New Poll Finds No Favorite for GOP Presidential Nod in 2012

Who is the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination? According to a new Gallup poll, there isnt one.

Gallup took a poll of 925 Republicans and GOP-leaning independents on Nov. 13-14 and found the nomination is up for grabs. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.

The poll shows that there is a clear top tier of candidates -- all of whom are familiar faces.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney led with 19 percent. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee took 16 percent each. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich placed fourth with 13 percent.

In fifth place came U.S. Rep. Ron Paul at 6 percent with Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty tied in sixth with 4 percent. U.S. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota followed with 2 percent while U.S. Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico all took 1 percent.

Gallup offered the following insight:

The current results on Republicans' presidential nomination preferences suggest the 2012 contest could be more wide open than any since the winners began to be determined largely through state primaries and caucuses in 1972. Since that time, there has typically been a clear Republican front-runner before the nominating campaign got underway, including Richard Nixon in 1972, Gerald Ford in 1976, Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, George H.W. Bush in 1988 and 1992, Bob Dole in 1996, George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, and Rudy Giuliani in 2008. With the exception of Giuliani, the front-running candidate has prevailed.

One thing to keep in mind: The battle for the Republican presidential nomination will not be decided at the national level. A candidate can be made or broken in Iowa or New Hampshire.