Twelve for '12: A Dozen Republicans Who Could Be the Next President

[MM2K]

South carolina  -  Romney wins that and it's OVER>

He's tied with Cain at 26/25%.... and perry has 9%. 

Romney has money and organization.  The others can't come close.  Romney is now putting energy into Iowa, since his "THIRTY???" point lead in New hampshire and sununu endorsement makes it a foregone conclusion...


People don't have faith in cain or perry.  Even most getbiggers don't think they'll win it.  money and support will dry up very quickly.  It's romneys.

Iowa definately looks a lot more winnable for Romney than it did just two months ago. Now, for some reason Perry is still strong in Florida, but if he doesnt win any of the first primaries that wont matter, as we saw with Guuliani 4 years ago.

By the way, I saw that Las Vegas debate a couple of nights ago, and let me say that the highlight videos dont do justice to how much of a meltdown Perry had. I agree that you dont have to be the best debater, but you need to fucking atleast hold your own by not making stupid mistakes, such as bringing up that old, completely vetted story about Romeney's lawn company, and doing it three times, and getting whipped 3 times!!!!

[240 is Back]

romney appears to have just melted further, with a rambling defense of his birther comments.

he's feeling pressure, but it's bizarre that when he does screw up, he doesn't at least have a prepared defense comment ready.

hubris?

[Dos Equis]

Poll: Cain takes top position, Perry falls to fifth
Posted by
CNN Associate Producer Rebecca Stewart

(CNN) - Businessman and conservative radio talk show host Herman Cain came out on top in a CBS/New York Times poll measuring support among likely Republican primary voters that was released Tuesday.

In the first poll since CNN's Western Republican debate, Cain is ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by four percentage points, within the sampling error for the survey.

One quarter of GOP primary voters support Cain, who has surged in national polls recently due in part, perhaps, to his easy-to-understand "9-9-9" economic plan and consistent debate performances. Romney received 21% support.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich netted 10% followed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul at eight percent.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has fallen to fifth place after early stumbles in candidate debates. He's also been hemmed in with stinging critiques from rivals on his positions regarding immigration and his support for a mandatory HPV vaccine.

Perry received 6% support in the poll, half the amount he received in early October.

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann has also fallen out of favor it seems, after winning the critical Iowa straw poll in August. With two percent support, the congresswoman has struggled to stay relevant as public bickering between former and current staffers exploded in New Hampshire.

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman tied at one percent.

But with 14% of likely Republican primary-goers undecided and roughly four out of five saying it is too early to say for sure who they back for the nomination, a chunk of potential supporters is still in play.

The poll was conducted among 1,650 adults by telephone including 455 voters who said they plan to vote in a Republican primary. The overall sampling error for the survey is plus or minus two percentage points. The sampling error for the subgroup of likely Republican primary voters is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.


 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/25/poll-cain-takes-top-position-perry-falls-to-fifth/

[Dos Equis]

Steve Forbes endorses Rick Perry
By Lucy Madison

Steve Forbes, a businessman, former Republican presidential candidate and the editor and publisher of Forbes Magazine, is endorsing Rick Perry for president, he announced Sunday.

In an interview with Fox News, Forbes voiced his support for Perry's proposed flat tax plan as a "very exciting" way to get the economy back on track. While the specifics of Perry's plan, which he will unveil in a speech on Tuesday, are unknown, generally a flat tax refers to a singular income tax rate rather than the current progressive rates based on income.

"People love the idea of radical simplicity of this horrific tax code," Forbes said. "It is a dead weight on the economy. I think what Rick Perry's going to unveil on Tuesday's going to be very exciting."

"With firm leadership, which Rick Perry will provide... I think this will be a winning issue," Forbes added, saying that is why he is endorsing Perry. "People want it - they hunger for it."

Forbes is a longtime proponent of the flat tax, which he pushed during his failed 1996 presidential bid. Now, according to the New York Times, Forbes is advising Perry on his own flat tax proposal.

