Obama Solidifies Democrats for 2012, Palin Lacks Support

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Dec 28, 2010   |   12:47PM   |   Washington, DC

A new CNN poll released today shows pro-abortion President Barack Obama is solidifying his support as he heads into the year leading up to he expected re-election bid.

On the other hand, the survey finds former vice-presidential candidate and Alaska governor Sarah Palin not coalescing Republican voters behind her potential bid for the GOP nomination to take on Obama.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll (pdf) found 78 percent of Democrats say they want to see Obama become the Democratic Party’s standard-bearer again in 2012 compared with 19 percent saying they would prefer someone else. The 19 percent number is the lowest since March, when CNN began asking the question of voters nationwide. 

The numbers show Obama is shoring up his base and will be a very strong opponent as pro-life advocates try to defeat him and pave the way for Supreme Court nominees who could help stop the 53 million abortions the nation has seen since Roe v. Wade in 1973.

“Among liberal Democrats, 85 percent say they want to see the party re-nominate Obama in 2012,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “Among moderate Democrats, his support is almost that high.”

But, on the Republican side, just 49 percent of Republicans say they are likely to support Palin if she were to mount a presidential bid, which is down from the two-thirds of Republicans who said they would in the last CNN poll.

“That’s a huge 18-point drop since December of 2008, when two-thirds of GOPers said they were likely to support Palin. It also puts her well behind potential rivals Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, and a bit behind Newt Gingrich as well,” Holland said.

Looking at those other potential candidates for the GOP nod, the CNN poll finds two-thirds of Republican voters would back Huckabee, the pro-life former Arkansas governor; 59 would support Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who campaigned as a pro-life advocate in 2008; and 54 percent would back Gingrich, the pro-life former House Speaker.

Meanwhile, the Public Policy Polling institute released a new poll today as well with more bad news for Palin.

“We’ve polled Palin’s favorability in ten states over the last couple months. In Alaska just 33% of voters have a favorable opinion of her to 58% with a negative one,” polling direct Tom Jensen explains. “The only place where fewer voters see her positively than her own home state is dark blue Massachusetts.”

The firm also believes its numbers show Palin would be hard-pressed to defeat Obama in the general election if she became the nominee.

Jensen said “a majority of voters in every single state we have polled so far on the 2012 race has an unfavorable opinion of her. And her average favorability in the Bush/Obama states of Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and Virginia that are most likely essential to Republican chances of retaking the White House is 36/56.”

The polling firm found Palin’s favorable/unfavorable marks as follows:

Montana – 44/50; Ohio – 37/52; North Carolina – 36/57; Florida – 36/57; Virginia – 35/58; Wisconsin – 35/58; Minnesota – 35/60; Michigan – 34/60; Alaska – 33/58; Massachusetts – 27/68