By Dave Andrusko
A poll of 400 likely Republican caucus goers in Iowa finds that businessman Herman Cain holds a one percent point lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney—23% to 22%–easily within the margin of error.
The latest Des Moines Register Iowa poll found that the co-leaders are followed by Rep. Ron Paul (12%), Rep. Michele Bachmann (8%), and a tie between Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (7%). The poll results are similar to those found last week in a CNN/Time/ORC International poll with Romney 24%, Cain 21%, Paul 12%, Gingrich and Perry at 10% (the other candidates were in single digits).
(Other results for other states in that same CNN poll revealed.
· New Hampshire: Romney 40%, Cain 13%, Paul 12%.
· South Carolina: Romney 25%, Cain 23%, Paul 12%, Perry 11%.
· Florida: Romney 30%, Cain 18%, Gingrich and Perry 9%.)
“But this race is hardly over,” wrote USA Today’s Susan Paige this morning, referring to the Des Moines Register Poll.
“Although the candidates have been campaigning for months, even years, the contest looks as fluid as it was when they began.
Only 25% of those surveyed say they definitely won’t change their minds before they pick a candidate on Jan. 3. There are cautionary signs for both leaders…”
CBS’s Face the Nation moderator Bob Schieffer aggressively challenged Cain on a number of issues yesterday. On abortion Cain re-stated his initial answer to Schieffer several different times.
“I am pro-life from conception, period. And if people look at many speeches that I have given over the years, that has and will still be my position.”
Asked if that includes instances of rape, incest, or life of mother, Cain said, “Correct, that is my position.”
Cain also did not retreat on his criticisms of Planned Parenthood, which he has said it was not planned parenthood but “planned genocide.”
Asked by Schieffer if he had “any proof that that was the objective of Planned Parenthood, Cain said, “If people go back and look at the history and look at Margaret Sanger’s own words, that’s exactly where that came from. Look– look up the history.” Cain said that while Sanger did not use the word “genocide,” she “did talk about preventing [an increased number] of poor Blacks in this country by preventing Black babies from being born.”
Cain came under criticism from fellow pro-life Republican candidatesSantorum, Bachmann, and Perry for his comments CNN’s Piers Morgan program. In a statement he issued the day after the CNN appearance and in interviews with Martha MacCallum of Fox News and David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network, Cain reiterated, “I am pro-life from conception and I don’t believe in abortion.”
