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Subscribe to RSSAn NBC News poll shows that GOP presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are neck-and-neck in Michigan, Romney's birthplace. Romney, meanwhile, has a comfortable lead in Arizona, which has a sizable Mormon population.
Less than a week before Tuesday’s crucial Republican presidential primary in Michigan, a new NBC News/Marist poll shows Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum locked in a statistical tie, while a separate NBC/Marist survey shows Romney comfortably leading in Arizona, which holds its primary the same day.
In Michigan – which has turned into a make-or-break contest for Romney – the former Massachusetts governor gets the support of 37 percent of likely GOP primary voters, including those who are leaning toward a particular candidate.
NBC-Marist poll results: Michigan | Arizona
Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, gets 35 percent, and he’s followed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 13 percent and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 8 percent.
NYT: GOP campaigns grow more dependent on 'super PAC' aid
“Michigan is neck and neck,” says pollster Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted both surveys.
But in Arizona, Romney is on safer ground: He receives the support of 43 percent of likely GOP primary voters, Santorum gets 27 percent, Gingrich 16 percent and Paul 11 percent.
And looking ahead to November’s general election, President Barack Obama enjoys a double-digit edge over his closest GOP competition in Michigan (a state Republicans are hoping to target), while he’s trailing the leading Republicans in Arizona (which the Obama camp wants to put into play).
Romney vs. Santorum ideological breakdown
In both states, support for Romney and Santorum breaks down along ideological lines, as well as whether voters have already cast their ballots.
In Michigan, Santorum leads Romney among self-identified Tea Party supporters, 48 to 29 percent, and those who describe themselves as “very conservative,” 59 to 20 percent.
Michigan voters: Santorum connects better than Romney
Yet among those who don’t support the Tea Party, Romney is ahead by more than 20 points, 45 to 24 percent.
And among those who have already voted absentee in Michigan – 16 percent of likely GOP voters – Romney leads Santorum, 49 to 26 percent.
NYT: After auto industry bailout, Detroit fallout trails Romney
The same ideological pattern is true in Arizona, although Romney performs much better with the most conservative voters there than in Michigan.
And among those who have voted early or absentee in Arizona – more than half of all likely Republicans voters in the poll – Romney holds a 30-point advantage over Santorum, 52 to 22 percent.
Obama leads in Michigan, trails in Arizona
Turning to the general-election race in November, Obama leads Romney in Michigan by nearly 20 points among registered voters, 51 to 33 percent, with 15 percent undecided.
Against Paul, the president’s lead is 22 points (53 to 31 percent); against Santorum, it’s 26 points (55 to 29 percent); and against Gingrich, it’s 28 points (56 to 28 percent).
What’s more, 51 percent of registered Michigan voters approve of Obama’s job; 63 percent of them believe the auto industry bailout was a good idea (including 61 percent of independents and 42 percent of likely GOP primary voters); and a majority think the president deserves credit for the auto industry’s recovery.
But Arizona is tougher territory for the president, whose approval rating among registered voters in the state is just 38 percent.
NYT: Obama offers to cut corporate tax rate to 28%
In hypothetical match-ups, Obama trails Romney by five points (40 to 45 percent); Santorum by three (42 to 45 percent); Paul by 2 points (41 to 43 percent); yet he leads Gingrich by five (45 to 40 percent).
The NBC/Marist survey of Michigan was conducted Feb. 19-20 of 3,149 registered voters (margin of error of plus-minus 1.8 percentage points) and 715 likely Republican primary voters (plus-minus 3.7 percentage points).
The NBC/Marist survey of Arizona also was conducted Feb. 19-20 of 2,487 registered voters (plus-minus 2.0 percentage points) and 767 likely GOP primary voters (plus-minus 3.5 percentage points).
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What great fun to watch. Keep Newt at home
It's impossible for Santorum to succeed in the general election. The Democrats are rooting for him, and the Republican hard core that is supporting him are simply stupid. They are virtually insuring President Obama's re-election.
Did anyone see the Dianne Sawyer early evening news on ABC, Tuesday night? I hope not.
