Poll: Romney holds big lead in New York, but running behind Obama
(CNN) - Mitt Romney is running well ahead of his rivals in New York, according to a survey released Wednesday.
The poll from the Siena College Research Institute showed Romney besting his closest competitor Rick Santorum by 15 percentage points. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, had the backing of 38% of likely GOP voters in New York, compared to 23% who support former Pennsylvania senator Santorum.
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Two other White House hopefuls, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, trailed the two leaders by double digits. Thirteen percent of New York Republicans backed Gingrich and 11% supported Paul.
The Siena poll was conducted February 26-29, ahead of voting on Super Tuesday. The poll surveyed New Yorkers before and after voting contests in Arizona and Michigan, which took place February 28.
Romney's lead in New York is hardly surprising – the GOP hopeful has thus far won every state in the Northeast, including New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary on January 10, Maine's GOP caucuses on February 11, and contests in Vermont and Massachusetts on Super Tuesday. New Yorkers go to the polls April 24.
In terms of favorability, Siena's poll offered Romney both good and bad news. While his rating rose among registered Republicans from 52% to 57% since the poll was last taken in early February, his rating among all registered voters dropped from 35% to 32%.
Romney's favorability among both groups was the highest of any of the four major GOP candidates.
"Each of the four Republican presidential contenders is viewed unfavorably by a majority of all New York voters," Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said. "Even among just Republican voters, only Romney has a majority viewing him favorably, while Paul and Gingrich have more Republicans viewing them unfavorably than favorably."
Pitted against President Barack Obama, all four candidates struggled by large margins. Romney fared the best, but stood 26 points behind the incumbent Democrat, taking 34% to Obama's 60%.
"While there are still eight months until Election Day and the race will certainly crystallize once the Republicans select their nominee, at this point it does not appear that the Democrats' run of six consecutive presidential victories in New York is in danger of being snapped," Greenberg said.
The Siena survey was conducted by telephone from 808 registered voters in New York. The sampling error was plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. For the GOP horserace, 230 registered Republicans were surveyed and the results carried a sampling error of plus or minus 6.5 percentage points.
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"Each of the four Republican presidential contenders is viewed unfavorably by a majority of all New York voters,"
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There's a reason for that. We have brains and are die hard BLUE!
Not surprising. NYers are used to hearing BS. Most tend to look beyond the BS to see what's really going on.
This poll result should not be all that surprising. Recall the NY-26 special election last year. New Yorkers basicaly rejected the Rush Limbaugh led, radical RINO element that has taken over the Republican Party. While I would do not consider any of the final four to be a radical RINO, more than one keeps trying to act like one.
Why is he always surrounded by angry and grossly overweight men?
Polls are nice aren't they?!
Dang! Twenty-six points BEHIND President Obama!
Mittens is going to be so tired of running behind President Obama by the time the general finally comes around that he'll probably just throw in the proverbial towel.
No way.
No chance.
No how Mittens.
Obama 2012. Seriously America.
No one in the right mind will vote for this guy and his "Bain-Capital". He shipped jobs overseas, to China, India, Stashed money in Bermuda, Cayman Island, and Swiss, where he can escape Tax, he paid only 13% tax, where as I am paying 38%. This bugles my Tummy, and stomach. In one word, on Youtube, type, When mitt romney came to town, watch and enjoy....you will never vote another Bush....
Unlike Ohioans, who vote for joe the plumber the super fake, New Yorkers are smarter and better educated.
I am still trying to figure out how the flip flopper can stand in front of a half dead crowd (they are piping in noise?) telling his followers that it's the Presiden's fault they lost or don't have jobs when he and bain are the ones who took over companies, fired American workers, bankrupted these companies and the jobs from the ones that survived his making millions were sent overseas! I really can't wait until he wins the pathetic race he has a lot of 'splainin' to do!
YES WE CAN!!! YES WE CAN!!! YES WE CAN!!! Obama will get re-elected. He is the best choice at this time in our country. Things are starting to turn around. Economy is improving and jobs are coming back. LETS GO!!! OBAMA 2012!!!
Meh... New York. Not in play in the general. Next...
"he paid only 13% tax, where as I am paying 38%."
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Sure... sure. Doesn't that make you part of the 1% that's the cause of all our problems?
So much talk about a Republican being able to win "the South". That is a classic conservative ploy to pull the party toward the neo-con righties. Lost in all this is that those who work so hard to appeal to the "good ole boys", CAN NOT carry the industrial north & midwest. The GOP better moderate otherwise they will never win another national election.
Sorensen
Why is he always surrounded by angry and grossly overweight men?
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Reminds me of the punk rich kid in boarding school that used to "buy" friends with lunches and money loans.
Punk written all over his big 'ole head!
Mittens lets others do his dirty work for him, thus the nickname.
Obama 2012!
Sure... sure. Doesn't that make you part of the 1% that's the cause of all our problems?
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You're confabulating...again Fair.
"You're confabulating...again Fair."
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If you say so. I prefer to it as calling out a BS artist when I see one.
I am for O-B-A-M-A.
"Mitt Romney is running well ahead of his rivals in New York, according to a survey released Wednesday."
OK. And then what? He'll manage to squeak past the finish line as he has done in primary after primary only to find himself back in Massachusetts, California, Utah, Michigan (or whichever state he calls "home") come November, living off his Bain pension plan? Mitt's a loser. Watch his body language during his "speeches" and "interviews" to see just how much of a space cadet this particular candidate truly is. Never thought I'd see the male version of a "deer in the headlights" candidate, but there it is...
There is no enthusiasum here amongst Republicans for this lot. Upstate is very rural, religious and conservative, and will break far more for Santorum than this poll indicates.
I am against O-B-A-M-A.
He won't even win his home state.....BTW, which one is it?
The only place he'll get votes is in the wall street area...everywhere else...not so much Obama/Biden 2012
I am for America and Obama, so I guess that puts me against the extreme right wingnut republican party.