Forbes said the plan Perry would unveil would include "low-rate, generous exemptions for adults and children" that would "make it worthwhile to invest in America again. He also said it would "drastically simplify the tax code, lowering the corporate rate" and making it the "best in the developed world."

"It's a win-win all around," he said.

Several Republican presidential have pledged commitment to some variation on the flat tax, which they say is a simple, fair way to overhaul the tax code. Herman Cain, whose "9-9-9" plan includes a 9 percent income tax, a 9 percent national sales tax, and a 9 percent business tax, has been a particular point of focus - both due to Cain's much-heralded claims of the plan's simplicity, as well as the skepticism those claims have inspired.

Newt Gingrich, too, announced an "optional" flat tax plan Monday in an op-ed for the Quad-City Times.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's history of support for the flat tax, however, is more muddled. Back in 1996, he derided Forbes' plan as a "tax cut for fat cats."

Last August, however, he was quoted as saying "I love a flat tax."

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20124750-503544/steve-forbes-endorses-rick-perry/

[240 is Back]

"Perry received 6% support in the poll"

I'll say it again - PROPS to 33 and other getbiggers for not getting on the Perry bandwagon. 

Perry was a tool from minute 1.

[Dos Equis]

He regrets participating because he bombed. 

Perry expresses regret over taking part in debates
Posted by
CNN's Ashley Killough

(CNN) – GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry said if he had made any mistakes thus far in the campaign, it was "probably ever doing one of the" debates.

"All they’re interested in is stirring it up between the candidates instead of really talking about the issues that are important to the American people," Perry said on Fox News Tuesday.

Answering criticism over his debate performances, the Texas governor has repeatedly said Americans weren't looking for the "slickest" candidate or the smoothest debater in the race.

Perry, who rolled out his flat-tax plan Tuesday in South Carolina, again said he used the wrong word when describing people who disagreed with him on immigration as "heartless."

He first dialed back his remark in late September after facing a strong reaction from within the GOP.

Perry originally made the comment at the Fox News/Google debate in Florida after taking heat for signing off on a Texas law that allows tuition credits to certain illegal immigrants at public universities.

In the interview Tuesday, Perry also took a shot at former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who sparred with Perry during the CNN Western Republican Presidential Debate last week in Las Vegas.

Continuing his attack on Romney as a flip-flopper, Perry said: "In his own words, he says 'Listen, I need to say whatever I need to say for whatever office I'm running for'."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/25/perry-expresses-regret-over-taking-part-in-debates/

[Dos Equis]

Hasn't lost steam yet.

Fox News Poll: GOP Primary Voters Get on the Cain Train
By Dana Blanton
Published October 26, 2011
FoxNews.com

Herman Cain takes the lead in the Republican presidential nomination contest as GOP voters continue to deny Mitt Romney clear front-runner status.

A Fox News poll released Wednesday shows support for Cain has quadrupled among GOP primary voters since late August. At that time, he stood at 6 percent. After three September debates, he jumped to 17 percent. And now Cain leads the pack at 24 percent.

While it’s the first time Romney has trailed Cain, it’s the second time he’s been ousted from the lead since July. Romney receives 20 percent -- a new low for him. That’s down from 23 percent last month and a high of 26 percent in early August.

Newt Gingrich now comes in third with 12 percent -- edging out Rick Perry. The former speaker -- like Cain -- has seen his support quadruple since late August.

Perry’s support has dropped to 10 percent, down from 19 percent in September. After his mid-August announcement, Perry captured 29 percent of the vote and took the front-runner role from Romney.

At 9 percent, Ron Paul stays in the top five.

Click here to see the full results of the poll.

Cain is particularly popular among Republican primary voters who identify as being a part of the Tea Party: he captures 32 percent to Romney’s 8 percent among this group. Cain also has a wide 15 percentage-point advantage over both Romney and Gingrich among white evangelicals.

