Cain Atop the New CBS News/New York Times Poll

According to a CBS News/New York Times poll released yesterday, October 25th, Herman Cain has passed Mitt Romney has the favorite in the Republican Presidential Primary, with 25% of registered Republican primary voters backing him and only 21% backing Romney. This surge seems to have all come within the past few weeks and seems to be driven by supporters who jumped off the Rick Perry train and onto the much more lyrical Cain train.

In mid-September, Perry led the poll with 23% support and an astounding 30% support from Tea Partiers, while Cain remained an afterthought with 5% general support and a meager 7% support from Tea Partiers. Yet, in the past few weeks, the charismatic former pizza chain CEO-turned Federal Reserve Bank official has garnered real support in his pursuit of the nomination for the Republican Party. Based on the poll, much of his ascension has been driven by increased support from the Tea Party; he now has 32% of the conservative group in his corner. Perry, on the other hand, has seen his political free-fall take place because the 30% support he had from Tea Partiers in mid-September is now 7%.

Also yesterday, Rick Perry announced his “Cut, Balance, and Grow” plan in the Wall Street Journal in an effort to combat Herman Cain’s all-popular “9-9-9” plan. Additionally, Herman Cain and fellow Republican candidate Newt Gingrich confirmed their intent to attend a traditional Lincoln-Douglas Debate hosted by the Texas Tea Party Patriots. This debate will give Tea Partiers all across the nation a more direct insight to each of the candidates and their policies. If this poll is actually indicative of national sentiment, especially within the Tea Party, Rick Perry should think about joining the field and using his home-field advantage to win back some Tea Party support.

—David Eads