Poll: Self-Identifying Republicans Remain Mostly Unimpressed With 2012 Candidates

by Alex Alvarez | 9:21 am, June 2nd, 2011

» 19 comments

Last month, we told you about a CNN poll that revealed Rudy Giuliani – a man who hasn’t officially thrown his hat in the race – currently leads among Republican and right-leaning Independent voters, with Mitt Romney (who seems to be losing traction with at least one faction of the Tea Party movement) and Sarah Palin (also still an unofficial and, depending on whom you ask, doubtful candidate) coming in at second and third, respectively.

Now, a poll from The Washington Post and the Pew Research Center indicates that “nearly four in ten” Republicans describe themselves as being “unimpressed” with the current 2012 GOP candidate field. And don’t expect Democrats or Independents to be too keen on them either:

Asked to choose a single word to describe the Republican slate of candidates, fully 37 percent of self identified Republicans and Republican leaners chose a word with a negative connotation — with “not impressed/unimpressed” the most commonly mentioned phrase.

Among all respondents, 44 percent offered a negative one-word assessment of the Republican field including, not surprisingly, 52 percent of Democrats. More potentially problematic for Republicans hoping to unseat President Obama next November was the fact that 48 percent of Independents described the GOP candidates negatively while just 10 percent offered a positive one-word description.

With the field pretty much wide open and Romney’s clout with the Tea Party movement being tested, it’s still anyone’s game – meaning that a few big names that have yet to make a formal decision about running (like Palin and New Jersey’s Chis Christie) might be seriously contemplating joining in.

h/t Washington Post

2012, GOP, Pew Research Center, Republican, Washington Post

Son of Sevenless

Maybe BO can change his Party affliction from D to R, because his actions are close to the GOP’s manifesto.
Gasket

Not exactly surprising, and why the GOP candidate will LOSE next year to the muslin, communist, American-hating socialist called barack HUSSEIN obama.
Gasket

All you need to look at.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/president_obama_vs_republican_candidates.html
Thelonious Funk

Is there a GOP candidate out there that the Democrats also wouldn’t mind see running?
Barack Must Go

Doesn’t really mean a thing in the grand scheme of things. It’s going to be all about Obama, Obama and Obama in the end………….reality sucks doesn’t it libs.
heycoachb

The ‘Grand’ Old Party?

What to make of a party fixated on flag pins, birth certificates, man on dog sex , creationism and coupons for Granny’s health care. You can call it a lot of things but ‘Grand’ aint one of them.

There remain some ‘country club’ Republicans but the Tea Bag Frankenstein created by cynical corporate types is now turning on its master.

Professor Beery slams the Party of PALIN and BACHMANN in his outstanding blog …

http://waronignorance.net/index.html

Ouch!
http://www.perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/ skoorbekim

In terms of the economy, blood is in the water…
GOP field should come to life w/ each disappointing indicator…
double-dip ends it for Team Obama…
WCinWI

A shoe will beat Obama. It’s rumored that unemployment will be ticking up, not down:

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/06/02/weekly-jobless-claims-mainly-flat-ahead-of-tomorrows-unemployment-report/

And gas is expected to move to $5.
kvon

Barack Must Go said:
Doesn’t really mean a thing in the grand scheme of things. It’s going to be all about Obama, Obama and Obama in the end………….reality sucks doesn’t it libs.

WCinWI said:
A shoe will beat Obama. It’s rumored that unemployment will be ticking up, not down:

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/06/02/weekly-jobless-claims-mainly-flat-ahead-of-tomorrows-unemployment-report/

And gas is expected to move to $5.

Behold, the logic of a Republican: “I change the subject, therefore I avoid reality.”
Steve_27

heycoachb said:
The ‘Grand’ Old Party? What to make of a party fixated on flag pins, birth certificates, man on dog sex , creationism and coupons for Granny’s health care. You can call it a lot of things but ‘Grand’ aint one of them. There remain some ‘country club’ Republicans but the Tea Bag Frankenstein created by cynical corporate types is now turning on its master. Professor Beery slams the Party of PALIN and BACHMANN in his outstanding blog … http://waronignorance.net/index.html Ouch!

You would want your leader banging a dog? But seriously, nice try with flag pins and birth certificates. Any hesitation on anyones part would be due to the media nonsense these people will have to put up with. Do you realize that running for office of any type has only recently started being compared to “serving your country?” As in being on a battle field and in uniform.

