Early Republican Presidential Contender Poll for 2012 … Mike Huckabee & Sarah Palin Top the List

Present-elect Barack Obama has not even taken the oath of office and there is a 2012 Republican contender Presidential list of candidates. According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey , former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Alaska governor Sarah Palin head the list. So much for those in the media that said that Sarah Palin was a drag of the McCain/Palin ticket. Although it is far to soon to begin covering 2012, it is always interesting to see who is out there and what the public perception is.

Sarah Palin

Huckabee tops the list. Thirty-four percent of Republicans and independent voters who lean towards the GOP say they are very likely to support the former Arkansas governor if he were to become their party’s nominee in 2012. Huckabee surprised many by winning this year’s Republican caucuses in Iowa and seven other contests before ending his run in March.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain’s running mate in this year’s election, draws nearly as much support: 32 percent of those polled said they would get behind a Palin nomination. And with the survey’s sampling error of plus or minus 4.5 points, Palin and Huckabee are statistically tied.

The survey is an early measure of possible support, not a horse race snapshot.

Mike Huckubee

“It might come as a surprise to some that Palin does better than Huckabee among GOP men but that Huckabee beats Palin among Republican women,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “Palin’s strength is also concentrated among older Republicans, but Huckabee may have a slight edge among conservative Republicans.”

Among voters who consider themselves born again or evangelical, Huckabee draws more support than Palin, with a 9 point edge. Meanwhile, Palin holds a 7-point advantage among non-born again or evangelical voters.

Hot Air asks some rather interesting exit questions in comparing Huckabee and Palin’s appeal in regards to a poll that has been done far too soon for any relevance.

Below are the poll results:

• Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Gov- 34%
• Sarah Palin, Alaska Gov & former 2008 VP candidate- 32%
• Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts Gov - 28%
• Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House- 27%
• Rudy Giuliani, former NYC Mayor- 23%
• Bobby Jindal, Louisiana Gov - 19%
• Charlie Christ, Florida Gov - 7% 

Since it is Christmas time and even though we are looking four years ahead, who would be on your Presidential wish list? There is a long time between now and 2012 and if this poll had been taken in 2004 for the 2008 election, no one would have had Sarah Palin anywhere in the conversation. Who do you like?

Who will be the unknown that comes out of now where for 2012? Could Jeb Bush, the former popular Governor of Florida be looking to run for the US Florida Senate and much further aspirations? Didn’t some one just win the Presidency with only 4 years of Senate experience minus campaigning? Barack Obama did not even have close to the executive experience of Jeb Bush as Governor in such a diverse state like Florida.

But the former governor has remained popular in Florida even as his brother’s approval ratings declined.

A Quinnipiac University poll taken December 2006 during Jeb Bush’s final month in office found 57 percent of Florida voters thought Bush was a great or good governor. Only 10 percent said he was a bad governor. That poll also showed 59 percent of voters disapproved of the job President Bush was doing, compared with 38 percent who approved.

“Florida voters have always been able to distinguish between Jeb Bush and George Bush.