Posted on 10/05/2011 4:26:40 PM PDT by justsaynomore
GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, once the longest of long shots, is surging in polls across the country and now leads the field among N.C. Republicans.
Cain's gains have come at the expense of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has fallen as much as the Atlanta businessman has climbed.
Combined with the unsuccessful courtship of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the polls suggest a GOP electorate still looking for a 2012 flag-bearer.
"Part of what these numbers demonstrate is the volatility within the Republican electorate," said Adolphus Belk, a political scientist at Rock Hill's Winthrop University. "Republicans ... haven't fallen in love with anyone yet."
As if to underscore that, Christie on Tuesday formally spurned the advances of establishment Republicans looking for another candidate.
"Now is not my time," he told reporters in Trenton. "For me the answer was never anything but no. My job here in New Jersey was always my passion."
Christie's decision appears to freeze the Republican field, at least for now, in an election season suddenly becoming squeezed.
Monday's decision by S.C. Republicans to move up their primary five weeks to Jan. 21 will push contests in Iowa and New Hampshire even earlier, to just after the holidays. All that gives any new candidate less time to raise the money and build the organization needed for success in the early states.
That leaves many Republican voters still searching.
A survey released Tuesday by Raleigh's Public Policy Polling shows Cain leading his rivals in North Carolina, Nebraska and West Virginia.
In North Carolina, the Atlanta businessman has the support of 27 percent of Republican voters. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich were next at 17 percent.
Perry, who led last month with 35 percent, had the support of 15 percent of GOP voters.
The margin of error is 4.9 percentage points for the North Carolina and Nebraska results, and 5.7 percentage points for the West Virginia survey.
The N.C. poll wasn't the only good news for Cain. A national poll by the Washington Post and ABC News this week showed that Romney leads announced GOP candidates with 25 percent, with Perry and Cain tied for second with 16 percent. That represents a 12-point rise for Cain and a 13-point drop for Perry since last month.
And another poll shows Cain narrowly trailing Romney among Florida Republicans, with Perry in fourth place behind Gingrich.
The polls were done after Cain's surprise victory Sept. 24 in Florida Republicans' presidential straw poll. And they followed debate performances and controversies that soured many conservative Republicans on Perry.
"It's not so much what Cain did but what Perry did," said Tom Jensen, director of the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling. "Conservative voters are really souring on Perry and looking for somebody else to support."
Many Republicans, for example, dislike the fact that Perry signed a bill giving many illegal immigrants in-state tuition at Texas colleges.
"Not only has he endorsed that, but he's been bragging about it," said Bucky Sutton, a retired Rock Hill voter who has been to see Perry and Cain.
Cain, the former chairman and CEO of Godfather's Pizza, appears to be picking up much of that support.
He's popular with tea partyers and social conservatives. He prides himself on not being a politician or being politically correct. He's pushing a "9-9-9" plan to enact a 9 percent flat tax on business, a 9 percent tax on personal income and a 9 percent national sales tax.
"First, he's talking about a flat tax," said Belk, of Winthrop. "Then I think that his background as a minister helps him with social conservatives within the party. He speaks their language. And he makes a point of telling them he shares their socially conservative values."
In an opinion piece Tuesday on Fox News, Cain acknowledged his rising visibility.
"Even though the Cain Train is picking up steam ... many in the mainstream media still haven't given me a shot," he wrote. "Fortunately, more have started to take note."
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/05/2439419/herman-cain-leads-gop-field-in.html#ixzz1Zx5mC0jX
I am not in favor of adding a sales tax without removing the income tax. Future politicians long after it is instituted will have yet another lever to inch up every few years. You need to get rid of the income tax entirely and replace it with a sales tax, or just institute a flat income tax.
I’m guessing Christie will endorse Romney, but I’m hoping Sarah endorses Cain.
Why do you believe that Cain’s faith isn’t sincere?
“foreign policy platform?” Cain is one of those LEADERS who KNOWS how to hire the RIGHT people to run his administration, including foreign policy experts....he just hired J D Gordon who was Rumsfeld’s communications guy.....he’ll be getting good advice!
You sound like a teenage girl with a crush...
I’m just sick of politicians in general. Cain is a smart, plain spoken conservative. DC is a cesspool, and both parties have contributed to the effluvium. An outsider is exactly what we need. Plus, Obama will have a much harder time playing his stinking race card against a true, fearless black man. If Cain gets the nomination and picks a very strong VP, he will be a juggernaut.
Go Herman Go!! I hope he runs over RINO’s!!
That is the definition of Obama!
Cain is the clown in the field, second only to Paul.
. I can’t help wondering about the kind of person who would jump on board and seriously consider Cain as POTUS.
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I’m a small business owner and I don’t see anything shallow about Cain at all.
He is the only candidate who has developed comprehensive plans for the economy.
He is not a professional politicians.
Have you visited Mr. Cain’s website?
BTW - I’ve made a donation to Herman Cain’s Campaign...I believe in him that much!
Yep, I told my hubby earlier that Cain’s numbers will skyrocket! He was my second choice but I happily support his candidacy now. Not too many of her supporters are going to go for Romney!
He said he was sorry for hurting your boy’s feelings.
Same here....Cain is it now.
Have you read Herman Cain’s 999 plan on his site?
IT DOES ELIMINATE THE INCOME TAX!
Review the whole plan. It made sense to me. My CPA might be too happy.
Why did Cain bring up the issue of a word painted on a rock that had already been painted out? It was a low blow and indicated a mean streak in the man.
What did it have to do with being POTUS?
I’m sorry but I am looking for a candidate who is not mired in pettiness and who has the big picture. Cain has absolutely no experience in governance, no credentials for becoming President and does not concern himself with the weighty issues that confront a President.
Foreign policy is of little concern on today’s FR. It used to be the biggest concern.
Then vote for Romney.
Stop the insults, please. It’s not becoming. If you are supporting another candidate present their strengths!
Romney and Perry “vanilla” politicians, in essence that he is race-baiting?
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They are very “vanilla” in their establishment-ness.
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