Gallup: Mike Huckabee leads Biggest Array of Categories in latest Presidential Trial Heat

Republican voters will be looking to elect a candidate who can win across a broad spectrum of categories. Mike Huckabee is that candidate as he leads amongst Men, Women, Conservatives, Middle Income, Non-College Educated, Youth, Middle Age, Midwest, and the South.

Gallup: 2012 GOP Presidential Trial Heat

Results are based on telephone interviews conducted as part of Gallup Daily tracking April 15-20, March 18-22, and Feb. 18-20, 2011, with a random sample of at least 1,000 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, at each of these time periods.

For results based on the total aggregate sample of 3,304 Republicans, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points.

Gallup: Mike Huckabee Maintains Lead with Strongest Positive Intensity

Gallup released their latest polling showing Mike Huckabee maintaining his lead with the strongest positive intensity amongst Republicans. This same data shows Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Mitch Daniels and Herman Cain losing ground.

According to Gallup, 

"Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who Monday announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee, is among the most recognized Republicans who are thought to be most likely to run for president in 2012. At the same time, his Positive Intensity Score among Republicans nationwide does not stand out."

Gallup also stated,

"Meanwhile, Republicans continue to feel most positive about Mike Huckabee, despite the fact that he has no exploratory committee and has avoided any statements suggesting that he is going to run for the presidency."

Mike Huckabee leads GOP field with Positive Intensity

The latest Gallup poll shows Mike Huckabee up on top-leading amongst fellow Republicans who may be running for the 2012 nomination. Mike Huckabee has the most intense following. This corresponds with what Iowa Independent stated in their survey results: His statewide organization was never dismantled. That isn't just in Iowa. State Coordinators and volunteers have been working hard for Mike Huckabee through HuckPAC-organizing for state and local issues, making GOTV phone calls for candidates running in the 2010 mid-term elections. Those supporters have been showing up at the book tour events and are ready to jump in once Huckabee gives the word "go".

These findings are based on Gallup Daily tracking interviews conducted between Feb. 28 and March 13 with more than 1,500 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents nationwide rating each of 12 potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates. Gallup now tracks these candidates' images on a daily basis, and will report aggregated results on Gallup.com on a weekly basis.

Mike Huckabee edges out Palin and Romney in new Gallup Poll

Mike Huckabee continues moving on up in the Gallup polling.  Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich fall and Sarah Palin holds steady.

Gallup 2012 Republican Nomination Survey

* Mike Huckabee 18% [16%] [(12%)

* Mitt Romney 16% [19%] (19%)

* Sarah Palin 16% [16%] (16%)

* Newt Gingrich 9% [13%] (9%)

* Ron Paul 5% [6%] (7%)

* Michele Bachmann 4%

* Tim Pawlenty 3% [4%] (3%)

* Haley Barbour 3% [4%] (3%)

* Mitch Daniels 3% [1%] (2%)

* Rick Santorum 2% [1%] (2%)

* Jon Huntsman 1%

* Chris Christie (vol.) 1% [1%] (1%)

* Mike Pence (vol.) 1% [1%] (1%)

* Gary Johnson 1% [1%] (1%)

* John Thune 1% [2%] (2%)

* Other 3% [2%] (4%)

* None/No opinion 14% [14%] (19%)

Among Conservatives

* Mike Huckabee 21% [17%] (15%)

* Mitt Romney 15% [18%] (19%)

* Sarah Palin 15% [16%] (16%)

* Newt Gingrich 11% [14%] (10%)

Survey of 1,326 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents was conducted February 18-20, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points. Results from the poll conducted November 13-14, 2010 are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted September 25-26, 2010 are in parentheses.

H/T The Argo Journal for compilation of the data

Will Mike Huckabee Run?

There has been much speculation about whether or not Mike Huckabee will take another shot at the presidency . We only have to listen to Mike Huckabee's own words and a few indicators to determine that answer.  Mike Huckabee has repeatedly said that he will run if Obama is beatable.  So lets take a look at today's Gallup polling to see if in fact Obama is beatable.

Gallup shows that President Obama's approval numbers have continued to slip away. But if we look more closely at the data we can see that the domestic/economic area is where Obama is in the most trouble:

Foreign Affairs   + 3%

Handling of Egypt  + 15%

Afghanistan  + 1%

Energy Policy  + 1%

Taxes  - 12%

Healthcare  - 16%

Economy  - 23%

Federal Budget Deficit  -  41%

The economic issues were the reason the midterm elections resulted in tremendous gains for Republicans not only in congress, but in governorships across the country.  Those issues will still be key in 2012 if the economy has not turned around.  As an American first, I am not going to be wishing that the economy continues to stagnate just so that my preferred presidential candidate will choose to run. I am hoping that the economy turns around and those who have been long termed unemployed get the jobs that they need.

In order to change those approval ratings on domestic issues, Barack Obama needs to move towards the center as President Bill Clinton did after the mid-term losses in his presidency. But President Obama states that he has not moved to the center, nor does he have to.  In his interview with Bill O'Reilly before the Super Bowl:

O'REILLY: But the pundits now say you're moving to the center to raise your approval, is that true, are you moving to the center?

OBAMA: No.

O'REILLY: No? Because we were set up over there, and then they moved you a little to the center.

OBAMA: (Laughs) Here's what I think is true. Over the first two years of my presidency, we had a complete disaster. Right? We had a complete crisis. The financial markets were breaking down. We were slipping into a Great Depression. And we had to take a bunch of extraordinary steps in order to make sure that the economy was growing again, which it is now, growing. Making sure that the private sector was creating jobs again. It's now doing that.

And now our focus is not on refighting the battle of the last two years...

O'REILLY: So you're not moving to the center?

OBAMA: I haven't -- I didn't move to...

O'REILLY: You haven't moved anywhere? You're the same guy?

OBAMA: I'm the same guy.

President Obama needs to tack to the center and work with Republicans as President Clinton did during his term.  American voters will want to see that Obama cares more about his country than he does about his ideology.  

Since the start of the new year Mike Huckabee has been at or near the top of every poll.  Nationwide, Mike Huckabee has been trending upward in the polls.  This week CNN released polling data showing Mike Huckabee at the top with respondents also indicating that President Obama will lose the presidential election in 2012.  Sixty eight percent of those respondents indicated they want to nominate a candidate who can beat President Obama.  Mike Huckabee appears to be that very person.

Mike Huckabee starts off New Year topping the polls

The horserace for 2012 has yet to start, but Mike Huckabee begins the year doing very well in the polls:

Gov. Mike Huckabee enjoys the highest net-favorable rating with 30% amongst  Republicans according to the most recent Gallup Poll:

Even though Palin tops in name recognition, Huckabee is still most favored:

Huckabee tops Iowa Poll 

According to the GOP Neighborhood Research, Mike Huckabee received the support of  24 percent of Republicans saying they are “very likely” or “definite” that they will participate in the 2012 caucuses. Mitt Romney trails Huckabee with 19% support, and Palin receives 11%.

As for second choice options, Huckabee again leads with 36%, Romney follows with 28% and Palin with 22%. 

Third choice options, Huckabee still leads with 41%, Romney follows with 32%, and Palin with 27%.

As to favorabilities: Huckabee leads with +53, Palin follows with +25, and Romney with +25.

All in all, Huckabee is off to a great start.