With Herman Cain grabbing top headlines at The Drudge Report and Gallup reporting that he has statistically tied Mitt Romney for the GOP nomination, the question is whether the math-genius-turned-businessman can really become the Godfather of America’s political system. Some smart new research says Cain can win the general — people have an open mind about him — but he needs to close the sale with those uncertain swing voters.
What was once seen as a second-tier candidacy has been catching fire. From 9-9-9 to that Florida straw poll, Mr. Cain has been building momentum. Now, a firm has created a clever experiment to figure out if he can really do well beyond the small purview of committed GOP primary activists. Evolving Strategies allowed respondents to view several key clips and overlaid a behavior game that allowed people to donate or take away money from a candidate. According to the group, it’s the first to have real information on how electable Cain is with the general audience.
Good news for Herman Cain supporters: he’s tested quite well.
In fact, in a world where people have to act like they’re voting (as opposed to simple polling on favorability), CAIN EDGES OBAMA 35-34. That’s not a real-world win yet, but it means he’s in the game.
Full cross-tabs here. What’s your analysis?