Cain has been helped by media coverage of his “9-9-9” tax plan and his upbeat, direct speaking style. His support has increased despite somewhat confusing comments on abortion and his suggestion he might negotiate with terrorist kidnappers. Yet those issues are not especially relevant for GOP primary voters, as nearly 8 in 10 say economic issues such as taxes and government spending will be most important in deciding their vote. That’s about 10 times as many as say social issues or national security.

On Tuesday Gov. Perry announced a competing tax plan, which would let taxpayers choose between a flat-rate and the current income tax system.

The poll revealed mixed views on the general question of tax structure. When asked which method they would generally prefer to collect federal taxes: 35 percent pick a flat-rate income tax with no deductions, while 26 percent would stick with the current graduated income tax with deductions. Another 13 percent prefer a graduated income tax with no deductions and 12 percent a national sales tax.

Republicans (47 percent) are nearly twice as likely as Democrats (25 percent) to prefer a flat-rate income tax with no deductions, while twice as many Democrats as Republicans would stick with the current tax plan (35 percent vs. 18 percent).

More voters overall would be enthusiastic or pleased if Cain (23 percent) or Romney (21 percent) were to become president than Perry (17 percent). Still, none of the three bests President Barack Obama on this measure: 37 percent of voters would be enthusiastic or pleased if he were re-elected.

The bad news for the president is that more voters would be displeased or scared if he were re-elected (47 percent) than if Cain (32 percent), Romney (33 percent) or Perry (38 percent) wins.

Republicans and Tea Partiers are about twice as likely to be “enthusiastic” about a Cain win as a Romney or Perry victory.

Meanwhile, fewer than half of Republicans would be enthusiastic or pleased if Cain (43 percent), Romney (42 percent), or Perry (34 percent) were to become president. By comparison, more than 7 in 10 Democrats would feel that way if Obama were re-elected (72 percent enthusiastic or pleased).

Among independents, Obama (24 percent) and Cain (22 percent) receive larger positive reactions than Romney (18 percent) or Perry (13 percent).

Finally, Romney has the largest number of voters -- 38 percent -- saying their reaction would be “neutral” if he were to become president.

In terms of simple popularity, Obama has a higher favorable rating (48 percent) than Romney (40 percent), Cain (33 percent) or Perry (23 percent). While Michelle Obama’s 62 percent favorable rating tops them all, that’s down from 69 percent in January, and a high of 73 percent in April 2009.

Romney (60 percent favorable) and Cain (54 percent favorable) are much better-liked among the Republican Party faithful than Perry (40 percent favorable).

Voting for a Mormon

The Mormon issue was recently injected into the campaign by a Baptist minister who introduced Rick Perry at a rally. The minister later described Mormonism as a “cult.” Two GOP presidential candidates, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, are Mormon.
Of those concerned about voting for a Mormon for president, the poll found more voters would be troubled by Mormons’ socially conservative views (21 percent) than their religious practices and beliefs (14 percent). A 62-percent majority says neither of these concerns them.

Twenty-one percent of GOP primary voters have concerns about electing a Mormon president. Of those, twice as many cite Mormon beliefs as cite the candidate’s views. White evangelicals -- a significant voting bloc in several key GOP primaries and caucuses -- are about equally concerned about the candidate’s views (16 percent) as their religious beliefs (17 percent).

Interest in the Election Highest among Tea Party

Republicans and Tea Partiers are much more tuned-in than Democrats to the upcoming election, which isn’t surprising given all the action is on the GOP side right now. Still, the numbers are dramatic. Some 25 percent of Democrats say they are “extremely” interested in the 2012 election. Compare that to 42 percent who say the same among Republicans and 55 percent among those who consider themselves part of the Tea Party movement.

About one voter in five -- 19 percent -- say they personally or a close friend of theirs is more qualified to be president than anyone running right now. That jumps to 35 percent among Tea Partiers.

