Poll: Most GOP voters expect Romney nomination
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney greets supporters in Boston, March 6, 2012.
/ Getty
CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.
A new CBS News/New York Times poll shows Rick Santorum holding a very slight lead over Mitt Romney among Republican primary voters across the nation, but GOP voters increasingly expect Romney to eventually win the nomination.
In the survey conducted between March 7 and March 11, 34 percent of Republican primary voters said they support Santorum, compared to 30 percent for Romney. Santorum's lead falls within the poll's margin of error.
Complete coverage: Election 2012
Newt Gingrich was backed by 13 percent of those surveyed - a slight increase in support from the last CBS News poll conducted a month earlier, while Ron Paul received 8 percent, a slight decrease in support. The changes in support for Gingrich and Paul also fell within the margin of error.
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The overall dynamics of the Republican nomination battle have changed little in the last month: voters who identify themselves as conservatives remain solidly behind Santorum while Romney receives more support from moderate Republican primary voters.
Evangelicals have been strong supporters of Santorum in many of the nominating contests held so far, and in this poll Santorum leads Romney by more than two to one among evangelicals.
Santorum also leads among supporters of the grassroots tea party movement by a wide margin. Gingrich and Romney are tied for second place among tea party members, each with about half as much support as Santorum.
Regardless of whom they say they'll vote for, however, an increasing number of Republican primary voters expect Romney will eventually become the party's choice to do general election battle with President Obama.
In January, 55 percent of the Republican primary voters polled by CBS News said they expected Romney to clinch the nomination. That number climbed significantly in this new poll to 73 percent.
About half of Republican primary voters nationwide say they could still change their minds about whom to support - but that percentage has dropped from 60 percent a month ago. While there is still room for change in the race, fluidity has decreased as more primary voters have become sure of their candidate choice.
This poll was conducted by telephone from March 7-11, 2012 among 1009 adults nationwide. 878 interviews were conducted with registered voters, including 301 with voters who said they plan to vote in a Republican primary. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The margin of error for the sample of registered voters could be plus or minus three points and six points for the sample of Republican primary voters. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
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Obama signed the following into law:
HR 347 (1st Amendment Eradication Act)
NDAA Indefinite Detension of American Citizens
Spy Drones in U.S. air space
Executive Order 13575
Assassination of U.S. Citizens without due process
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For those who seem to be proud of supporting any candidate other than Paul, make sure you know what you are really voting for:
- Romney, creator of Obam-ney care and who continuously flip-flops on every issue - where does he really stand? Supports Patriot Act, TSA, NDAA. Remember, there is a BIG difference between Pro-small/medium business, and Pro-Conglomerate Special Interest.
- Gingrich, like Obama, believes OUR Constitution should be "replaced". A moon "colony" by 2020? Supports Patriot, TSA, NDAA.
- Santorum, supports Patriot, TSA, NDAA. Votes against the Constitution. Voted to raise the debt ceiling 5 times, and listed by CREW as one of the top CORRUPT U.S. Senators, said out of his own mouth, if you want less intrusive government, "Vote for Ron Paul"
And if you haven't heard just recently, all of these candidates are now taking veteran Ron Paul's position on foreign policy! Poll after national poll, Ron Paul, based upon his solid Constitutional voting record, is the ONLY candidate who can go head to head against Obama. Contrary to misleading mainstream media reporting (owned by international interests), Ron Paul IS winning the delegates. Vote for Ron Paul 2012!
The Republican game plan is to destroy the economy blame the Democrats and President Obama. This is their strategy to obtain the White House and the Senate in the 2012 elections. If you think the Republicans are death on average Americans, working-class and middle-class people now. Just think of how much more damage they could do to this country if they had the house,the Senate and the presidency to consolidate power to do whatever they want. They would then have free reign to turn America into the Third World country that they want for their corporate overlords.
They've already shown their hand by not approving extended unemployment benefits for people and anything else that would help the average American. Then they took America to the brink of default with the debt ceiling crisis. A crisis in which they created. Republicans on the supreme court ruling corporations are people and therefore can give unlimited funding to politicians. Republicans fighting for tax cuts for corporations, big oil and the wealthy while advocating cutting social security, medicare and medicaid. For those reasons and more I can't imagine any thinking working-class poor or middle-class person voting to support Republicans after all the damage they've done to this country. Americans must reject republicans at town hall meetings and the polls for their anti American unpatriotic strategy and tactics. The only difference between Timothy McVie and the republicans is he used explosives and they used their congressional positions.
The phony debt ceiling debate and agreement is another part of the republican game plan to take back the senate and white house. They create artificial crisis to stall (run out the clock on President Obama's term) and cripple him and the economy to prevent JOBS from being discussed or created. They are counting on voters blaming the president for the bad economy even though they the republicans are sabotaging every step of the way. Even a blind man can see republicans couldn't care less for average Americans. Just imagine what they would do if they controlled the house, senate and presidency. Americans cannot let that happen. Because it is crystal clear by the behavior of republicans they do not want America to progress and will hold it hostage to prevent it.
Republicans are screwing up government to prove their mantra " government doesn't work". This is designed to frustrate and turn off non supporters from voting thus paving the way for their depraved zealots to vote republican. Americans need to punish republicans at town halls and the polls. They cannot be allowed to get away with sabotaging our great nation. Americans need to recognize that republicans have no intention or incentive to do anything to bring America out of its economic woes. They continue to attack women's health care, planned parenthood and contraceptives.
After all, they think they can also get elected by blaming President Obama and Democrats. Time will tell if voters will fall for this again. Prevent abuse of struggling Americans and America. Just say no to voting for republicans.
Then our Naval and Marine Corps aviation assets from the carriers off the shore of Iran will join Israel in these surgical strikes. This will be the shortest war in America's history, because neither we nor Israel are interested in conquering real estate. All we both want to do is destroy Iran's nuclear capability.
Then, come November, the sitting president will win by a landslide greater that LBJ's over Goldwater in 1964. All of the Republican campaign we have had to endure reminds me of the famous Macbeth soliloquy "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing".
WHAT PART OF I HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?
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Are they physically visible, or are they just voices you hear?
I am not a Tea Party supporter, or did you not read that the first 10,000 times I said that?
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What does clarifying that 10,000 times say about your positions?
Thomas Jefferson had his own version of the Bible.
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Charlie Manson used the New Testament and the White Album.
The ilk is the 70% of this country that pays no federal taxes and or get some sort of check in the mail!! DEAD weight!!
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Danny Boy considers my Grandparents dead weight. His hatred for his paraplegic neighbor is boiling over. The war veteran is taking his money. He's crying for HELP!
It is in the bible...the country that goes against Israel faces doom.
The bank paid back the bank loans with interest.
The oil subsidies are only 4B.
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Danny Boy wants the Church to set foreign policy.
The TARP funds have not been paid back in full. http://projects.propublica.org/bailout/main/summary
ONLY $4B ?
No switch hitter here. I love women. As I recall, you or Progress is gay. I could be mistaken.
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Your only mistake was "is gay"...should be "are gay"...stiff boy!