further debt hiring all the cooks and chefs to prepare his hourly meals, but it would help the economy when he lowers the US population by eating people.
"Gee, that's odd. The world was so glad that The People elected a Democrat that they gave us a Nobel Prize, and Pres. Obama accepted it for US."
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I suppose it's 5 PM somewhere, eh Rudy?
REBUBLICANS ARE THE GREATEST:
Your party started us off with the worst administration of the 21st centuary. As an independant, it was sad to see Huntsman out and Paul losing. I don't have short term memory and have not forgotten 8 years of Bush who won't own up to the Iraq war that it was a mistake, lost Afganistan to the Taliban and stopped searching for OBL. What happen to the Iraq war going to pay for itself??? As the Chinese say, the average American is an imbecile who elect sorry leaders. Most nations look down on us now....what is the Rebulican solution., do everything they can to make the current president fail because you are sore about the pummling in 2006 & 2008. Yeah, 2010 was your year, but I think your in for a rude awakening in 2012.