Thread: South Carolina Primary: Romney 27%, Santorum 24%, Gingrich 18%, Paul 11%

Election 2012: South Carolina Republican Primary

South Carolina Primary: Romney 27%, Santorum 24%, Gingrich 18%

Friday, January 06, 2012

What a difference a caucus makes. Rick Santorum who two months ago had one percent (1%) support among likely South Carolina Republican Primary voters now is running a close second there with 24% of the vote.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the Palmetto State finds former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney still in the lead, earning 27% support from likely GOP Primary Voters, up from 23% in early November. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is in third with 18% of the vote, followed by Texas Congressman Ron Paul at 11%.

Bringing up the rear are Texas Governor Rick Perry with five percent (5%) and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman at two percent (2%). Another two percent (2%) of these likely primary voters like some other candidate, and 11% remain undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

In the first Rasmussen Reports survey of the South Carolina Republican Primary race in November, Georgia businessman Herman Cain came in first with 33% support, followed by Romney and Gingrich. Cain has since dropped out of the race.

The latest findings from South Carolina parallel the voting sentiments of Republicans nationally following the Iowa caucuses, with Romney out front with 29% support. Santorum, after his photo finish with Romney in Tuesday’s caucuses, runs second at 21%, with Gingrich in third with 16% of the vote. The January 21 primary in South Carolina is especially critical for Santorum who has largely written off next Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation New Hampshire Primary and is counting on the conservative, evangelical vote in the southern state to build the momentum for his candidacy.

Things remain fluid in South Carolina, however, with nearly half the state’s primary voters (48%) saying they still could change their minds. Just 41% are certain already of how they will vote. Those certain of their vote include 62% of Paul’s supporters, 51% of Perry’s backers, 50% of Romney voters. Just 43% of Santorum voters and 36% of Gingrich supporters are locked in at this point.

In 2008, during the final week leading up to the South Carolina primary, voters for less successful candidates peeled away from their first choice to vote for one of the two front-runners. In that race, it was the eventual nominee John McCain and the second place finisher Mike Huckabee.

It’s important to note, too, that 66% of all likely Republican primary voters in South Carolina, regardless of whom they want to win, think Romney will ultimately win the party’s presidential nomination. Just 11% predict that Santorum will be the GOP nominee, while nine percent (9%) expect Gingrich to triumph. Forty-five percent (45%) say Romney would be the strongest Republican against President Obama versus 18% who feel that way about Gingrich and 16% who say that of Santorum.

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This South Carolina survey of 750 Likely Republican Primary Voters was conducted on January 5, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Santorum is the best liked of the candidates, with 72% favorables among likely primary voters in the state. Nearly as many (68%) share a favorable opinion of Romney, followed by Gingrich who is viewed favorably by 59%. Fifty percent (50%) like Perry, while 55% have an unfavorable opinion of Paul. Huntsman, too, is viewed more unfavorably than favorably, but 27% of primary voters don’t know enough about him to venture any kind of opinion.

Paul and Huntsman are seen as the two weakest potential GOP candidates against Obama.

Santorum outpolls both Romney and Gingrich two-to-one among Tea Party voters. Romney holds a similar lead over his top two rivals among those who are not part of the movement.

Evangelical Christian voters prefer Santorum over Romney 33% to 17%. But Romney leads among other Protestants, Catholics and voters of other faiths with roughly one-third of the votes from each group.

Even if their personal favorite comes up short in the primary process, just five percent (5%) of Republican primary voters in South Carolina are interested in a third party candidate. Eighty-four percent (84%) plan to stick with the Republican nominee even if their favorite loses the nomination, while six percent (6%) would vote for Obama.

Eighty-seven percent (87%) of South Carolina GOP primary voters think it’s at least somewhat likely that their party’s candidate will win the White House in November, with 48% who say it’s Very Likely.

Only nine percent (9%) of these voters even somewhat approve of the job Obama is doing as president.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/publ...blican_primary

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Prediction: Obama Will Savage Romney

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

August 15, 2011

Please make it clear to the GOP and GOP voters that if they send us * another George Bush or John McCain * on immigration matters that they will be handing the White House back to Obama.

Originally Posted by HAPPY2BME

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Prediction: Obama Will Savage Romney

Everyone except Ron Paul need to drop out. I'm willing to bet that that would boost Ron Paul's number and help him secure the Republican nomination.

This election is about freedom of one the remaining free countries in the world don't expect the radicals/socialist and yes communist to go down easy it will also be the most corrupt election we have seen. Sadly the GOP elitist's have move left of center and are only concerned with power in the senate.In order to stabilize the system we need someone who follows the Constitution along with morals, values and strong person standards. No candidate IMO has that however a Newt/Santorum team "may" be close and yes I know Newt's background.