CBS News early Illinois exit polls: 4 in 10 Romney, Santorum voters "have reservations"

Molly Mintus of Bloomington, Ill. casts her ballot with help from election judge Mike Powell, at Trinity Lutheran Church, in Blooomington on Tuesday March 20, 2012. Voters around the state went to the polls for the Republican Party primary and other state and local races.

/ Steve Smedley,AP Photo/The Pantagraph

CBS

(CBS News) More than four in ten of the people who voted for Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum in Tuesday's GOP primary in Illinois "have reservations" about their choice, according to early CBS News exit polls.

Forty-seven percent of Romney voters "strongly" favor their candidate, as do 44 percent of Santorum voters. But 41 percent of Romney voters and 44 percent of Santorum voters say they have concerns about their choice. Another one in ten supporters of each candidate say they dislike the other candidates.

The exit polls also found that two in three Illinois GOP voters would prefer that their candidate win the nomination even if the race goes on a long time. Twenty-nine percent said they would prefer that the race end soon even if it means their candidate loses.

As in other states, Illinois GOP voters overwhelmingly cited the economy as their top issue. Fifty-six percent pointed to the economy. That was followed by the federal budget deficit at 26 percent, abortion at 12 percent and illegal immigration at four percent.

One in five Illinois GOP voters say the economy is starting to recover, while one in three say it is stagnant. Nearly half - 46 percent - say the economy is getting worse.

The ability to defeat President Obama was the most cited candidate quality by Illinois GOP voters, chosen by 37 percent of respondents. One in four said the top concern was that the candidate have strong character, 20 percent sought a true conservative, and 18 percent wanted a candidate with the right experience.

One in three GOP voters said they decided on their candidate in the last few days. Sixty-eight percent said they decided earlier than that.

Four in ten said campaign ads were an important factor in their decision, while 59 percent said the ads were not important. According to a Campaign Media Analysis Group analysis, Romney and the super PAC backing him outspent Santorum and the super PAC backing him 18-1 on television ads in Illinois.

These results reflect early exit poll findings. More exit poll results will be released when the polls close in Illinois at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 7:00 p.m. Central.

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[teacherhistory101]

Who cares about this Illinois race? At the end of the day, a Republican is not going to win this state in the fall most likely.

[smittyc]

Pretty interesting article for a change.

[julianpenrod]

One of the problems so long standing and widespread in Amer3ican "democracy" that many feel it but don't notice it. Namely, no choice is ever ideal, no choice ever satisfies everyone. And, for many, even if they get their candidate, they don't come through for them the way they thought. And this connects with another quality of "democracy", namely, no one of the "rank and file" ever had any kind of proof that candidates were not chosen by party bosses working for the New World Order and it was never proved that "election boards" actually provided legitimate results. Since the Democrats and Republicans are both working for the New World Order, they are just as likely to arrange a Democrat, such as Obama being re-elected, when it suits them.

[daffy64]

Could the door be cracking open for a Palin/Cain run? ;-)

[thechooch1]

daffy64 gosh let's hope so, maybe they can get 30% of the vote.

[diligentdave-2009]

Obama would much prefer to face Santorum. When one talks about whether or not Romney is "conservative enough", fiscally he is the only conservative (and Ron Paul the only libertarian).

Gingrich was a fiscal conservative initially as Speaker of the House. But former Congressman Joe Scarborough on Morning Joe writes of how conservative Congressmen who had come in as freshman when Newt became Speaker and gradually went over to the full throttle SPENDthrift side.

Santorum was never a real fiscal conservative. And his 18% loss as an incumbent senator in PA after serving for 16 years in Congress show also that he is likely not a good candidate to run against Obama. That was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, percentage loss ever by an incumbent in the senate.

Also, as Mark Shields in the PBS Newshour a few Fridays ago pointed out, of all the peers he worked with in the House and Senate over those 16 years, only one or two have endorsed him, and that just recently. He is too strident, and chafes everybody.

[H_Ali_Tosis]

Choosing between the Mitt and Santorum is like choosing between a latrine and an outhouse, but sadly it looks like the Republicans literally don't have a pot to **** in, when it comes to electable Presidential candidates...just sayin'

[xvirg]

Ron Paul is going to be the next President, a CBS insider, who wishes to remain anonymous, told me today.

[dj_chi]

You mean the last horse across the line actually wins???

[cybervigilante]

Does the public know that Santorum has said Protestants are destined for hell?

[retm-w]

Funny you should say that, I remember in catholic grade school a priest and a nun saying the same thing.

[commonworkingman]

Please quit trying to confuse the fox noise parrots with facts.

[dj_chi]

"41 percent of Romney voters and 44 percent of Santorum voters say they have concerns about their choice."

Good to see the voters covered over their "Hell Yeah!" bumper sticker with a "Well I guess so" one. Nothing says party pride like lingering apathy for the choices presented.

[John782011]

DumpObama are you also against the death penalty?

[politicalcomments]

Las Vegas mob is primarily democrat. Ever been there? Scum bag city.

[_Thomas_Smith_]

Missouri, Mississipi, Tennesee... Hell holes... You figure it out.