A recent Gallup survey shows that, among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, Herman Cain has the highest net favorability rating of anyone in the current GOP presidential field. Cain’s net favorability rating among those who are familiar with him is +62 points (77 percent hold a favorable opinion of him, while 15 percent hold an unfavorable opinion). Rick Perry is 2nd, with a +54 net favorability rating among those who are familiar with him (71 percent favorable, 17 percent unfavorable). Most of the 2-week survey, however, was conducted before the most recent GOP debate (in which Perry struggled) and before the subsequent Florida straw poll (won by Cain) — so the gap between Cain and Perry has likely widened.
Mitt Romney is 3rd, 2 points behind Perry, with a net favorability rating of +52 (72 percent favorable, 20 percent unfavorable). Rick Santorum is 4th, at +46 (65 to 19), followed by Newt Gingrich in 5th (+34, 64 to 30), Michele Bachmann in 6th (+33, 62 to 29), Ron Paul in 7th (+25, 57 to 32), and Jon Huntsman in 8th (+19, 51 to 32).
