A Lone Star is rising over the Hawkeye State, as Gov. Rick Perry of Texas now leads the pack of Republican presidential candidates in Iowa, according to a new poll released Thursday.
The "We Ask America" poll of likely Republican caucus voters finds Perry --who launched his presidential campaign on Saturday, same day as the Iowa straw poll in Ames --ahead with 29 percent.
U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who won the event, is second with 17 percent, followed by former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts with 15 percent. Despite only having write-in votes, Perry placed sixth in Ames, ahead of Romney who won the event back in 2007 and came in second in the Iowa caucus held in 2008.
The rest of the pack trailed in single digits. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, who finished right behind Bachmann in Ames, took fourth with 8 percent. Former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, who has yet to enter the race, came in fifth with 7 percent. Two candidates from Georgia -- businessman Herman Cain and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich -- tied with 5 percent, followed by former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania with 4 percent. Former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah trailed with 1 percent.
"We Ask America" tried a bit of a different angle in this poll, asking Iowa Republicans what one candidate they want to see as far away from the White House as possible -- and once again, the poll had good news for Perry and Santorum.
Palin led the pack for the dubious honor with 25 percent followed by Gingrich with 16 percent and Huntsman with 14 percent. Paul and Bachmann tied with 12 percent each. Cain followed with 8 percent while 7 percent of those surveyed said Romney. Only 3 percent chose Perry. The same number selected Santorum as the candidate they most wanted to see not get elected.
The poll of 649 likely Iowa Republican caucus voters was taken on Aug. 16 and had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.
The poll offered a snapshot on Iowas role in the general election and found that President Barack Obama has some work to do in the Hawkeye State, which appears up for grabs come November 2012. Obama was upside down in Iowa with 47 percent approving of his performance in the White House, 49 percent disapproving. Only 39 percent thought Obama deserves another term, while 54 percent oppose it. The total survey of 2,342 Iowa voters was taken on Aug. 16 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