The Fox News poll is based on landline and cell phone interviews with 904 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from October 23 to October 25. For the total sample, it has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/26/fox-news-poll-gop-primary-voters-get-on-cain-train/

[240 is Back]

Hasn't lost steam yet.

IMO, it's because there isn't another cain in the race.

people jumped from trump to perry to cain - they don't have a place to jump right now.

well, monstly because they're too stupid to choose ron paul.

[Dos Equis]

This one puts the overall numbers in better context.  Shows Romney in the driver's seat and Perry in serious trouble.  Cain still very much in contention. 

New Polls Show Romney Ahead in First Four States
By Steven Shepard
October 26, 2011

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads in new CNN/Time polls of the first four states on the Republican presidential nominating calendar -- Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida -- though in Iowa and South Carolina, Herman Cain runs a close second.

Cain, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, runs second in each of the four states, and in three of the four states, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, runs third.

Notably, the best that Texas Gov. Rick Perry can manage in any of the states is a tie for third.

Taken collectively, the polls show that -- despite Cain's slight lead over Romney in some recent national polling -- Romney has the advantage in the four states that will most determine the direction of the GOP nominating process:

-- In Iowa, which will hold its caucuses on Jan. 3, Romney leads Cain, 24 percent to 21 percent -- within the margin of error. Paul was third, at 12 percent, followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Perry, who both earned 10 percent. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., who edged Paul in August's Iowa straw poll, was at only six percent.

-- New Hampshire is expected to hold its first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 10, and Romney has a strong lead in the poll, at 40 percent. Cain is at 13 percent, with Paul right behind him at 12 percent. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, whose campaign is predicated on a strong performance in the Granite State, is fourth at six percent, followed closely by Gingrich, at five percent. Perry is at just four percent.

-- The first-in-the-South primary will be held in South Carolina on Jan. 21, where Romney (25 percent) and Cain (23 percent) are now in a virtual tie. Paul is third at 12 percent, and Perry is at 11 percent, his strongest performance in the four polls.

-- Romney leads Cain in vote-rich Florida, which will hold its primary on Jan. 31, 30 percent to 18 percent. Gingrich and Perry tied for third with nine percent, and Paul was fifth at six percent.

All four polls were conducted Oct. 20-25 by ORC International. The respective sample sizes and margins of error are as follows:

-- Iowa: 405 registered Republicans; margin of error +/- 4.8 percent.
-- New Hampshire: 400 registered Republicans or independents who voted in the 2008 Republican primary; margin of error +/- 4.9 percent.
-- South Carolina: 400 registered Republicans and Republican-leaning independents; margin of error +/- 4.9 percent.
-- Florida: 401 registered Republicans; margin of error +/- 4.9 percent.

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2011/10/new-polls-show-1.php

[Dos Equis]

Cain, Romney top new Des Moines Register Iowa poll
Posted by
CNN Political Reporter Shannon Travis

Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) - Herman Cain and Mitt Romney lead, and are statistically tied, in a fresh poll in the first-in-the-nation presidential caucus state.

Released late Saturday, the Des Moines Register's Iowa poll of likely Republican caucus-goers shows the conservative Georgia businessman at 23%, with the former Massachusetts governor at 22%. The difference is well within the survey's margin of error.

Other results from the survey showed Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 12%; Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann at 8%; Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich tied at 7%; former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, 5%; and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, 1%.

The numbers somewhat mirror the most recent CNN/Time/ORC Poll for Iowa.

The results seem to turn conventional political wisdom on its head.

Both Cain and Romney are leading despite spending scant time in Iowa. Cain has campaigned in Iowa only once since late summer. And Romney has spent only six days in the Hawkeye state this entire political cycle, according to the Des Moines Register's candidate tracker.

In contrast, Santorum, Paul and Gingrich have each barnstormed across the state – but remain saddled with low numbers in various polls. That raises questions of whether or not their messages are resonating with voters.

