Natalie Gonnella
Follow Natalie on Twitter
With Newt Gingrich due to officially announce his 2012 candidacy this afternoon, a new poll shows that the former House Speaker enters the race with both a big strength, and perhaps an even bigger weakness.
According to Gallup's latest examination of possible GOP contenders:
Gingrich is well-known among Republicans nationwide, with a current overall recognition score of 84%. On the other hand, he faces an image challenge among Republicans. The former speaker's Positive Intensity Score is 11, below this week's average score of 13 for all potential candidates measured, and down from his high of 19 recorded between March 14 and April 3.
When it comes to voters' views of the wider 2012 field:
Mike Huckabee receives the highest Positive Intensity Score among Republicans nationwide who recognize him. Donald Trump, although universally recognized by Republicans, has the lowest Positive Intensity Score of any of the 13 candidates tested in Gallup's April 25-May 8 tracking.
With a number of prospective contenders expected to announce their 2012 bids later this month, it will be interesting to see how recognition and opinion scores may fluctuate as candidates move forward with their campaigns.
Comments