The latest Rasmussen poll of likely voters — which shows Newt Gingrich with a 21-point lead over runner-up Mitt Romney — suggests that Gingrich is uniting the Tea Party and establishment wings of the Republican Party. The poll shows that among likely Republican primary voters who do not consider themselves to be members of the Tea Party, Gingrich is winning by 11 percentage points — 32 to 21 percent (over Romney). Among those who do consider themselves to be members of the Tea Party, he’s winning by 37 points — 47 to 10 percent (over Romney and Herman Cain). Among those who aren’t sure, he’s winning by 26 points — 42 to 16 percent (over Romney).
Moreover, Gingrich is winning not only among Republicans but also among those independents who are likely to vote in a Republican primary — in both cases by a margin of about 2 to 1. Among Republicans, he’s winning by a tally of 40 to 18 percent (over Romney). Among those independents who are likely to vote in a Republican primary, he’s winning by a tally of 30 to 17 percent (over Ron Paul).
Overall, Gingrich enjoys better than 2-to-1 leads (over anyone) among those who are between the ages of 40 and 64, those who are at least 65 years of age, those who say they are “very conservative,” those who say they are “somewhat conservative,” those who are married, those who are Protestant, those who are Evangelical, those who make less than $60,000 a year, those who make more than $100,000 a year, and men. Meanwhile, he enjoys double-digit (but not 2-to-1) leads among those who are single, those who are Catholic, those who make between $60,000 and $100,000 a year, and women.
