CNN Poll: Cain Most Likeable, But Romney Favored for Electability

By Steven Shepard  //  October 18, 2011 | 6:00 a.m.
Updated: October 20, 2011 | 10:35 a.m.

Mitt Romney and Herman Cain are in a virtual tie atop the latest CNN/ORC International poll of the Republican presidential primary, and new data released Tuesday indicate the Cain boomlet is being fueled by the former Godfather's Pizza CEO's likeability and economic bona fides.

Cain, however, trails Mitt Romney on electability, and despite Romney's near-stagnant poll numbers, a majority of Republicans think the former Massachusetts governor is the most likely candidate to win the nomination.

Asked which candidate is most likely to win the GOP nomination, 51 percent of Republicans choose Romney, while 18 percent select Cain and 14 percent pick Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Last month, 41 percent saw Perry as the most likely Republican nominee, while 28 percent chose Perry and just five percent said Cain was the most likely to win the nomination.

Romney is also seen as having the best chance to beat President Obama in the general election, leading Cain on that question, 41 percent to 24 percent. Twelve percent think Perry has the best chance to beat Obama.

But on other questions, Cain leads, revealing the extent to which he has made inroads within the Republican primary electorate -- and the work Romney still needs to do to seal the nomination. Asked which candidate they think is the most likeable, 34 percent choose Cain, while 29 percent choose Romney. Just five weeks ago, only four percent thought Cain was the most likeable.

Cain (26 percent) also leads when respondents are asked which candidate is most likely to agree with them on the issues that matter most, ahead of Romney (21 percent) and Perry (26 percent). And asked which candidate is most likely to be able to get the economy moving, Cain leads with 33 percent, up from four percent five weeks ago. The poll does show some modest progress for Romney. The percentage of Republicans that think Romney is the most likeable candidate is up eight points over the past five weeks, and while Perry's collapse in the polls begot the Cain surge, many of Cain's new supporters see Romney as the more likely GOP nominee and the more electable candidate in the general; those former Perry supporters favored the Texas governor on those questions last month. The CNN/ORC International poll was conducted Oct. 14-16, surveying 416 registered Republican or Republican-leaning independent voters. The margin of error is +/- 4.8 percent.

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