CNN Poll Also Shows Perry's Broad Appeal

By Steven Shepard  //  August 29, 2011 | 2:02 p.m.
Updated: August 29, 2011 | 6:06 p.m.

A new CNN/ORC International poll released Monday confirms Texas Gov. Rick Perry's ascendancy atop the Republican presidential field and demonstrates, along with last week's Gallup poll, that Perry has the potential to build a broader coalition of supporters than his GOP opponents.

Perry leads former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 27 percent to 14 percent, with former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin at 10 percent, and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani at 9 percent each.

When those respondents who chose Palin and Giuliani are prompted for their second (or third) choices, Perry (32 percent) increases his lead over Romney (18 percent), while Bachmann sits in third at 12 percent.

But as Ronald Brownstein wrote in this space about last week's Gallup poll, it is Perry's ability to appeal to voters across socioeconomic strata that most notably underscores his position as frontrunner. In the initial matchup, Perry earns 22 percent of the vote among Republicans who did not attend college, leading Palin (16 percent). Romney has the support of just 10 percent of the non-college vote.

Among those who did attend college, Perry surges to 31 percent, while Palin sinks to 7 percent. Romney jumps into second place, at 17 percent. Without Palin and Giuliani, Perry leads Romney by identical, 15-point margins among both non-college and college respondents. The CNN/ORC International poll was conducted Aug. 24-25, surveying 467 Republicans. The margin of error is +/- 4.5 percent.

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