Bachmann's poll results are also noteworthy.

The congresswoman won the first big contest of the presidential cycle – Iowa's Ames Straw Poll – in August. Since then, her poll numbers have plummeted. Between the June survey and the current one, Bachmann's support has fallen 14 percentage points.

The Des Moines Register conducted its poll October 23 to 26. It surveyed 400 likely GOP caucus-goers. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.9%.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/29/cain-romney-top-new-des-moines-register-iowa-poll/

[240 is Back]

RPaul beating Bachmann, perry, newt, santorum....

[chadstallion]

RPaul beating Bachmann, perry, newt, santorum....

it's his turn to take the lead, now that Herb is having problems...

[Dos Equis]

RCP numbers as of today (after the Cain sexual harassment stories):

Cain - 26%
Romney - 23.8%
Gingrich - 10.2%
Perry - 9.7%
Paul - 8.0%
Bachmann - 3.5%
Santorum - 1.7%
Huntsman - 1.3%

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/republican_presidential_nomination-1452.html

[240 is Back]

RCP numbers as of today (after the Cain sexual harassment stories):

Cain - 26%
Romney - 23.8%
Gingrich - 10.2%
Perry - 9.7%
Paul - 8.0%
Bachmann - 3.5%
Santorum - 1.7%
Huntsman - 1.3%

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/republican_presidential_nomination-1452.html

yeah, but this is only 3 days after the stories started.

We don't know the outcome yet.  A person may come fwd, campaigns will start blaming each other.

We're still in the 1st quarter of this politicla event.  To high five and say "We haven't lost any ground in polls!" just 72 hours after the story broke - and we don't have full information yet - would just be silly.

Give it 2 weeks, see if he's still tops in the polls.

[Dos Equis]

Ya think?   How weak is this? 

Perry: I Wasn’t Prepared for Debates
Thursday, 03 Nov 2011
By Newsmax Wires

The presidential campaign of Texas Gov. Rick Perry has sagged in recent weeks, dragged down by his weak performances in candidate debates. So what accounts for the debate problems? The candidate says he wasn’t properly prepared.

"The first 100 days is just a sprint to raise money,” he told Fox News, according to The Hill. “I mean, that's what we were doing. We were spending a lot of time raising money, because we knew we had to. We had, I think, four debates in that time. Frankly, I didn't have time to prepare for those debates. Obviously, it showed.”

Perry freely admits that he feels uncomfortable debating. “I hate debates. I hate debates worse than I did spinning when I was a pilot in the United States Air Force. But you know what, I practiced enough that I got pretty good at it, so there'll be plenty of debates.”

And debates really aren’t the issue in any case, Perry says. “Here’s what people are interested in: we’ve got a great debater in the White House, a slick politician, and our country is really paying a great price for that."

Asked if it’s important for the GOP nominee to debate well against President Obama, Perry said, "I would love to be on the stage with Barack Obama, talking about how in the world did you lose 2.5 million jobs? How did you waste $4 trillion, Mr. President?"

http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Perry-Debates-candidate-Obama/2011/11/03/id/416718

[Skip8282]

Ya think?   How weak is this? 

Perry: I Wasn’t Prepared for Debates
Thursday, 03 Nov 2011
By Newsmax Wires

The presidential campaign of Texas Gov. Rick Perry has sagged in recent weeks, dragged down by his weak performances in candidate debates. So what accounts for the debate problems? The candidate says he wasn’t properly prepared.

"The first 100 days is just a sprint to raise money,” he told Fox News, according to The Hill. “I mean, that's what we were doing. We were spending a lot of time raising money, because we knew we had to. We had, I think, four debates in that time. Frankly, I didn't have time to prepare for those debates. Obviously, it showed.”

