(Week of 3/10/2012) Electability has been the most popular reason GOP primary voters have given for supporting their candidate, according to network exit polls in primary after primary. The Economist/YouGov Poll has measured perceptions of electability in several ways — which GOP candidate runs best against the President in head-to-head matchups, and which candidate do voters think is most likely to win.
Among both the public overall and GOP voters, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is viewed as most likely to beat the President. Republican voters are hopeful about all three of their frontrunners, but nearly four-fifths think Romney would win. 60% believe former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum would defeat the President; 58% say that about former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Economist/YouGov poll archives can be found here
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