Rebecca Stewart: CNN Poll: Number who prefer death penalty on decline

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/12/cnn-poll-number-who-prefer-death-penalty-on-decline/?iref=storysearch

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CNN Political Unit

(CNN) – When offered a choice between sentencing a murderer to capital punishment or life in prison with no chance of parole, half of all Americans say they prefer a life sentence over the death penalty - the first time that has happened in CNN polling.

Fifty percent would opt for a life sentence; 48% said they would choose the death penalty, revealing a nation divided when it comes to capital punishment.

Full results (pdf)

The remaining two percent had no opinion in the survey released Wednesday.

"That's not to say that Americans want to abolish the death penalty entirely," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But there is a difference between thinking that the government should have the death penalty as an option and actually wanting to see it applied."

Seven years ago, 56% of the nation said they preferred the death penalty, a number that decreased to 53% in 2009 and to 48% now. At the same time the number of Americans who believe that at least one person in the past five years has been executed for a crime that he or she did not commit increased to 72%.

The issue of the death penalty has even found its way onto the 2012 campaign trail, with some media attention given to the controversy surrounding the execution of death row inmate Todd Willingham. Willingham, who maintained his innocence, received the death penalty while GOP contender Rick Perry served as governor of Texas.

In 2005, when a solid majority preferred the death penalty, 59% believed that an innocent person had been executed within the previous five years. The CNN/ORC International survey reveals that figure has risen thirteen points.

The poll was conducted for CNN by ORC International from September 23-25 among 1,010 adults who were questioned by telephone. It has a sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

– CNN's Rebecca Stewart contributed to this report.

Rebecca Stewart: Poll: GOP shakeup in South Carolina

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/11/poll-gop-shakeup-in-south-carolina/

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CNN Associate Producer Rebecca Stewart

(CNN) – Businessman Herman Cain has edged out former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the first primary state of the South, according to a new poll released Tuesday.

The conservative radio talk show host received 26% support in the Palmetto State poll, only one percentage point ahead of Romney and within the margin of error for the American Research Group survey, indicating the two are statistically tied.

South Carolina is slated to go fourth in the nation's primary and caucus calendar, preceded by Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada.

The longest-serving Texas Gov. Rick Perry placed third with 15% support, followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 8%, Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 7%, and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann at 5%.

With 12% of likely primary voters undecided in the poll, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum received 1% support and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, and former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer did not net enough backing to constitute a percentage.

The results reflect a southern shakeup in standings among the GOP field. Just three months ago Romney placed first followed by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who has since announced she's out of the race for the 2012 nomination, Bachmann, who's seen her popularity fall following a big win in the Ames straw poll, and Herman Cain in fourth.

When the survey is narrowed to Republican respondents who consider themselves likely primary voters, Cain and Romney are tied at 27% each.

Among tea party supporters, Cain, a favorite in the tea party movement, takes the lead with 35% support, followed by Perry, and with Romney in third. But among those who are not tea party supporters or are undecided about the movement, the top four shifts with Romney in the lead at 33% followed by Cain, Perry, and Paul.

The American Research Group survey was conducted among 600 likely GOP primary voters including Republicans, Democrats, and independents. Respondents were questioned by telephone from October 5-10. The poll has a sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Rebecca Stewart: Polls: Cain stays strong

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/10/poll-cain-stays-strong/

Posted by

CNN Producer Gabriella Schwarz

(CNN) - Continuing his national surge, Herman Cain came in second place among Republican presidential candidates in a new national poll released Monday.

The Washington Post/Bloomberg survey of Republican-leaning voters showed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on top with Cain, the former Godfather's Pizza CEO, in the No. 2 spot, slightly ahead of Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Romney received 25% support, followed by Cain with 16%, Perry with 13%, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas with 6% and Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota with 4%. The remaining candidates received lower figures.

The respondents who lean Republican said Romney, at 22%, would do the most to improve the economy. Cain, who has made the economy the central theme of his campaign, received 20% and Perry received 12%. Meanwhile, the questioners said Bachmann would do the most to hurt the economy. She garnered 14% followed by Paul at 11% and Perry at 9%.

The new poll was released one day before Tuesday's GOP debate in New Hampshire and shortly before Gallup released survey results that showed Cain trailing Romney by just two percentage points. The difference is within the poll's margin of error.

In the Gallup poll Romney received 20% support, followed by Cain at 18%. Perry saw 15% support in the survey with Paul behind him at 8%, Gingrich at 7%, Bachmann at 5%, Santorum at 3% and Huntsman at 2%.

But with 20% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents still undecided, there's more work for GOP candidates when it comes to firming up support.

A Pew Research Center survey released Thursday showed Romney still on top with 22%, but Perry was next in line with 17%, followed by Cain with 13%, Paul with 12%, Gingrich with 8% and Bachmann with 6%.

The Washington Post/Bloomberg News poll questioned 1,000 adults between Oct. 6 and Oct. 9 with a sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The Gallup poll was conducted from among 1,064 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents by telephone from October 3-7. It has a sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The Pew poll questioned 876 Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters between Sept. 22 and Oct. 4 with a sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

– CNN's Rebecca Stewart contributed to this report.