Perry freely admits that he feels uncomfortable debating. “I hate debates. I hate debates worse than I did spinning when I was a pilot in the United States Air Force. But you know what, I practiced enough that I got pretty good at it, so there'll be plenty of debates.”

And debates really aren’t the issue in any case, Perry says. “Here’s what people are interested in: we’ve got a great debater in the White House, a slick politician, and our country is really paying a great price for that."

Asked if it’s important for the GOP nominee to debate well against President Obama, Perry said, "I would love to be on the stage with Barack Obama, talking about how in the world did you lose 2.5 million jobs? How did you waste $4 trillion, Mr. President?"

http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Perry-Debates-candidate-Obama/2011/11/03/id/416718

I don't really think he's a good GOP candidate prepared or unprepared.  Would probably still be better than Obama though.  And the guy can raise some money!

[240 is Back]

I don't really think he's a good GOP candidate prepared or unprepared.  Would probably still be better than Obama though.  And the #### can raise some money!

he raised a TON of money - but most was bundles from corporate donors upon his announcement.

Does anyone think he'll have a 17 million quarter - now that he's single digits in many polls and speaking drunk?

[Dos Equis]

I don't really think he's a good GOP candidate prepared or unprepared.  Would probably still be better than Obama though.  And the #### can raise some money!

He can give a good speech and has a good background, but his debate performances really stunk.  Coming out and saying he was unprepared is pretty bad too.  Makes you wonder how he would handle the job as president when he would have immensely more responsibilities than he has now. 

Still, I'd vote for him over Obama. 

[Dos Equis]

Creeping up . . . .

Another poll shows Gingrich on the rise
Posted by
CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser

Washington (CNN) - If you need more evidence that Newt Gingrich's bid for the GOP presidential nomination is on the rise, check out a new poll by ABC News and the Washington Post.

According to the survey, out Friday morning, 12% of Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP say they support the former House Speaker for their party's presidential nomination. That's up five points from one month ago. Gingrich is in fourth place in the new poll, one percentage point behind Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Gingrich was in third place at 10% support in a Quinnipiac University national poll released Wednesday, up seven points from late August. He stands at 12% in a recent Fox News Poll and at 10% in a recent CBS/New York Times survey.

And it's not just national polling. In Iowa, the first state to vote in the primary and caucus calendar, Gingrich is in fourth place, at 10%, according to a recent CNN/Time/ORC International Poll of registered Republicans.

Gingrich's campaign was left for dead by many in late spring, after a number of top advisers and staffers quit and the campaign faced financial difficulties.

But the former House Speaker has performed well in eight presidential debates held this year, acting as the elder statesman while many of his rivals for the nomination attacked each other. And his fundraising appears to be picking up. Gingrich says he raised more money in October than the $800,000 he brought in during the previous three months.

Gingrich credits his serious attitude with helping his bid for the nomination.

"I think people are more worried about this country today than any time in my lifetime. Now, I actually think that's the only time I make sense as a candidate because I'm a really serious person," said Gingrich on the campaign trail in South Carolina a few days ago. "I mean, you're not going to hire me to cheerlead at your birthday party but you might hire me to save the neighborhood."

A GOP strategist says that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's announcement last month that he would not run for the Republican nomination is also helping Gingrich in the polls.

"Newt began to edge up as soon as Gov. Christie announced (for the 27th time) that he would not be a candidate for president. That meant Republican primary voters stopped gazing at the political horizon and started analyzing the field," says Rich Galen, who advised Fred Thompson during his 2008 GOP presidential bid, and who is the author of Mullings.com, an online column,

"Newt does wonderfully in debates, he does wonderfully on TV, and he does wonderfully on talk radio. Other than Romney, who will get his share of conservatives but just about all of the moderates, Newt provides a comfort level to the GOP base–that he alone among the conservative candidates has national experience having been Speaker of the House, and thus had to think about issues beyond his Congressional District or his state," adds Galen, who in the 1990's also served as communications director for then House Speaker Gingrich's political shop, but who is not taking sides in this nomination battle.

