FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 14, 2012 INTERVIEWS: Tom Jensen 919-744-6312 IF YOU HAVE BASIC METHODOLOGICAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE E-MAIL [email protected], OR CONSULT THE FINAL PARAGRAPH OF THE PRESS RELEASE Santorum down five, Romney seven vs. Obama nationally Raleigh, N.C. – Mitt Romney is not only sinking in his bid to grab the Republican nomination…but he is also at his worst standing versus his hopeful foe since May. Just two months ago, Romney edged ahead of President Obama by two points in PPP’s monthly national survey, but the former Massachusetts governor now trails the president by seven—two points worse than the new leader, Rick Santorum, and only one point better than Ron Paul. This is also the first time someone other than Romney has performed the best against the president since April 2011. Romney trails 49-42, down two points from 49-44 last month. Santorum has improved three points on the margin from a 50-42 deficit to only 49-44 now. President Obama has inched up three points versus Ron Paul (from 47-42 to 49-41), and five over Newt Gingrich (from 49-42 to 52-40). Obama leads Paul by one, Santorum by four, Romney by nine, and Gingrich by 19 points with independents. Santorum is the strongest of the Republicans with the GOP, but still loses 12% of them to Obama, while Obama cedes only 8-11% of his party versus any opponent. Santorum is still under water in voters’ eyes personally, with 39% seeing him favorably and 46% unfavorably, but that is up 14 points from 30-51 in the last poll. Meanwhile, Romney is now the second least-liked after Gingrich; he has declined 10 points to 29-57. Gingrich is down four to 24-62, while Paul is actually up six to 30-54. Poll respondents claim to have voted for Obama by only two points in 2008, versus his actual seven-point victory over John McCain. Were turnout to mirror that of four years ago, Obama would actually top Romney, 52-41, and Santorum, 52-43. “One of Mitt Romney’s strongest arguments has always been that he would be the toughest GOP opponent for Barack Obama,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “It no longer looks like that’s necessarily the case.” PPP surveyed 1,200 American voters from February 9th to 12th. The margin of error for the survey is +/-2.8%. This poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. PPP surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews. PPP is a Democratic polling company, but polling expert Nate Silver of the New York Times found that its surveys in 2010 actually exhibited a slight bias toward Republican candidates. Public Policy Polling Phone: 888 621-6988 3020 Highwoods Blvd. Web: www.publicpolicypolling.com Raleigh, NC 27604 Email: [email protected] National Survey Results Q1 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion Q7 If the candidates for President this year were of Newt Gingrich? Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, who would you vote for? Favorable........................................................ 24% Barack Obama................................................ 49% Unfavorable .................................................... 62% Mitt Romney.................................................... 42% Not sure .......................................................... 14% Q2 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion Undecided....................................................... 9% of Ron Paul? Q8 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Roseanne Barr? Favorable........................................................ 30% Favorable........................................................ 14% Unfavorable .................................................... 54% Unfavorable .................................................... 63% Not sure .......................................................... 16% Q3 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion Not sure .......................................................... 24% of Mitt Romney? Q9 If the candidates for President this year were 29% Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Mitt Favorable........................................................ Romney, and Green Party candidate Unfavorable .................................................... 57% Roseanne Barr, who would you vote for? Not sure .......................................................... 14% Barack Obama................................................ 47% Q4 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion Mitt Romney.................................................... 42% of Rick Santorum? Roseanne Barr................................................ 6% Favorable........................................................ 39% Undecided....................................................... 5% 46% Unfavorable .................................................... Q10 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion Not sure .......................................................... 15% of Gary Johnson? Q5 If the candidates for President this year were Favorable........................................................ 5% Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Newt Gingrich, who would you vote for? Unfavorable .................................................... 29% 66% Barack Obama................................................ 52% Not sure .......................................................... 40% Q11 If the candidates for President this year were Newt Gingrich ................................................. Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Mitt Undecided....................................................... 8% Romney, and Libertarian Gary Johnson, who Q6 If the candidates for President this year were would you vote for? Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Ron Barack Obama................................................ 47% Paul, who would you vote for? Mitt Romney.................................................... 40% Barack Obama................................................ 49% Gary Johnson ................................................. 7% Ron Paul......................................................... 41% Undecided....................................................... 6% Undecided....................................................... 10% February 9-12, 2012 3020 Highwoods Blvd. Survey of 1,200 registered voters Raleigh, NC 27604 [email protected] / 888 621-6988 Q12 If the candidates for President this year were Q16 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2. Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Rick 50% Santorum, who would you vote for? Woman ........................................................... Man................................................................. 50% Barack Obama................................................ 49% Q17 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican, Rick Santorum ................................................ 44% press 2. If you are an independent or identify Undecided....................................................... 6% with another party, press 3. Q13 Do you think the economy is improving, getting Democrat ........................................................ 40% worse, or staying about the same? Republican...................................................... 37% Improving........................................................ 41% Independent/Other.......................................... 22% Getting worse.................................................. 31% Q18 If you are Hispanic, press 1. If white, press 2. Staying about the same .................................. 27% If African-American, press 3. If other, press 4. 10% Not sure .......................................................... 1% Hispanic.......................................................... Q14 Who did you vote for President in 2008? White .............................................................. 72% John McCain................................................... 45% African-American ............................................ 11% Barack Obama................................................ 47% Other............................................................... 7% Someone else/Don't remember ...................... 8% Q19 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to 45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are Q15 Would you describe yourself as very liberal, older than 65, press 4. somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat conservative, or very conservative? 18 to 29........................................................... 15% Very liberal...................................................... 11% 30 to 45........................................................... 27% Somewhat liberal ............................................ 20% 46 to 65........................................................... 38% Moderate......................................................... 28% Older than 65 .................................................. 20% Somewhat conservative.................................. 25% Very conservative ........................................... 17% February 9-12, 2012 3020 Highwoods Blvd. Survey of 1,200 registered voters Raleigh, NC 27604 [email protected] / 888 621-6988 Crosstabs 2008 Vote 2008 Vote John Bar ack Someone else/Don't John Bar ack Someone else/Don't Bas e McCain Obam a remember Bas e McCain Obam a remember Gingrich Favorability Paul Favorability Favorable 24% 41% 9% 19% Favorable 30% 35% 25% 40% Unfavorable 62% 43% 82% 53% Unfavorable 54% 51% 60% 35% Not s ur e 14% 16% 9% 28% Not s