Perry leads in the South

Gallup:

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is the favorite among southern Republicans when they are asked to say who they are most likely to support for the party's 2012 presidential nomination, with a 22% to 13% advantage over Sarah Palin in that region. Mitt Romney has a similar edge, 24% to 12%, over Michele Bachmann in the West. Romney and Rudy Giuliani essentially tie for first in the East, with Romney holding a slight advantage among midwestern Republicans.

...

These results are based on a July 20-24 Gallup poll that shows Romney (17%) and Perry (15%) in a statistical tie as the preferred nominee among Republicans nationwide. However, Romney has a more significant lead among the more limited set of announced GOP candidates, which excludes Perry, Palin, and Giuliani.

Perry, who initially said he would not run, is in the process of re-considering that decision and may enter the race in the coming weeks. Should he do so, he would likely be a formidable challenger in the South, which includes key early primary states like South Carolina and Florida. According to Gallup's image tracking of potential Republican candidates, Perry is currently much better known in the South than in other regions of the country.

The South is the weakest region for Romney, the presumed front-runner in the race, according to data from the July 20-24 Gallup poll. Romney currently has the support of 12% of southern Republicans compared with 17% or more of Republicans in other regions.

Thus, Perry's entry would be significant from a competitive standpoint, given that his regional strength matches a weakness for Romney. That stands in contrast to Giuliani, for example, whose strongest region is the East, where Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, is also strong.

...
There is more. I think Perry could also be a strong contender in Iowa. That would mean he could be favored in three of the first four states. I suspect Romney would still be favored in New Hampshire. With Perry looking strong in South Carolina and Florida, it is likely that the field could be narrowed after than to Romney and Perry.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Should Republicans go ahead and add Supreme Court Justices to head off Democrats

29 % of companies say they are unlikely to keep insurance after Obamacare