- CNN Political Producer Shawna Shepherd contributed to this report.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/04/another-poll-shows-gingrich-on-the-rise/

[Soul Crusher]

I could live w newt.   He would really go after MaoBama

[Dos Equis]

He's the most qualified man in the race, but I doubt he can overcome his baggage. 

[chadstallion]

Creeping up . . . .

Another poll shows Gingrich on the rise
Posted by
CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser

Washington (CNN) - If you need more evidence that Newt Gingrich's bid for the GOP presidential nomination is on the rise, check out a new poll by ABC News and the Washington Post.

According to the survey, out Friday morning, 12% of Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP say they support the former House Speaker for their party's presidential nomination. That's up five points from one month ago. Gingrich is in fourth place in the new poll, one percentage point behind Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Gingrich was in third place at 10% support in a Quinnipiac University national poll released Wednesday, up seven points from late August. He stands at 12% in a recent Fox News Poll and at 10% in a recent CBS/New York Times survey.

And it's not just national polling. In Iowa, the first state to vote in the primary and caucus calendar, Gingrich is in fourth place, at 10%, according to a recent CNN/Time/ORC International Poll of registered Republicans.

Gingrich's campaign was left for dead by many in late spring, after a number of top advisers and staffers quit and the campaign faced financial difficulties.

But the former House Speaker has performed well in eight presidential debates held this year, acting as the elder statesman while many of his rivals for the nomination attacked each other. And his fundraising appears to be picking up. Gingrich says he raised more money in October than the $800,000 he brought in during the previous three months.

Gingrich credits his serious attitude with helping his bid for the nomination.

"I think people are more worried about this country today than any time in my lifetime. Now, I actually think that's the only time I make sense as a candidate because I'm a really serious person," said Gingrich on the campaign trail in South Carolina a few days ago. "I mean, you're not going to hire me to cheerlead at your birthday party but you might hire me to save the neighborhood."

A GOP strategist says that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's announcement last month that he would not run for the Republican nomination is also helping Gingrich in the polls.

"Newt began to edge up as soon as Gov. Christie announced (for the 27th time) that he would not be a candidate for president. That meant Republican primary voters stopped gazing at the political horizon and started analyzing the field," says Rich Galen, who advised Fred Thompson during his 2008 GOP presidential bid, and who is the author of Mullings.com, an online column,

"Newt does wonderfully in debates, he does wonderfully on TV, and he does wonderfully on talk radio. Other than Romney, who will get his share of conservatives but just about all of the moderates, Newt provides a comfort level to the GOP base–that he alone among the conservative candidates has national experience having been Speaker of the House, and thus had to think about issues beyond his Congressional District or his state," adds Galen, who in the 1990's also served as communications director for then House Speaker Gingrich's political shop, but who is not taking sides in this nomination battle.

- CNN Political Producer Shawna Shepherd contributed to this report.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/04/another-poll-shows-gingrich-on-the-rise/

you summed it up quite with the use of the first word of your entry ! creep.

[Dos Equis]

Will never happend, but interesting . . . .


Poll: Cain/Gingrich Ticket Could Beat Obama/Biden, If . . .
Monday, 07 Nov 2011
By Newsmax Wires

It almost certainly would never happen, but a presidential ticket of Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich has the potential to beat President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, according to a new poll.

The Republicans are constitutionally barred from standing together, as they both come from the same state, but if they could be on the same ticket, they would win by 44 percent to 43, Poll Position’s http://pollposition.com/2011/11/07/obama-biden-vs-cain-gingrich/ national telephone survey showed.

The result is a statistical dead heat as the poll of 1,179 registered voters, taken on Sunday, a week after Cain’s sex harassment scandal broke, has a 3-point margin of error.

Predictably, Republicans favored Cain/Gingrich by 78 percent to 12, while Democrats went for Obama/Biden by 86 percent to 4. Among independents, the vote went 46 percent to 34 for the Republican duo.

