CyberclassroomTV Online Education Network: 2012 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES: Florida polls show Romney retaining lead

Sunday, January 29, 2012

2012 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES: Florida polls show Romney retaining lead

New polls released over the weekend show Mitt Romney maintaining a lead over this three Republican presidential rivals in the final days before Tuesday's Florida primary.

The former Massachusetts governor leads former House Speaker Newt Gingrich by double digits in the surveys, while former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum trails the pair. Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who has chosen not to campaign in Florida and spent Saturday in Maine, is further behind the pack.

One poll that came out Sunday morning and straddled the Thursday night CNN debate in Jacksonville, showed Romney at 42%, Gingrich at 27%, Santorum at 16% and Paul at 11%.
If Santorum were to leave the race, the NBC News/Marist poll showed Romney and Gingrich splitting his support, with Romney's backing rising to 49% and Gingrich's to 33%.
According to the poll results from after the CNN debate, Santorum got a 5% boost while Romney lost three percentage points and Gingrich dropped four points. Paul's support didn't change following the debate.
Romney also led in a Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 survey of likely GOP voters conducted Jan. 24 through Jan. 26 – before the CNN debate – and released Saturday evening. Romney received 42% to 31% for Gingrich, 14% for Santorum and 6% for Paul.
A last-minute surge would have less of an impact in Florida, which allows early voting and absentee ballots for the primary, than in some other states. So far, more than 400,000 votes have been cast, according to the Florida Department of State.
The NBC survey of 3,141 likely Republican primary voters was conducted between Jan. 25 and Jan. 27, and has a sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points. The Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 poll of 800 people has a sampling error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Also Recommended Web Postings

Florida governor: Why Latinos back Romney
Santorum cancels events after admitting daughter to hospital
Voight, McCain join Romney for lighthearted rally
Ron Paul's caucus focus

WHY LATINOS WOULD SUPPORT ROMNEY

Florida's Republican governor predicted Mitt Romney will win his state's primary on Tuesday, aided by support from the Latino community.

Gov. Rick Scott, who was elected in 2010, on Sunday attributed Romney's approval among Hispanic voters to successes in his private and public life.

"If you look at Gov. Romney's family he's been very successful. He's built a great family, very committed to his wife … he's somebody that's been successful in life," Scott said on CNN's "State of the Union." "I think if they look at his background, it's what they want."

A recent ABC News/Univision poll of likely Latino voters in the state showed Romney with 49% support compared with Newt Gingrich's 23%. Romney received similar support in a NBC News/Marist poll released Sunday of all likely GOP voters that indicated Romney in the top spot with 42% support, followed by Gingrich at 27%, Rick Santorum at 16% and Ron Paul at 11%.

Although Scott has yet to endorse a candidate in the race, he said those who make up the Latino voting bloc care most about jobs and education, issues he wishes the candidates would raise more on the campaign trail.

Agreeing with Scott was former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, who is backing Romney in the 2012 race.

"Republican values are so similar to Latino values," Gutierrez told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley. "The problem is … the rhetoric, the words. The words sting sometimes, the words that are used around the debate and that has turned off Hispanics."

Also see:

Herman Cain endorses Gingrich
Romney picks up Gingrich attacks

Gingrich justifies debate performances

L.L. Bean heiress backs Paul