Poll Watch: NBC News/Wall Street Journal 2012 Presidential Survey

NBC News/Wall Street Journal 2012 Presidential Survey

2012 Republican Nomination

• Mitt Romney 21% {21%} (19%)
• Donald Trump 17%
• Mike Huckabee 17% {25%} (18%)
• Newt Gingrich 11% {13%} (10%)
• Sarah Palin 10% {12%} (14%)
• Tim Pawlenty 6% {3%} (5%)
• Michele Bachmann 5%
• Rick Santorum 3% {2%} (3%)
• Haley Barbour 1% {0%} (2%)
• Other (VOL) 1% {2%} (2%)
• None (VOL) 4% {4%} (6%)
• Not sure 4% {8%} (8%)

Let me read you a slightly shorter list of people who might seek the 2012 Republican nomination for president.  If you were voting today in the Republican primary for president, which one of the following candidates would you favor?

• Mitt Romney 40%
• Newt Gingrich 20%
• Tim Pawlenty 12%
• Michele Bachmann 11%
• Haley Barbour 3%
• Other (VOL) 1%
• None (VOL) 6%
• Not sure 7%

If you had to choose, which of these issues would be more important to you personally as you think about how you might vote in the 2012 Republican primary for president?  Is it the candidate's position on issues like the right to life and protecting children from immoral influences in our culture; or issues like limiting the role of the federal government and reducing the national debt?

• Issues like limiting the role of the federal government and reducing the national debt 70%
• Issues like the right to life and protecting children from immoral influences in our culture 22%
• Equally important (VOL.) 6%

Do you consider yourself a supporter of the Tea Party movement?

• Yes 25% {29%} (27%) [29%]
• No 67% {61%} (62%) [61%]

(Among Republicans Who Support the Tea Party) Which better describes you, a supporter of the Tea Party movement, or a Republican?

• Supporter of the Tea Party movement 52% {46%} (46%) [49%]
• Republican 43% {47%} (48%) [49%]

I'm going to read you the names of several public figures, and I'd like you to rate your feelings toward each one as very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, or very negative.

Hillary Clinton

• Very positive 29% [26%]
• Somewhat positive 27% [28%]
• Neutral 21% [18%]
• Somewhat negative 11% [11%]
• Very negative 11% [16%]

Barack Obama

• Very positive 28% {28%} (29%) [25%]
• Somewhat positive 22% {21%} (23%) [23%]
• Neutral 14% {15%} (15%) [14%]
• Somewhat negative 13% {15%} (14%) [14%]
• Very negative 23% {20%} (18%) [24%]

Michele Bachmann

• Very positive 5%
• Somewhat positive 9%
• Neutral 18%
• Somewhat negative 3%
• Very negative 14%

Newt Gingrich

• Very positive 6% {9%}
• Somewhat positive 18% {15%}
• Neutral 24% {27%}
• Somewhat negative 15% {16%}
• Very negative 22% {19%}

Sarah Palin

• Very positive 9% [13%] {14%}
• Somewhat positive 16% [15%] {16%}
• Neutral 18% [20%] {19%}
• Somewhat negative 12% [16%] {15%}
• Very negative 41% [34%] {33%}

If President Obama runs for re-election in the year 2012, do you think you will probably vote for President Obama or probably vote for the Republican candidate?

• President Obama 43% {45%}
• Republican candidate 38% {40%}

Would you describe Barack Obama as liberal, moderate or conservative?

• Very liberal 30% (27%)
• Somewhat liberal 20% (18%)
• Moderate 38% (40%)
• Somewhat conservative 6% (8%)
• Very conservative 3% (3%)

Survey of 1,000 adults (84% of whom are registered to vote), including a subsample of 238 Republican primary voters, was conducted March 31 - April 4, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percentage points among adults. Political ideology: Very liberal 6% {8%} (7%); Somewhat liberal 15% {16%} (15%); Moderate 40% {38%} (41%); Somewhat conservative 23% {21%} (20%); Very conservative 14% {15%} (14%).  Results from the poll conducted February 24-28, 2011 are in curly brackets.  Results from the poll conducted January 13-17, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted December 9-13, 2010 are in square brackets.  Results from the poll conducted September, 2010 are in curly brackets.

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