Poll Watch: CBS News 2012 Presidential Survey

Most Republicans Don't Want Palin to Run for President

Do you want to see Sarah Palin run for president?

• Yes 25%
• No 66%

Among Republicans

• Yes 34%
• No 54%

Among Tea Party Supporters

• Yes 38%
• No 50%

Favorable / Unfavorable {Net}

• Herman Cain 11% / 6% {+5%}
• Mitt Romney 25% (28%) / 24% (24%) {+1%}
• Rudy Giuliani 27% / 30% {-3%}
• Jon Huntsman 5% (6%) / 8% (5%) {-3%}
• Tim Pawlenty 8% (12%) / 12% (8%) {-4%}
• Rick Santorum 7% (10%) / 11% (12%) {-4%}
• Michele Bachmann 13% (12%) / 20% (13%) {-7%}
• Newt Gingrich 13% (23%) / 46% (37%) {-33%}
• Sarah Palin 21% (26%) / 57% (55%) {-36%}

Among Republicans

• Mitt Romney 37% (42%) / 11% (15%) {+26%}
• Rudy Giuliani 35% / 20% {+15%}
• Herman Cain 18% / 6% {+12%}
• Michele Bachmann 21% (21%) / 11% (5%) {+10%}
• Tim Pawlenty 14% (20%) / 5% (3%) {+9%}
• Rick Santorum 11% (19%) / 5% (5%) {+6%}
• Jon Huntsman 7% (5%) / 5% (1%) {+2%}
• Sarah Palin 37% (51%) / 36% (26%) {+1%}
• Newt Gingrich 24% (42%) / 34% (20%) {-10%}

Haven't Heard Enough About Candidate to Form an Opinion/Undecided

• Jon Huntsman 86% (89%)
• Herman Cain 82%
• Tim Pawlenty 80% (79%)
• Rick Santorum 81% (78%)
• Michele Bachmann 67% (75%)
• Mitt Romney 50% (47%)
• Rudy Giuliani 42%
• Newt Gingrich 40% (41%)
• Sarah Palin 21% (18%)

Among Republicans

• Jon Huntsman 87% (93%)
• Rick Santorum 83% (76%)
• Tim Pawlenty 80% (77%)
• Herman Cain 75%
• Michele Bachmann 68% (75%)
• Mitt Romney 51% (43%)
• Rudy Giuliani 45%
• Newt Gingrich 41% (37%)
• Sarah Palin 25% (23%)

Survey of 1,024 registered voters was conducted June 3-7, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.  Results from the poll conducted April 15-20, 2011 are in parentheses.

Inside the numbers:

Only 25 percent of registered voters and 29 percent of registered Republicans say they are paying a lot of attention at this point; roughly two in five are paying "some" attention. More than one third of voters say they are paying little or no attention to the race at this point. 

Seven in ten registered Republicans want a nominee who would repeal the federal health care law, but only about half want one who supports changes to Medicare. Just one in ten want a nominee from the Tea Party movement, while 14 percent want one who is not from the movement; 73 percent say it doesn't matter.

The CBS News poll had some disheartening news for President Obama as the bounce he enjoyed after the killing of Osama Bin Laden has dissolved. Mr. Obama’s overall job approval among all Americans has slipped back to 48 percent. The public’s approval of Mr. Obama’s handling of the economy (37 percent) and the federal budget deficit (30 percent) remain low, while his ratings on Afghanistan (51 percent) and terrorism (63 percent) are above 50 percent.