Rick Perry leads GOP pack in another new poll

Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry attends the Black Hawk County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner in Waterloo, Iowa, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011.

/ AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

The second poll in as many weeks shows Texas Governor Rick Perry at the front the pack of the 2012 Republican presidential contenders - and he's got a strong lead over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, once widely considered the putative frontrunner in the race.

The CNN/ORC International Poll, which surveyed Republicans and GOP-leaning independents, showed Perry with 27 percent  support. Romney trailed with 14 percent, and Sarah Palin, who may or may not even enter the race, followed with ten percent support.

Rep. Michele Bachmann and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (who, like Palin, has yet to announce a decision about entering the race) both got nine percent, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul weighed in at six percent support.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman slipped to just one percent, trailing even the relatively unknown former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson.

The survey also indicates that Perry is the favorite among both men and women who identify as Republicans: 32 percent of Republican men and 23 percent of Republican women said they supported the Texas Republican. Fifteen percent of GOP women, and 14 percent of GOP men, supported Romney.

The poll signals what appears to be a continuing Perry surge in the campaign: Last week, a Gallup poll had him leading Romney by twelve points, with 29 percent support to Romney's 17 percent.

But Perry's strength could also be a product of his relatively recent entrance into the contest for the Republican nomination. CNN polling director Keating Holland points out that popular late-entrance candidates in past elections did not always have staying power.

"In 2003, Wesley Clark was a late entrant in the Democratic field and almost immediately jumped to the top of the pack. Fred Thompson did the same thing four years later on the GOP side and quickly was in a virtual tie for first place. But by November, both men had dropped in the polls and neither did very well when the voting started," says Holland. "Bill Clinton was a late entry in 1991 - he filed his papers with the Federal Election Commission in August - but the Democratic field that year was much less crowded than the GOP field today."

[spike54321]

Repubs and dems have failed us all. How about ending the wars and bringing the troops and money back home? How about no more bailouts for the crooked bankers? How about border enforcement and no amnesty? How about dismantling useless bureacracies in the federal government? How about honoring our forefathers wishes by obeying the constitution? etc. etc. We have a chance to throw the usual trash we get for candidates out and elect someone who is true to his word and will do what's right for America. Ron Paul in 2012. Visit his website for more info. The mainstream media want on blackout on him and his views since he is one of the few who can't be bought. Let's throw out the garbage on both the D amd R sides folks. Heres our best and only chance before we fall apart as a nation.

[Forty-Four]

Partly thanks to Americans for a better tomorrow, tomorrow.

[zenia5]

A "surge" in this clown lineup is nothing to brag about.

[euge005]

Living proof that only a rat can win a rat race.

[shawshank22]

Any republican beats Obama.What is he going to run on?...his record?......LOLOLOLOL!

[nearl451]

Flash in the pan.

[spike54321]

skyk1, name one thing in the economy that has improved? Bin Laden has been dead for some time. Why do you credit Obama. You had better bone up on all matters of economic performance. There is not one that isn't worse than when he took office.

[b4uigo]

Romney excites??... Exactly no one. Doesn't even get the libs blood to boil. Want a real poll? Just read through some of the nonsense these libtards have posted. Now that is the reason Perry is doing well in the polls.

[prohb]

Perry excites?? Let's seeee, what does he have?

Us vs THEMMM philosophy,
In-Yo-Face one-liners
Jingoistic, cowboy foreign policy diatrides
Anti-Science rants
Got lots of rich conservative and corporate backers
Shady land deals in Texas
Holds multi-million dollar preyer service to solve the drought

Except for the prayer service thing and Texas land deals didn't some guy in Germany in the 1930's have the same characteristics?

THATS the kind of person Republicans want for President????

Our country is really in for it now.

[ALBrainTrust13]

A few more weeks of Perry's comments and the GOP will be begging for Romney!!!

[doctor_know]

You know Obama is loving this...

[abbe91]

I would rather say "Obama loves this" ... or is enjoying this. Let's blame McDonald.

[AOCGUY]

I swear reading these posts is like listening to 12 year old boys argue.

[JV1970]

That's true! That's just about the mental age of most of the people on here!