Poll Watch: NBC News-Marist Iowa 2012 Republican Caucus Survey

NBC News-Marist Iowa 2012 GOP Caucus Poll

• Mitt Romney 23% [18%] (26%)
• Ron Paul 21% [17%] (12%)
• Rick Santorum 15% [5%] (3%)
• Rick Perry 14% [9%] (11%)
• Newt Gingrich 13% [26%] (5%)  
• Michele Bachmann 6% [5%] (11%)
• Jon Huntsman 2% [2%] (1%)
• Undecided 7% [9%] (10%)

Second Choice

• Mitt Romney 21% [17%]
• Rick Perry 20% [11%]
• Rick Santorum 15% [8%]
• Newt Gingrich 13% [19%]
• Michele Bachmann 11% [12%] 
• Ron Paul 9% [10%]
• Jon Huntsman 3% [3%]
• Undecided 8% [9%]

Please tell me if you would find each of the following candidates acceptable, acceptable but with reservations, or not acceptable as the Republican nominee for president:

Mitt Romney

• Acceptable 50%
• Acceptable but with reservations 27%
• Not acceptable 21%

Rick Santorum

• Acceptable 49%
• Acceptable but with reservations 22%
• Not acceptable 22%

Rick Perry

• Acceptable 44%
• Acceptable but with reservations 29%
• Not acceptable 24%

Michele Bachmann

• Acceptable 37%
• Acceptable but with reservations 25%
• Not acceptable 34%

Newt Gingrich

• Acceptable 35%
• Acceptable but with reservations 28%
• Not acceptable 35%

Ron Paul

• Acceptable 35%
• Acceptable but with reservations 21%
• Not acceptable 41%

Which one of the following candidates do you think can best debate President Obama?

• Newt Gingrich 37%
• Mitt Romney 26%
• Ron Paul 13%
• Rick Perry 7%
• Michele Bachmann 4%
• Rick Santorum 3%
• Jon Huntsman 1%
• None 2%
• Undecided 7%

Which one of the following candidates do you consider to be the true conservative?

• Rick Santorum 23%
• Ron Paul 21%
• Michele Bachmann 16%
• Rick Perry 11%
• Mitt Romney 7%
• Newt Gingrich 6%
• Jon Huntsman 2%
• None 4%
• Undecided 9%

Which is more important to you:

• The Republican nominee for president is a true conservative 54%
• The Republican nominee for president can best debate President Obama 39%

Do you want Jeb Bush to run for president in 2012, or not?

• Yes 17%
• No 70%

Do you want Sarah Palin to run for president in 2012, or not?

• Yes 14%
• No 81%

Would you describe yourself as a fundamentalist or an evangelical Christian, or would you not describe yourself that way?

• Yes 46%
• No 54%

Survey of 433 likely GOP caucus-goers was conducted December 27-28, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 4.7 percentage points. Results from the poll conducted November 27-29, 2011 are in square brackets.  Results from the poll conducted October 3-5, 2011 are in parentheses.