Romney surges in South Carolina poll, has nearly double the support of runner up Santorum

Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum

/ Getty Images

Support for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has surged in the past month in South Carolina, leaving him almost double the support of his closest opponent ahead of the primary there on January 21.

Romney garnered about 37 percent of support of likely South Carolina voters in a poll conducted this week by CNN/Time/ORC, compared to about 19 percent for the runner-up, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

Romney won a squeaker over Santorum in the non-binding Iowa caucuses January 3, setting himself up to be the first Republican non-incumbent president to win both Iowa and New Hampshire since the modern caucus system was created in 1976. Romney is widely expected to win New Hampshire, which holds the nation's first primary on Tuesday, where he owns a vacation home.

If Romney wins in South Carolina, many analysts expect many of his rivals to end their bids for the presidency, leaving Romney nearly alone to collect the needed delegates for his nomination over the ensuing weeks.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich took 18 percent in the CNN/Time/ORC poll, compared to 43 percent support in the same poll a month earlier. Romney had just 20 percent support a month ago.

Santorum's support has also multiplied in the Palmetto state after his impressive finish in Iowa, where he was just eight votes short of Romney. In December, Santorum had just 4 percent support in South Carolina.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul took 12 percent, double his 6 percent support a month earlier. Texas Gov. Rick Perry fell to 5 percent from 8 percent in early December, while former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman remained at 1 percent.

While the support is not ironclad, it is firming up. About 49 percent of respondents said they might change their mind before the voting takes place, compared to 55 percent a month ago. Around 44 percent said they had now made up their mind, compared to 34 percent who were decided in early December.

The CNN/Time/ORC poll of 485 likely voters was conducted January 4-5, 2012 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

[haraksna]

Something you failed to note about this CNN poll includes only people that are 50+. As Paul support is stronger among <50, this is misleading and just a little bit deceitful.

[OculusMax]

All the GOP candidates would rather flush the country down the tubes than stop the wars for Israel and end foreign aid. If you fail to understand Israel's influence in our middle East escapades, google PNAC . Richard Pearle was behind this concept along with other prominent neocons. The idea was to use Americam military might to further Israel's aspirations of power.
Ron Paul is the only candidate that places American, not Israeli interests first!

[JV1970]

I guess you don't care what happens to you when you're old and sick. Paul wants to completely do away with Medicare. The other candidates want to reform it and make it better and stronger but Paul wants to do away with it.

I'm a proud Republican and will vote Republican but NOT FOR RON PAUL!

[RobAla]

I find it interesting that the CNN/Time poll is so different from the Rasmussen poll. I would be interested in know the age/gender/party of those in the sample. The CNN/Time/ORC poll of 485 likely voters.


South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary CNN/Time Romney 37, Gingrich 18, Santorum 19, Paul 12, Perry 5, Huntsman 1 Romney +18

South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary Rasmussen Reports Romney 27, Gingrich 18, Santorum 24, Paul 11, Perry 5, Huntsman 2 Romney +3

[JV1970]

As a Santorum and Gingrich and Perry supporter, I like the Rasmussen report better.

[RobAla]

I find it interesting that the CNN/Time poll is so different from the Rasmussen poll. I would be interested in know the sample size and the age/gender/party of those in the sample.


South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary CNN/Time Romney 37, Gingrich 18, Santorum 19, Paul 12, Perry 5, Huntsman 1 Romney +18

South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary Rasmussen Reports Romney 27, Gingrich 18, Santorum 24, Paul 11, Perry 5, Huntsman 2 Romney +3

[RobAla]

The poll numbers in SC are probably the most interesting. Everyone expects Romney to do well in NH, but SC is an entirely different matter. I would have expected the diminishing support for Bachmann and Perry to go to Gingrich or Santorum - not Romney. The fact that support for Gingrich has moved over to Romney is also interesting. If Romney wins NH, SC, and Florida - he may wrap up the nomination more quickly than a lot of people expected.

[JV1970]

We'll see what the actual vote count in SC is. It may reflect something entirely different than this poll shows. Also it's a while yet before the SC primary. They should take another poll before the SC primary. It may reflect something entirely different, too, when it's closer to the primary.

I think Santorum and Gingrich and Perry will do much better in the South than this poll shows. This is only one poll of one Southern state. I don't believe it reflects the voters in the entire South.

[smirk5]

First, Willard needs to release his tax info. We all need to know if he has used offshore accounts in the Caymans to avoid paying taxes to the U.S. After all, we've got troops to feed, clothe, and take care of and we can't have a President that was hiding his income to avoid that essential patriotic function of providing revenue to this country. And, Romney needs to tell us if he plans to put troops back into Iraq since he thinks we should have stayed for the indefinite future.

[luadda22]

Release his tax info???? Just which line is it on the 1040 where you list money you are hiding in the Caymans??? What a goober.

[smirk5]

Any bank account containing over $1,000 USD must be reported as income to the IRS, even if that bank account is in the Cayman Islands. Ok. so he wouldn't be technically hiding it. But, if Willard did have such accounts, he would have been shielding it from the U.S. Gov't and avoiding helping out our country with that money. And, that can mean care for our troops. It's unpatriotic and we need to know if Romney is that kind of unpatriotic character.

[notreich]

It's Mitt alright. One Tea Party darling after another pushed to the front only to self-destruct because of insanity or downright stupidity. Or letting it slip that they would like to do away with Social Security and Medicare. Palin, Perry, Bachmann, Cain, Gingrich, Paul, Santorum. Unbelievable that they could ever have been considered the best the GOP could offer.

[kbbpll]

It's the "surge" drinking game again! What, only two shots this time? Can't get drunk that way.

[Michael_Sexton]

The republican party is committing suicide. There are die hard republicans who say they refuse to vote for romney and there is still a push for him??? If Ron Paul runs third party ticket you guys are done and you are doing it to yourselves.

[esq777]

Has Willard produced his long-form birth certificate yet? Or is it hidden with his tax returns?