Iowa poll: 4-way battle 7 weeks from caucuses
(CNN) - With the Iowa caucuses just seven weeks away, a new poll indicates that it's a four-way battle in the race for the GOP nomination in the Hawkeye State.
A Bloomberg News survey indicates 20% of Iowans likely to take part in the Republican caucuses say they support businessman Herman Cain for the nomination, with 19% backing Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who's making his third run for the White House. Eighteen percent say they support former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who's making his second run for the GOP nomination and 17% backing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
It's basically a four-way tie for the top spot when taking into account the survey's sampling error. The poll's Tuesday release comes seven weeks before Iowa's January 3 caucuses, which kick off the presidential primary and caucus calendar.
According to the survey, Texas Gov. Rick Perry's at 7%, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota's at 5%, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania's at 3% and former Utah Gov. and former ambassador to China Jon Huntsman's at 1%, with one in 10 unsure of who they'll support.
The poll also indicates that six in 10 say they could still change their minds on which candidate they are backing.
"In Iowa, it's long been a two-person race between Romney and someone else," said J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Company, which conducted the poll for Bloomberg. "It is now a four-person race between Romney and three someone-elses."
Selzer and Co. is a West Des Moines-based firm that also conducts the Iowa Poll for the Des Moines Register.
More than seven in 10 say that fiscal concerns are most important to them, with only around a quarter of likely caucus-goers saying social or constitutional issues are their top concern.
The Bloomberg News poll was conducted between November 10-12 with 503 adult Iowans who say they are likely to vote in the state's Republican caucuses questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
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Well, I'll say this: for a bunch of Republicans, it's a diverse group. They each represent a different constituency within their party. I'm surprised Herman Cain is still polling this high. Maybe after this last embarrassment, his numbers will drop. I am also surprised by Ron Paul's showing. Every once in a while, this guy says something that seems to make sense. But most of the time, he's a fringe nut-job. Hard to believe that 19% of Republicans would want him to be president. But, what the hey – if they nominate him, Obama will win in a landslide.
Ron Paul is gaining traction now! Watch out!
Sticking with Obama 2012
May the best man win! All are a vast improvement to what we have right now!
Ron Paul
Ron Paul has a better organization in Iowa than the other three combined.
When Paul wins the Iowa Caucus the headline will be “Romney Second in Iowa.”
No doubt this has quite a few spinmeisters spilling their coffee.
Wouldn't be too surprised if a few jobs were lost over this snafu 🙂
GO RON PAUL !!!!!!
Great to see Paul finally making a move as he is the only one of the bunch who seems to have a handle on our economic problems.
Don't get too excited, people: what happened to the last person to win the GOP Iowa Caucus?
All can beat Obama. The question is who can win large enough to sweep majorities in the Senate and House along with Governor races? I think Romney right now. He's got broad enough appeal and for all the right reasons. Experience, knowledge, vision, intelligence, integrity, ambition...
I would rather vote for any school principal, Elementary, Middle/Secondary, or High School, then any of these GOP candidates...
here's the key factor: Ron Paul supporters will VOTE on the caucus date while ambivalent Romney supporters stay home. Establishment GOP members expect for the traditional rank-and-file Republican to get the nomination. Well, they're in a for a surprise because this is Ron Paul's year when we go to vote!
Today's Republican Party is dysfunctional. It is a party in transition that seems hell bent on taking everyone and everything on an all or nothing ride into plutocracy. I used to trust their judgment, but not anymore. I look at the what is supposed to be the best Republicans have to offer, and I cringe.
It is a scary thought to think that the candidates represent the best of the conservative best; that someone as demonstrably incompetent as Cain is at the top, that someone as demonstrably out of touch with the reality as Paul is at the top, that someone as demonstrably unpredictable as Romney is at the top, and that someone as demonstrably unprepared as Perry is at the top.
Unless the GOP chooses Huntsman, they have no chance with the independent voters you need to win.
Why do Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina get to determine who the presidential candidates are? That system disenfranchises 90% of the American voters.
Keith in Austin – spoken from a true Texas red neck from the state that brought us LBJ, GW Bush, D Cheney, Rick Perry, and actor Matthew McCaunaghey. Listen up America–the "brain trust" population of Texas is what we should all aspire to be.
Keith, have a nice hot day with no water to keep you cool.
Here we go, Ron Paul! Here we go!
Romney 2012!!! He is the smartest of the bunch and the person that can really put this country back on track and better than before.
Don't miss this information from the poll:
"There’s good news in the poll for Paul, 76, a Texas congressman who has attracted ardent supporters. Among likely caucus-goers who say their minds are made up, Paul leads with 32 percent, followed by Romney at 25 percent and Gingrich, a former House speaker, at 17 percent."
People, Ron Paul is our best shot to save the Republic.
Go Ron Paul !!!!
Finally the media admits that Ron Paul is true top tier.
Wait there's a four way race? Who is this Ron Paul guy? I didn't even know he was running. I mean I heard of Bachman, Romney, Perry, Cain and now Gingrich cause that's all the media reports on. I never saw this Paul character before???
I support Gary Johnson but I'm looking into Ron Paul. Paul kinda worries me but I think he's a better bet then any of the other GOP candidates. Not sure he's better then Obama. I do think Johnson would be better then Obama though.
Ha ha, they have been trying as hard as they can to discount Ron. He gets no debate time, any straw poll or online victories are written off in one sentence as simply the result of his "crazy" support base, while anyone else who wins is provided a full front page for a day.