Poll Watch: Marquette University Law School Wisconsin 2012 Presidential Survey

Marquette University Law School Wisconsin 2012 Presidential Poll

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

• Mitt Romney 39% [18%]
• Rick Santorum 31% [34%]
• Ron Paul 11% [17%]
• Newt Gingrich 5% [12%]
• Don't know 12% [17%]
  

Which candidate best understands the problems of average Americans?

• Rick Santorum 25%
• Mitt Romney 24%
• Ron Paul 20%
• Newt Gingrich 9%
• Don't know 19%

What is the most important quality for a Republican nominee: he can defeat Barack Obama, is a true conservative, has a strong moral character, or has the right experience to be president?

• Has strong moral character 32%
• Has right experience to be president 30%
• Can defeat Obama 19%
• Is a true conservative 14%
• Don't know 3%

GENERAL ELECTION

• Barack Obama 48% [53%] (48%)
• Mitt Romney 43% [38%] (40%)

• Barack Obama 50% [52%]
• Ron Paul 40% [36%]

• Barack Obama 51% [51%]
• Rick Santorum 39% [40%]
  

• Barack Obama 53% [56%]
• Newt Gingrich 36% [33%]

Favorable / Unfavorable {Net}

• Barack Obama 52% [52%] (50%) / 43% [43%] (44%) {+9%}
• Ron Paul 31% [27%] / 35% [37%] {-4%}
• Rick Santorum 31% [30%] / 39% [27%] {-8%}
• Mitt Romney 32% [27%] (30%) / 47% [50%] (42%) {-15%}
• Newt Gingrich 22% [21%] (25%) / 60% [61%] (53%) {-38%}

Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as President?

• Approve 48%
• Disapprove 47%

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the economy?

• Approve 47%
• Disapprove 48%

Survey of 707 registered voters, including a subsample of 349 Republican primary voters, was conducted March 22-25, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 3.8 percentage points among all registered voters.  Results from the poll conducted February 16-19, 2012 are in square brackets.  Results from the poll conducted January 19-22, 2012 are in parentheses.