Perry and Paul gain ground over Bachman and Romney

New polls show that Texas Governor Rick Perry is in the lead for the Republican Presidential nomination. The various polls indicate that approximately 1 in 3 Republicans supports Perry's bid while Romney trails far behind, followed closely by Bachman and Paul.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The combined polls suggest that Michelle Bachman may have peaked as supporters flock to Perry's campaign. Romney's support is in decline, and Ron Paul continues to gain ground although it is unclear if it will be enough to challenge the meteoritic rise of Perry's campaign. 

The cumulative percentages are as follows:

Perry: 26 percent
Romney: 18 percent
Bachman: 10 percent
Paul 10: percent

The remaining 36 percent support Cain, Gingrich or are undecided.

The polls in question were conducted by the Gallup Organization, Public Policy Polling (PPP), and the Economist. The results, although different in methodology and percentage points, show very similar trends which indicates they are accurately reading what Republican voters are feeling as the primary candidates define themselves.

Perry's announcement on the same day as the Ames Straw Poll on August 13, in Iowa has changed the race dramatically. At that time, Bachman and Romeny appeared to be contenders and Ron Paul also performed remarkably well. However, Bachman and Romney have lost ground as Perry and Paul have gained.

The Republican primary is an important election because the winner has a strong chance of contending with Obama. Obama's approval rating remains an abysmally low 39 percent, and issues such as the economy and unpopular Middle East conflicts may not improve in time to boost Obama's ratings.

Still, recent polls still show that Obama is favored over Perry, but only by a few percentage points. The most recent nationwide Rasmussen poll shows Obama narrowly winning a second term at 43 percent to Perry at 40 percent. As Republican support coalesces around one candidate or another, those numbers may shift further away from Obama. 

Republican contenders, Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich enjoy minimal support and are not expected to perform well in the Republican primaries. Tim Pawlenty dropped out one day after the Ames straw poll.

Sarah Palin is still seen as a possible candidate buts he has not signaled any intentions to run despite several calls from supporters to do so. Hopeful, Ron Paul is enjoying a fair degree of support which should send a clear message to the frontrunners and Obama.

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