Unless one of them moved, Cain and Gingrich could not stand on the same ticket, as both live in Georgia. The 12th Amendment states that members of the Electoral College “shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves.”

Shortly before Dick Cheney was nominated as the GOP’s vice-presidential candidate in 2000, he put his Dallas home up for sale. He moved his voter registration from Texas back to Wyoming, the state he had represented in Congress for a decade, to enable him to stand on the George W. Bush ticket.

http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/Republican-Paul-Iran-threat/2011/11/06/id/417028

[Dos Equis]

Poll: Cain, Romney and 'undecided' tied atop GOP poll
Posted by
CNN's Diana Ozemebhoya

Washington (CNN) – When Republicans were asked to select their preferred presidential nominee for a USA Today/Gallup poll released Monday, GOP contenders Mitt Romney, Herman Cain and the 'undecided' option, all tied in first place each garnering 21 %.

The poll was conducted last week while businessman Herman Cain was at the center of accusations that he sexually harassed employees in the late 1990s during his tenure as president of the National Restaurant Association.

However that was before Sharon Bialek, Cain's latest accuser and the first to put a face to the allegations, claimed Monday that Cain sexually assaulted her in 1997. Bialek was accompanied at a news conference by well-known attorney Gloria Allred.

According to the poll, 53% of Republicans are inclined to believe the accusations are not true, with most saying the charges are "probably not true" rather than "definitely not true."

The poll shows about half of Republicans are following the news stories about the sexual harassment allegations against Cain very or somewhat closely.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was the third most preferred candidate at 12%, which is consistent with other national polls showing him rising. Texas Gov. Rick Perry trailed Gingrich by 1  percentage point.

Texas. Rep. Ron Paul, Minnesota Rep. Michele  Bachmann, former Pennyslvania Sen. Rick Santorum and  former U.S. ambassador Jon Huntsman rounded out the last four slots, receiving 8%, 3%, 2% and 1%  respectively.

The poll's results are based on telephone interviews conducted from Nov. 2-6, with a random sample of 1,054 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

The sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

  http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/07/poll-cain-romney-and-undecided-tied-atop-gop-poll/

[Dos Equis]

Spin off of the last story:

Poll: More than half of GOP primary voters not concerned about Cain allegations
Posted by CNN Associate Producer Rebecca Stewart

(CNN) – A new poll shows more than half of Republican primary voters say allegations of sexual harassment against GOP presidential contender and businessman Herman Cain will not affect how they vote. But Cain's unfavorable rating across the country has almost doubled.

According to the NBC/Wall Street Journal survey, 54% of Republican primary voters said they were not concerned about voting for Cain because of accusations by three women of sexual harassment against him. The poll was taken before a fourth woman claimed Monday that Cain groped her when she visited him for what she thought was a conversation about a job.

Support for Cain's candidacy has risen in recent weeks as he and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney joust for the top spot in national surveys, but Cain's favorability has taken a hit.

One month ago 24% of Americans had a favorable opinion of the conservative radio talk show host and 18% had an unfavorable opinion. In the survey released Monday, Cain's unfavorable rating has risen to more than one-third for a total increase of 17 percentage points.

But only 13% of GOP primary voters said they were either a great deal or quite a bit concerned about voting for Cain because of the allegations of sexual harassment. Fifteen percent said they were "just a little" concerned.

The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted by telephone among 1,000 adults from Nov. 2-5. It has an overall sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The sampling error among GOP primary voters is plus or minus 6.2 percentage points.

On Monday Sharon Bialek, a fourth accuser, alleged that Cain sexually assaulted her in 1997. Bialek claimed the incident took place after she sought Cain's assistance in finding a job when Cain was serving as head of the National Restaurant Association.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/07/poll-more-than-half-of-gop-primary-voters-not-concerned-about-cain-allegations/