It’s early and there is no realistic need to announce now. Talk to us later on when it comes down to the actuall issues, all of which Obama has not a prayer on. Your only sincere best bet is that the country has gotten to a point where there actually are more people looking for handouts then there are looking to work.

If that is what has happened then your side may win. If thats what your proud of and longing for then that pretty much says it all.
Steve_27

kvon said:
Behold, the logic of a Republican: “I change the subject, therefore I avoid reality.”

Are you delirious kvon? This is what your side lives by.
kvon

Steve_27 said:
Are you delirious kvon? This is what your side lives by.

That’s why on a post about the lack of adequate GOP candidates these yahoos are changing the subject so desperately? Good point.
J Baustian

Steve_27 said:
But seriously, nice try with flag pins and birth certificates. Any hesitation on anyones part would be due to the media nonsense these people will have to put up with. Do you realize that running for office of any type has only recently started being compared to “serving your country?” As in being on a battle field and in uniform.

It’s early and there is no realistic need to announce now. Talk to us later on when it comes down to the actuall issues, all of which Obama has not a prayer on.

The future is easy to predict: the media will try to make the election about abortion, or the religious beliefs of Mormons as compared to mainstream Protestants, or Bernie Madoff and Ken Lay — but absolutely not about the size, scope, power and cost of government. The basic assumption underlying every question posed by the MSM will be that every government program is vitally important and it would be a mistake to cut anything, except defense. Of course, that means the budget can’t be cancelled without huge tax increases — so every interview of a GOP candidate will include questions like “Don’t you agree that huge tax increases are required?”
The Voice of Reason

What? Are they looking for more extreme, or bigger establishment whores? Maybe its the lack of catch phrases and the actual experience in governance taking its place. Needs more celebrity.
Gasket

Gasket said:
All you need to look at.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/president_obama_vs_republican_candidates.html

Thumbs down for linking to a poll. You conservatives are surely in depression.

WCinWI said:
A shoe will beat Obama. It’s rumored that unemployment will be ticking up, not down:

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/06/02/weekly-jobless-claims-mainly-flat-ahead-of-tomorrows-unemployment-report/

And gas is expected to move to $5.

That’s what you people said 1 YEAR ago. Then, stock market (DOW) went UP. Unemployment went DOWN. Job growth has continued for 14 straight months. Obama approval UP. If you guys are this good at political predictions, I will embrace your prediction above with gusto!

A few other older “predictions” from HotAir.
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/08/23/cavutos-prediction-obama-wont-run-for-a-second-term/
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/09/27/poll-shows-obama-re-elect-number-at-38/
eingriff

Nobody can defeat Obama without a thorough expose’ of his past.
X-3

Thelonious Funk said:
5

Whomever is easiest for -0bama to beat. You can always tell who the Democrats fear most, it’s the one they most vehemently defame.

Son of Sevenless said:
Maybe BO can change his Party affliction from D to R, because his actions are close to the GOP’s manifesto.

Winner of the plexiglas bellybutton award.

eingriff said:
Nobody can defeat Obama without a thorough expose’ of his past.

Must respectfully disagree. If what we’ve saw prior to the election was NOT a detailed expose’ of his past, I don’t know what more could be “exposed.” The liberal loons and the entitlement parasites–and not a few fairly rational liberals–joyfully allowed themselves to be swept away by the “hopey-changey” crap and voted for the community organizer with gay abandon.

Unfortunately, the poll shows the Republicans simply how difficult it will be to beat -0bama. It is expressly because the Republicans haven’t enough candidates who are really different than the current occupant of the White House. The media is joyfully burying those candidates who are different–who DO offer the choice of a return to fiscal conservatism, and a strict adherence to the Constitution. Until the RINO element of the Republican Party is squelched once and for all and unless the TRUE alternative to -0bama is nominated to run in 2012, you can bet on a lot of would-be conservative voters staying home.
Barack Must Go

kvon said:
Behold, the logic of a Republican: “I change the subject, therefore I avoid reality.”

I cannot believe an obviously intellegent lib such as yourself would even have the nerve to type those words.
http://www.libertarianism.com/ Jack Burns

Tim Graham | June 03, 2011

Twice in the last two weeks has Time magazine devoted a page to Mark Halperin’s oddsmaking on who will be the Republican nominee — the May 23 issue (page 35) and the June 6 issue (page 16). Twice, there’s been no mention of Herman Cain. The GOP cast of contenders is lily-white. They can’t say they’re unaware that Cain is running, since Cain participated in the first presidential debate on May 5 to high praise and formally announced on May 21. Are Time and Halperin racists?