The Gallup organization released new poll numbers Tuesday showing that top GOP contender Herman Cain recording the strongest “positive intensity” score of any presidential candidate so far this year.
Gallup measures intensity of support by subtracting the percentage of strongly unfavorable responses a candidate receives from the percentage of strongly favorable responses. The net result is an indication of how passionate the support is for any given contender.
Based on Gallup daily tracking from Sept. 19 through Oct. 2, Cain’s positive intensity score is now 30 — the highest recorded by any candidate in 2011, Gallup says.
Several of Cain’s conservative rivals appear to be sinking even as he surges. Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s positive intensity score dropped below 20 for the first time, sinking to 15.
“The movement in Perry’s and Cain’s scores follows recent campaign developments, including poor reviews of Perry’s performance in the September debates, and Cain’s surprising win in the Sept. 24 Florida Straw Poll,” Gallup reports.
According to the Gallup surveys, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and Texas Rep. Ron Paul hit new lows for positive intensity as well, at 5 and 3, respectively. This reflects the fact that they receive highly unfavorable ratings from a significant percentage of respondents.
Perry, it should be noted, still remains ahead of chief rival Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts. Romney scored a 13 in positive intensity.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich also was in double figures, with a positive intensity score of 11.
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