Can Texas Stay Republican In 2012?
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Speculation for the 2012 Presidential election is underway and one poll is showing how President Obama would fare in Texas.
Public Policy Polling, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, surveyed Texas voters earlier this month.
Voters gave President Obama a 42% approval rating for his job performance. Some 55% disapproved of his performance in the White House.
In contrast, voters gave Governor Rick Perry a 42% approval rating for his job performance and 50% disapproved of Governor Perry's work.
Texas is facing a budget shortfall between $15 Billion and $27 Billion, depending on which political party you listen to.
Pollsters then asked voters who they would select if the candidates for President next year were Mr. Obama or Mr. Perry. Voters were split at 45% for each politician.
In a head-to-head race, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin garnered 47% support in the poll compared to President Obama's 46%.
The poll found other Republicans wildly popular. In head-to-head races, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee gathered 55% of the poll's support, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had 48% support and Mitt Romney at 49%. Mister Obama's support ranged between 39% and 43%.
"At the end of the day, it's unlikely even the most unelectable Republican loses Texas in even the largest re-election landslide scenario for President Obama," Dean Debman, president of Public Policy Polling, said in a news rlelease.