It was the most despicable example of biased broadcasting (Certainly, it was not journalism or reporting) one may recall. The first story was about large campaign donators and it featured Santorum (R) and Gindrich (R). It closed, very vaguely with a quiet comment about Spellman and the whitehouse.
Then, there was a feature about a black women who had to go to 5 hospitals before someone would take her claim to be having a heart attack seriously. No doubt, that article was a lie from start to finish and failed to mention the numerous hospital visits where she claimed to have a heart problem that did not exist.
There was another equally biased article that I do not at the moment recall.
Honestly, it would be appropriate for the Republicans to be given response time on the network in reply to consistently biased so called reporting. The unfortunate thing is that so many less than bright viewers are taken in by ABC and will vote democrat, based on falsely derived assumptions. No doubt, the executives and people like Sawyer must get a great laugh at the ignorance of many viewers.
Yep -- you Republicans just hate it when the media reports things you WISH weren't true.
What does your post have to do with this story?
Yes I also resent the conservative bias in the media.
When's the Republican Convention?
Is Santa Claus going to give a speech?
Or Jesus H. Christ?
I think Jesus... Word is that Rick is going to write Jesus' speach for him
The Republican National Convention is going to be held in Tampa, Florida August 27-30, 2012
This is a tough choice for Michiganders. Do you vote for Romney who took out an op-ed piece saying that Detroit should be allowed to go bankrupt (not a gaffe, an op-ed piece) or do you vote for Santorum who wants to send your children (not his) into a Holy War with Iran? I suppose there is Ron Paul, but why vote for a candidate that can only muster 10 to 15% of the vote? Gingrich is no longer a real choice, so at least it is a party of three, but still. I can see why voter turnout will be so low in Michigan. I would be extremely depressed with my options, too.
for santorum to use religion to run his campaign is very disturbing to me as my beliefs are very personal to me and to preach his personal beliefs on religion, to me is insulting to my beliefs.
Don't forget, Republicans: Santorum and Huntsman (Ex Gov of Utah) are the winning ticket.
Note that ABC, NBC, CBS, NPR and MSNBC so called "reporters" can only say things like, "some think ..." or "there are some who say..." in reference to biased implied attitudes or opinions of these two candidates. There are no skeletons in the closet related to Santorum and Huntsman. The biased democrat controlled networks can only create and imply unsubstantiated comments about them.
Sadly, FOX is the only network with any credibility whatsoever.
"..FOX is the only network with any credibility whatsoever."
You're kidding!
10 out of 10 comedians agree with this statement!
Well......here's one of Mel Erny's Newsvine comments (re: Gen. Colin Powell on MTP Sep. 2010):
Does Mel Erny sound like a person who could EVER be happy with a black man in the White House? He's (self-professed) Tea Party.
Amazingly, many folks like Mel Erny don't think they have a racist bone in their bodies. It must be a disorder similar to Anorexia Nervosa in that the sufferer is unable to rationally self-perceive.
Mel Erny: You are VERY VERY thin. It is time to eat. BTW---please forgive us for noticing.
For those of you out there bitchin' about the debt and deficits
Willard Romney already said he will continue to run deficits.
More Republican hypocrisy
Mr. Rational One. If you're so rational... how come you don't realize that the debt mostly stems from Bush's Wars and the out of control War machine that the Repubs put in place.
Thank you for clarifying my erroneous thinking. I thought this country and its military HQ was attacked on 9-11. And I thought that wars -- as you call them -- were approved by a near unanimous vote of Congress. Holy Crap!!!!! Will the stupidity ever end?????
We were attacked by Iraq?
When did that happen?
President Bush's first mistake (of many) was continuously telling the American people that 9/11 changed everything. It really didn't, on a global scale. It was the first major terrorist attack on U.S. soil, but it really didn't alter anything. We were all in such shock, that we allowed Bush and his cronies to tear apart the country and the Constitution in the name of keeping us safe. It allowed him and Cheney to invade Iraq without any reason, and to spend trillions we didn't have.
It's no surprise that Republicans never talk about the lost Bush decade. They are clearly ashamed that they picked him for President twice. You notice nobody is seeking his endorsement or asking him to speak or fund raise. What a tragedy to have a President during 9/11 who handled it about as poorly as anyone possibly could have.
