Poll Watch: UT-Austin/Texas Tribune 2012 Presidential Survey

UT-Austin/Texas Tribune 2012 Presidential Survey

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

• Herman Cain 27%
• Rick Perry 26% (4%)
• Ron Paul 12% (10%)
• Mitt Romney 9% (7%)
• Newt Gingrich 8% (11%)
• Michele Bachmann 2% (7%)
• Jon Huntsman 1% (1%)
• Gary Johnson 1%
• Rick Santorum 1% (3%)
• Someone else 1% (10%)
• Don’t know 11% (14%)

GENERAL ELECTION

• Rick Perry 45%
• Barack Obama 37%
• Someone else 10%
• Don't know 8%

• Herman Cain 40%
• Barack Obama 35%
• Someone else 13%
• Don't know 12%

• Ron Paul 38%
• Barack Obama 33%
• Someone else 17%
• Don't know 13%

• Mitt Romney 36%
• Barack Obama 34%
• Someone else 19%
• Don't know 11%

How would you rate the job Barack Obama has done as president?

• Approve strongly 15% (20%)
• Approve somewhat 18% (15%)
• Disapprove somewhat 8% (9%)
• Disapprove strongly 49% (46%)

How would you rate the job Barack Obama has done handling the economy?

• Approve strongly 11%
• Approve somewhat 17%
• Disapprove somewhat 8%
• Disapprove strongly 53%

How would you rate the job Rick Perry has done as governor?

• Approve strongly 14% (12%)
• Approve somewhat 25% (29%)
• Disapprove somewhat 13% (14%)
• Disapprove strongly 31% (28%)

How would you rate the job Rick Perry has done handling the Texas economy?

• Approve strongly 19%
• Approve somewhat 23%
• Disapprove somewhat 12%
• Disapprove strongly 29%

Regardless of how you view Rick Perry, do you think his candidacy has helped, hurt, or had no effect on Texas's image among voters outside of the state.

• Helped Texas’s image 19%
• Hurt Texas’s image 37%
• Had no effect on Texas’s image 34%

Some say that Rick Perry’s leadership in promoting policies such as low taxes, lenient regulation, and small government, is the main reason the Texas economy has fared better than the national economy. Others say that long-existing economic policies such as a constitutional requirement for a balanced budget, no income tax, and a lenient regulatory environment, in addition to Texas’ natural resources, have been the main reasons the Texas economy has fared better than the national economy. Which would you say is closer to your own view:

• Rick Perry’s leadership has helped Texas fare better than the rest of the country 21%
• Long-standing policies have helped Texas fare better than the rest of the country 65%

Survey of 800 registered voters, including a subsample of 395 registered Republicans, was conducted October 19-26, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 3.46 percentage points among all registered voters; +/- 4.93 percentage points among registered Republicans.  Party ID breakdown: 34% Republican; 29% Democrat; 27% Independent; 6% Other.  Results from the poll conducted May 11-18, 2011 are in parentheses.