CNN Poll of Polls: New lineup in battle for GOP nomination
Washington (CNN) - What a difference a couple of weeks make.
In late September Texas Gov. Rick Perry was the front-runner in national polls of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. But a new CNN Poll of Polls of the GOP race indicates that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is on top of the field of candidates with Perry in the third slot.
The CNN Poll of Polls, an average of the three latest national surveys that was compiled and released Wednesday, shows Romney with the support of 20% of likely Republican primary voters. Romney, who's making his second bid for the White House, was the front-runner in most national polls until Perry jumped into the race in mid-August. Businessman, former Godfather's Pizza CEO and radio talk show host Herman Cain is at 17%, followed by Perry at 15%.
"Recent polls show Cain gaining at least 12 points and Perry dropping by about that much," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But Romney's support has barely moved. It suggests that the Romney supporters have made up their minds, while Romney opponents are moving from candidate to candidate to see who they really like."
No other Republican candidate made it into double digits in any of the surveys that the Poll of Polls is based on. The Poll of Polls indicates former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has 9%, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas with 7%, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota at 5%, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania at 3%, and former Utah Gov. and U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman at 1%.
"On average, these three polls had nearly one in four Republicans saying they didn't know who they would vote for or choosing a candidate who is not in the running," says Holland. "So there are plenty of undecided voters who will make the contest interesting when they ultimately decide who they support."
The current CNN Poll of Polls is an average of three surveys released in the past 24 hours: A CBS News Poll conducted Sept. 28-Oct. 2; a ABC/Washington Post Poll conducted Sept. 29-Oct. 2, and a Quinnipiac University Poll conducted Sept. 27-Oct. 3. The Poll of Polls does not have a sampling error.
The three surveys were conducted after Perry came under attack from rival campaigns over his stance on illegal immigration, border security, and Social Security, his uneven performance in the last GOP presidential debate two weeks ago, and his poor showing at a much watched straw poll in Florida a week and a half ago.
While not as crucial as polls in the early primary and caucus voting states, national surveys are a closely-watched barometer of the popularity of the candidates and a gauge of the strength of their campaigns.
Also see:
New polls: Cain up, Perry down, Romney steady
Polls: What if Christie had run
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Romney\Cain will be elected in 2012. The perfect blend of government experience and business acumen. People who BELIEVE in our system and economy. Not socialists that want to destroy it.
What a frothy mix these make.
Poll of Polls?
This is a stupid, transparent, and silly way of CNN saying they wanted to rationalize a way to pick their own frontrunners.
It's like they'll do anything to slip Ron Paul further down the polls than he actually is. He IS in strong contention in recent polls, comparable to McCain in 2008. That is nothing to be discounted.
Aah, the battle for ethnic purity in the rep-teal party. Will conservatives beat Mittens into submission, forcing him to admit that every thing he once believed is wrong. Or, will teapeers overlook that Herb should have run for, and been elected, president of the PTA before he announced his run at the presidency? Will Perry overcome racial insenitivity (sounds like a Karl Rove/Swift Boat job) and his inability to put coherent sentences together?
You right wingnuts do realize that Karl Rove did Swift Boat Perry, don't you?
Democrat Class Warfare – Destroying the economy, destroying the country
the only people destroying this country are the tea partiers with their unwillingness to compromise. Get over yourself.
Looking at the field leaves me shaking my head... Huntsman is the only one not too crazy or a total flip-flopper. They hate him. Romney is a liberal-conservative, progressive-leaning fiscal conservative/socialist-like evangelical Mormon. Good luck with that... Cain would have been a good mean-ole-white guy in 1955. Ron Paul is an anarchist and crazier than a $#!+-house rat. Bachman is even crazier than Ron Paul and dumber than a bag of hammers. Great job GOP!
Karma hunting GOP now for the lies they made in 2009 and 2010
The GOP policies will ultimately put Obama in for a second term. Look at the thousands all over the country, rising up against regressive and recovery-stifling obstructionism and uncontrolled greed supported bt the GOP. Look at the Democratic win in the WV governor's race, one the GOP said would be a reflection of Obama's failure. Wrong!
Ron Paul is the only candidate talking about the military industrial complex, the destruction of our currency through the illegal policies of the federal reserve, the dangerous unintended consequences of meddling in the internal affairs of other nations, and the dangers of cronyism.
There's not a normal one on the stage.
Pizza man number 2 – not for long though after his comments to day "It's your fault if you’re not rich or don't have a job. The Secessionist governor in 3rd and The Gossip queen 2nd to the bottom next to the modern Nazi Santorum.
Perry or Bachman give Obama my vote. Tea Party is anti-American Why not more support for Ron Paul? I love his platform.
Look like all the candidate battling but not one have drawn a line in the sand that will show any different in them!! Bless.