9/11 was a terrible tragedy, similar to attacks that have been occurring in other countries for years while Americans thought themselves safe. It didn't change anything. Reminds me of John McClane in Die Hard saying "Welcome to the party, pal!"
I can hardly wait for the debate tonight. Newt is fading fast. The "right to control your lifers" have latched onto Saint torum. The tea party and hard core religious right comprise somewhere between 18-25% of the voter. Saint torum is so socially conservative, that he will not bring in the regan democrats or independent voters in numbers large enough to defeat Obama.
And if Ron Paul decides to run a third party campaign, he will siphon off enough votes from the republicans, to propel Obama to a second term. That happened to the democrats in 2000. Nader cost Gore the election, at least in Florida.
I expect Santorum to attack President Obama, and Romney to attack Santorum. Ron Paul will be Ron Paul as always. I have no idea what Newt is going to attack. He probably still thinks he has a chance, at least until he sees the results of the southern states on super Tuesday. I guess he'll need to attack Romney and Santorum and ignore the President for now.
"Romney, Santorum deadlocked in Michigan"
How much more embarrassment can Michigan take?
All that means is they are getting 10 votes each... Michigan has been and will always be a blue state.
I think it means that Romney's home state (err...one of his seven home states) isn't impressed with him. And that no one quite knows who this Santorum guy is. Repub's voter's don't want Newt or Paul, so they're flipping a coin to see who they'll vote for Tuesday; Mittens or Self-Righteous Rick.
Also it means....that I'm absolutely sick and bored with all the robo-calls and dumb-ass 'the other guy is worse' tv ads.
Sorry to hear that. Remember - this is just the warm-ups. The real robo-calls and "other guy is worse" tv ads will get going once there is a Republican candidate. Should be about 3 - 4 months of nothing but political commercials.......
What's amazing is that everyone is sitting here comparing Bush to Obama and trying to say who is worse and where, and some actually believe that Romney is going to turn things around??? He can't indirectly crush the unions to pull us out of this one.
Yet, we all know something drastic needs to be done to fix our debt (it is pretty simple, spend less, less debt), and when someone with an ACTUAL REAL PLAN comes along (Ron Paul), everyone calls him a crazy. Has anybody heard any REAL plan??? Romney? NO. Obama? To continue with the same plan that didn't work before with hope that something miraculous happens, and Santorum? No economic plan.
I guess it is crazy to live within our means, but I still do it, no credit card debt, no car loans, no house loans, everything I have is paid for, although not glamorous (my car is 9 years old) and my wife and children are happy. Ron Paul is the only person running, that knows HOW to fix this mess we are in, and initially it will be rough, but the generations to come will benefit. We have a chance to fix it with Ron Paul.
Ron Paul would fix this mess and, in addition, he would restore our constitution, which was made to protect us FROM the government (the government protects us the same way and for the same reason Wal-Mart does, and look at that corporation on welfare). RON PAUL 2012.
For those of you who know Ron Paul and his plans and refuse to vote for him, enjoy your lavish lifestyles until your death and I hope you find comfort in knowing that your children and grandchildren will enjoy the outcomes of the decisions you have made, and the ones you will make (this is how I think of everything).
Apparently you haven't noticed, or are intend on ignoring, the fact that what Obama is doing is working. Ron Paul's plan would decimate the world economy.
New Gallop Poll : Which candidate has best chance against Obama in November?
Republicans are undecided on this issue, leaving 58% who say Romney has the best chance of beating Obama, while 32% choose Santorum.
But it gets clearer when ALL voters are polled (GOP, DEMs, Indies):
Romney 54% Santorum 29%
Vote for someone who can beat Obama.
"Vote for someone who can beat Obama."
Who would that be?
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/president_obama_vs_republican_candidates.html
Looks like Big Mouth Taliban Rick has talked himself out of the lead. The Baggers and other Morons in the GOP don't like Boring Mitt or the Whore Newt. Great Choice's!!!!!!!!!!!!
People need to remember that 9/11 happened when Bush was in office. Home Land Security cost a lot of $$$ and all the other effects it had on the economy. How many people were hoping on planes after the twin towers fell. Not to many. What is Obama's reason he has done so bad or worst then Bush. If Bush was in office right now all the Obama supporters would be wanting him out of office. Be for real Obama sucks, But the truth hurts.
