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

NBC/WSJ 2012 Presidential Poll

REPUBLICAN NOMINATION

• Mitt Romney 38% (28%) [23%] {28%} (23%) [23%] {30%} (30%) [21%] {21%} (19%)
• Rick Santorum 32% (18%) [3%] {2%} (1%) [3%] {3%} (4%) [3%] {2%} (3%) 
• Newt Gingrich 13% (37%) [40%] {13%} (8%) [5%] {8%} (6%) [11%] {13%} (10%)   
• Ron Paul 13% (12%) [9%] {10%} (11%) [9%] {9%} (7%)

Now, if you were voting today in the 2012 Republican primary for president, and the candidates were Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, which one would you favor?

• Mitt Romney 50%
  
• Rick Santorum 45%
  

Now, if you were voting today in the 2012 Republican primary for president, and the candidates were Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, which one would you favor?

• Mitt Romney 63% (39%) [36%]
• Newt Gingrich 33% (52%) [59%]
  

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.

Mitt Romney

• Very positive 23% (12%) [9%] {10%} (16%)
• Somewhat positive 35% (43%) [34%] {36%} (35%)
• Neutral 23% (25%) [30%] {33%} (27%)
• Somewhat negative 10% (14%) [16%] {11%} (11%)
• Very negative 8% (6%) [5%] {6%} (5%)

Rick Santorum

• Very positive 26% (15%)
• Somewhat positive 30% (37%)
• Neutral 20% (25%)
• Somewhat negative 11% (8%)
• Very negative 9% (8%)

Newt Gingrich

• Very positive 12% (24%) [17%] (17%)
• Somewhat positive 31% (32%) [35%] (32%)
• Neutral 23% (18%) [23%] (23%)
• Somewhat negative 18% (15%) [12%] (15%)
• Very negative 14% (9%) [9%] (8%)

Ron Paul

• Very positive 11% (9%) [8%] {9%}
• Somewhat positive 28% (21%) [20%] {17%}
• Neutral 32% (30%) [35%] {35%}
• Somewhat negative 18% (21%) [19%] {18%}
  
• Very negative 9% (15%) [8%] {11%}

 If _________________ were selected as the Republican nominee, would you vote for this person with enthusiasm, with some reservations, only based on who the opponent was, or not vote for that person?

Mitt Romney

• Vote with enthusiasm 45% (39%)
• Vote with some reservations 31% (40%)
• Vote only based on opponent 13% (11%)
• Would not vote for that person 10% (8%)

Rick Santorum

• Vote with enthusiasm 42%
• Vote with some reservations 31%
• Vote only based on opponent 8%
• Would not vote for that person 18%

Newt Gingrich

• Vote with enthusiasm 32%
• Vote with some reservations 29%
• Vote only based on opponent 15%
• Would not vote for that person 23%

Ron Paul

• Vote with enthusiasm 27% (19%)
• Vote with some reservations 35% (37%)
• Vote only based on opponent 19% (18%)
• Would not vote for that person 18% (21%)

GENERAL ELECTION

Among Registered Voters

• Barack Obama 50% (49%) [47%] {49%} (46%) [46%] {48%} [49%] {49%} [47%]
• Mitt Romney 44% (43%) [45%] {43%} (44%) [45%] {41%} [43%] {40%} [40%]

• Barack Obama 50% [50%]
• Ron Paul 42% [37%]

• Barack Obama 53% (53%)
• Rick Santorum 39% (38%)

• Barack Obama 54% (55%) [51%] (55%)
• Newt Gingrich 37% (37%) [40%] (37%)

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.

Barack Obama

• Very positive 28% (28%) [22%] {26%} (23%) [24%] [27%] [28%] {28%} (29%) [25%]
• Somewhat positive 21% (22%) [23%] {19%} (23%) [20%] [22%] [22%] {21%} (23%) [23%]
• Neutral 14% (10%) [13%] {15%} (14%) [12%] [14%] [14%] {15%} (15%) [14%]
• Somewhat negative 12% (14%) [15%] {13%} (12%) [14%] [13%] [13%] {15%} (14%) [14%]
• Very negative 25% (25%) [27%] {27%} (28%) [30%] [24%] [23%] {20%} (18%) [24%]

Ron Paul

• Very positive 9% (8%) [5%] {5%} (5%)
• Somewhat positive 17% (18%) [14%] {14%} (13%)
• Neutral 30% (28%) [32%] {31%} (29%)
• Somewhat negative 19% (19%) [14%] {16%} (16%)
• Very negative 12% (13%) [10%] {12%} (13%)

Mitt Romney

• Very positive 6% (6%) [4%] {5%} (6%) [5%] [7%] {6%} [10%]
• Somewhat positive 22% (25%) [20%] {21%} (21%) [19%] [20%] {19%} [18%]
• Neutral 28% (26%) [30%] {32%} (30%) [32%] [30%] {30%} [30%]
• Somewhat negative 20% (21%) [21%] {17%} (17%) [18%] [16%] {13%} [10%]
• Very negative 19% (15%) [11%] {13%} (12%) [11%] [10%] {12%} [10%]

Rick Santorum

• Very positive 8% (8%)
• Somewhat positive 16% (18%)
• Neutral 21% (25%)
• Somewhat negative 16% (12%)
• Very negative 23% (15%)

Newt Gingrich

• Very positive 3% (9%) [6%] [3%] [6%] {9%}
• Somewhat positive 16% (17%) [18%] [13%] [18%] {15%}
• Neutral 21% (19%) [23%] [23%] [24%] {27%}
• Somewhat negative 20% (18%) [17%] [21%] [15%] {16%}
• Very negative 33% (30%) [23%] [27%] [22%] {19%}

Survey of 800 adults, including subsamples of 664 registered voters, and 400 registered Republican primary voters, was conducted February 29 - March 3, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 3.5 percentage points among adults; +/- 4.9 percentage points among registered GOP primary voters.  Results from the poll conducted January 22-24, 2012 are in parentheses.  Results from the poll conducted December 7-11, 2011 are in square brackets.  Results from the poll conducted November 2-5, 2011 are in curly brackets.  Results from the poll conducted October 6-10, 2011 are in parentheses.  Results from the poll conducted August 27-31, 2011 are in square brackets.  Results from the poll conducted July 14-17, 2011 are in curly brackets.  Results from the poll conducted June 9-13, 2011 are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted March 31 - April 4, 2011 are in square brackets.  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.