Is Mitt Romney the GOP man to beat in 2012? The latest Rasmussen Reports poll shows him with the early lead. The first Republican primary is two and a half years away! More below from the respected Rasmussen:
In a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, it’s close to a three-way tie when GOP voters are asked whom they would vote for – from among a list of six prominent Republicans - in the 2012 party primary in their state: 25% say Romney, while 24% say Palin and 22% opt for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
After that, GOP primary voters list former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (14%), while Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty each received one percent (1%) of the vote. Six percent (6%) prefer some other candidate.
However, among those same six potential candidates, Palin and Barbour are tied as the ones GOP voters would least like to see win the party nomination in 2012. Twenty-one percent (21%) of Republican voters nationwide say that of both Palin and Barbour.
Gingrich and Palwenty tie for next on the list, with 15% each. Ten percent (10%) say Huckabee is the one they hope doesn’t get the nomination, while nine percent (9%) feel that way about Romney. Eleven percent of Republican voters (11%) are undecided.
If the economy is still faltering in a couple years and the stimulus bill ends up being a semi-dud, then watch out for Romney as the guy who swoops in and tells the American people that President Obama's way hasn't worked so it's time to go with a real economic professional.