Poll: Herman Cain Leads the Way Among GOP Contenders

The black conservative businessman continues his surprising run in the GOP primary.

By Jorge Rivas Oct 13, 2011

Fueled by Tea Party supporters, conservatives and high-interest GOP primary voters, Herman Cain is leading the way among GOP presidential contenders according to several national polls released this week. His rants calling Occupy Wall Street protestors lazy un-Americans who just want to ride someone else’s Cadillac seem to be helping him.

In a national poll conducted by NBC and the Wall Street Journal this week, Cain checks in as the first choice of 27 percent of Republican voters. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney comes in second with 23 percent, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry at 16 percent. After those three, it’s Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 11 percent, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 8 percent, Michele Bachmann at 5 percent and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman at 3 percent.

A Public Policy Polling (D) survey released Tuesday also found Cain has surged into the lead in Iowa among Iowa GOP caucus-goers. With three months to go in the race for the first nominating contest, Cain has 30 percent to Mitt Romney’s 22 percent, Ron Paul’s 10 percent, Perry’s percent,

In a new in a new Reuters/Ipsos survey, Romney leads in front with Cain coming in second, ahead of Perry.

Cain has risen to the top as both Perry and Romney deal controversies that have tanked their numbers. Perry’s most recent fiasco includes him admitting that he leased a hunting ranch for several years called "Niggerhead." And according to the NBC/WSJ poll, the health care reform Romney signed into law in Massachusetts that provides free health care insurance for residents earning less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level is is a bigger political problem for him than his Mormon faith.