Fox News has come out with a poll with stunning results. In the race for the Republican presidential nomination Mitt Romney leads with 40%, to 15% for Rick Santorum, 14% for Newt Gingrich and 13% for Ron Paul. Rick Perry is at 6% and (the now withdrawing) Jon Huntsman at 5%. For the general election, the Fox poll has Barack Obama leading Romney by a statistically insignificant 46%-45%, while Santorum is trailing by 12% (50%-38%) and Gingrich by 14% (51%-37%). Of course this is just one poll, but it’s being communicated to the many Republican voters who watch Fox News, and the message is clear. Romney is way ahead in the race for the nomination, and he’s the only candidate who can win the general election. You can use other polling data to make the opposite case for both primary and general elections, but these results may concentrate some minds.