We’re Republicans and this is how we plan to win the White House in 2012. First of all – we are going to do everything we can to drive out the blacks, the Hispanics, the gays, the lesbians, the atheist, the main-stream Christians, the Moslems, and the moderates. We them are going to make sure we do everything we can to get rid of all the auto workers because GM and Chrysler should have folded up their tents and gone bankrupt. Next – we’re going to make most of the female voters angry with us by suggesting that states have the right to ban all birth control, by holding a committee meeting discussing birth control and NOT allow any women to even take part, and – by suggesting that radical feminist are to blame for women working outside the home. Then – to keep the nation safe, we’re going to increase the troops on Afghanistan, send troops back into Iraq and start a two more wars – one with Iran and one with Syria. And just to top everything off – we’re going to not only stop all federal aid to education; we’re going to stop all state aid to education. After we have done all this, our nominee will be Rick Santorum – a former Senator who was kicked out of office by the voters in his state by more than a 2 to 1 margin.
amen brother....it all makes perfect sense to those old white, rich men who dont know the world the rest of us live in...they are just trying to bring back the days when things made sense to them and everyone knew their place...
Dear Charlie....loved your interpretation of the repub platform; it's accurate. But you left out my two favorites: Let's give money to millionaires, and let companies choose which gov't regulations they want.
ps: If repub's are so intent on undoing everything Obama has done....does that mean that they will search the ocean for Bin Laden and try to revive him? just curious.
No More Obama in 2012!!!! GO SANTORUM!!!!!!!!!!!!
any, Santorum is already gone.
any -
If you think that Santorum can beat President Obama, you truly are dreaming.
Go Rick! It will be fun watching how the Taliban runs a national campaign. Then, we get 4 more years of an adult in the White House.
They are diluting and deluding each other, which makes me ecsstatic.
It still doesn't matter who the Republicans nominate, none of those running are electable; Gingrich is just an angry has-been running for the power trip, Romney seems to be running so he can publicly disavow everything he successfully accomplished (politically) in the past, Santorum acts like he's running for the position of US Pope en-route to establishing a theocracy, and Ron Paul wants us to all get wasted while he unplugs the fed and collapses the world economy. AND, they can't draft anyone - the sane Republicans know they can't beat Obama.
who cares about a bunch of rich guys calling each other names, in the end they it will be Obama . no one will beat Obama . he is the ultimate rap master of the white house and will be reelected in2012.
BTW its re elected dj rap master dumb A$$
oh no ! itis reelected because Obama will be reeling in the votes in and get elected .
@ Rick 881466. Ron Paul wants all of us to get wasted? Are you fn stupid. I can see that it was no problem to come up with rants about all the other incumbents. But when it comes to Ron Paul all of you wing nuts just make stuff up. Admit it. You are scared your Golem will have to run again and you dont like it. Really? Ron Paul want us to get wasted? Duhh just make some more @!$%# up to make yourself fell better. I bet you are sitting @ home in your pjs doing jack $ht.
Actually, In the middle too, I do work from home, was out and back prior to 8am, and have made over $1,000 in the past hour. Ron Paul wants to legalize pot, cocaine, etc., so most of his supporters would be legally wasted. My chiropractor has advised me on the safest way to fall should I slip on ice, so if I do fall, people will be able to say "he fell better". (Without making anything up).
What do you want a cookie since you made some $? Show me the data that Paul wants to legalize cocaine & I will shut up.
Now to see if Santorum starts a brown smear campaign. Ironically, he's doing quite well at coming from behind.
lamo...come on, that statement stinks
why do people fall for the propaganda of the 2 political parties...they both exaggerate and lie to put us at each others throats so it isnt their throat we rip...they both do the same things..it simply "Gang" warfare and tribal fights while they bleed this country dry of its money....pick one side or the other...one will spend all our money on war...the other will spend our money on the people....if we are gonna waste it, why not on the kids?
its not "our" money after we pay the taxes...its their money
The one thing I can say about Republicans is they are sure good for laugh. And, the fact that a loser like Santorum with his far out ideas is even close to Romney in the race is laughable.