Poll: Romney Has Biggest Lead to Date
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For the last few months, Mitt Romney’s foes have painted the former Massachusetts governor as the “25% man”: a frontrunner who just couldn’t attract more than 25% of the GOP vote, even as his opponents have risen (and fallen) spectacularly.
The latest Gallup tracking poll, however, finds Romney breaking that 25% ceiling. He’s also the only candidate trending upward; all the other GOP candidates are either slipping down or staying flat.
In tracking taken from Jan. 7 to Jan. 11 (most calls were done before his New Hampshire win), Romney is now taking 34% of the GOP vote — a 10-point increase since the end of December.
Rick Santorum is at 15% (a three-point drop from his high of 18% post-Iowa).
Gingrich is at 14% (a 23-point drop from his high of 37% in early December).
Paul is at 13%. He’s held steady at 12% to13% since mid-December. His top-three finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire have not given him any sort of a boost.
ABC’s Pollster Gary Langer argues that 25 percent has been a bit oversold. Romney has received 30 percent twice in ABC/Post polls — first in July, again last month.
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Romney is too closely connected to Wall Street. His biggest donation came from Goldman Sachs, yes the same company that was part of the cause of the giant pile of mess we’re in. He cannot be trusted and furthermore, he does not inspire the disaffected Dems or the large Independent crowd, which means he would fail against Obama.
Perry, Huntsman, Santorum will all basically be out after NC, and Gingrich is only in because of the $20 million his pro-SuperPAC got so he can run anti-Romney ads. Ron Paul is getting the Dems who see Obama’s failure, the growing independent crowd, and will be the primary anti-Romney vote soon. He is the only one who can challenge and beat Obama.
Posted by: Mike Ikeo | January 12, 2012, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm
whatever…he is the man and if your a conservative or independnt we need to get behind him to fight the billion dollar obama campaignm and the unions. for most people its the anyone but obama cadidate that will win.if its romney as it appears then so be it. newt your done.
Posted by: catman | January 12, 2012, 4:32 pm 4:32 pm
Of course he is polling better than the rest. First, everyone is assuming he will be the eventual nominee, particularly because of the media and second, the conservatives haven’t gathered around one candidate. I’m about ready to support Paul.
Posted by: S Norton | January 12, 2012, 4:44 pm 4:44 pm
It is the realization of the adage, “Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line!” It is the inevitable, arranged marriage between what the establishment has already anointed years ago and what the girls have come to realize. Time to get married, Repubs.
Posted by: abu | January 12, 2012, 4:50 pm 4:50 pm
Ron Paul is getting the Dems who see Obama’s failure—what???????? are you delusional?? Eliminating the department of education! Eliminating the EPA! Libertarian! Hello??????? NO government regulations for ANYTHING. Do you know anything about democrats at all???? Paul consistently gets about 10% of the population. Period. that’s it. He will NEVER get more. Democrats want NOTHING to do with his ‘do nothing, keep nobody and nothing honest and everything will be hunky dory.’ It’s childish, niave and has NOTHING to do with Democrats and their theories. Get real!
Posted by: marsha marsha | January 12, 2012, 4:58 pm 4:58 pm
“all the other GOP candidates are either slipping down or staying flat”
Paul keeps rising in the polls, the more people hear his message. If Paul had the mainstream attention, that is given to the others. He would at least double his polling totals.
Posted by: Justin | January 12, 2012, 5:09 pm 5:09 pm
Marsha, try educating yourself before spewing ignorant remarks, it makes you sound stupid. The Fed. Dept. of Education is a govt bureaucracy. It takes money from the states, keeps 30% or so of it off the top, and “gives” it back to the states with rules and regulations attached, like the No Child Left Behind Act, which is universally considered to be a total failure. Why are we paying the Feds to dictate to us States, when we could instead KEEP the money in the states to being with and allow states to chose how they’d like to spend the money, more efficiently.
But sure, go ahead and scream about Paul wanting to “end all education” and other garbage lies that you spew.
Posted by: Mike Ikeo | January 12, 2012, 5:19 pm 5:19 pm
Ron Paul wants to cut down on large federal expenditures that accomplish nothing. The dept of education employs a huge number of people, but what has it accomplished? Paul feels that a state is much more able to tend to its own needs than would a central government and it would be a heck of lot cheaper! Look whether you like it or not, its hard to justify taking money from a group of people living in a small state to pay for the needs of some people living in a huge state. Like it or not this is Paul’s argument, tax those who use the service! In the end, this would not be an absolute implementation, but something along the lines proposed by Paul would be perhaps a move in the right direction.
Posted by: Mr Peter | January 12, 2012, 5:36 pm 5:36 pm
Romney is doing well in notheastern states. His opposition to the Second Amendment won’t sit well with voters in the South and West. Even Gingrich recognized that on CNN this morning. Religion will only get a politician so far so Santorum may be in trouble. Huntsman is almost as liberal as Romney and from a very wealthy family so the “out of touch” claim is easy to make.
The race is down to Romney, Gingrich and Paul. Romney is too liberal. Gingrich is too evangelical. That leaves Ron Paul.
President Paul er, I mean Doctor Paul is our best perhaps only hope to get this nation back on the right track
Posted by: cloud | January 12, 2012, 5:39 pm 5:39 pm
Sadly there are too many MARSHAS in this country. They have no clue that Ron Paul is trying to return the powers to the states as the Constitution calls. If there’s a state that wants to be extremely liberal or extremely conservative, so be it. The constituents in THAT can decide how their government should be run. Ron Paul is tired of the Federal Government dictating all the power over the people. That is not what the constitution states. The ruling elite control the Federal government and therefore do not want the power returned to the states as that confiscates their power over the people. Too many MARSHAS in America cannot see that. And we are stuck with 30% of Americans that truly understand the only patriot among all candidates is Ron Paul. And if you only have 30% of Americans that understand that, that is not enough to insure the vote count will not be rigged. As Bev Harris has written extensively, those diebold machines are easily re-programmed to re-direct your vote for Ron Paul to one of the ruling elite’s controlled candidates. This country is screwed because there are simply too few people that are willing to educate themselves. There will be more illegal wars and more innocent people killed and disabled and more illegal banker bailouts and more confiscation of our liberties. I thank all of the Americans who refuse to WAKEUP and see reality. Thank you for your contribution in the destruction of our republic.
Posted by: WAKEUP | January 12, 2012, 5:48 pm 5:48 pm
Looks like GOP doesn’t RON Paul; Instead they want Obama as Presdient in 2013.
Posted by: Pres | January 12, 2012, 5:54 pm 5:54 pm
Well for people like Marsha who think Paul does not appeal to Democrats, let’s just take a look at the recent New Hampshire primary. Paul received 2,273 write in votes…. in the democratic primary. He came in second. So the idea that Democrats want nothing to do with Paul is the view of ignorant people who watch too much Fox and CNN!
Posted by: Matthew H. | January 12, 2012, 7:03 pm 7:03 pm
The article was depressing enough, but then I read the comments. Sorry, but I will not be falling in line behind Romney. I will vote for Obama rather than that slimy man. His hair is even too greasy for me. You can’t trust a word he says. And yes, DEMOCRATS like myself are falling for Ron Paul. Sorry, but we believe in his message. Romney can go ahead and win the nomination. It will only spell disaster for the GOP. It’s just too funny that the GOP doesn’t get that. And btw…. Ron Paul is now within the margin of error against Obama. Yes, he may only get 20% of those brainwashed war-mongering Republicans, but his ideas are completely mainstream to REGULAR Americans.
Posted by: Jay | January 12, 2012, 8:46 pm 8:46 pm