| South Carolina Likely Voters | ||||||||
| Which one of the following candidates do you consider to be the true conservative: | ||||||||
| Newt Gingrich | Mitt Romney | Rick Santorum | Ron Paul | Rick Perry | None | Undecided | ||
| Row % | Row % | Row % | Row % | Row % | Row % | Row % | ||
| South Carolina Likely Voters | 21% | 13% | 22% | 20% | 9% | 4% | 11% | |
| South Carolina Likely Voters | Pre-Debate | 20% | 14% | 21% | 20% | 10% | 6% | 10% |
| Post-Debate | 22% | 11% | 23% | 20% | 9% | 3% | 12% | |
| Party Identification | Republican | 23% | 14% | 23% | 16% | 10% | 4% | 11% |
| Independent | 17% | 9% | 20% | 28% | 8% | 6% | 12% | |
| Tea Party Supporters | 25% | 12% | 26% | 18% | 8% | 3% | 7% | |
| Intensity of Tea Party Support | Strongly support Tea Party | 24% | 11% | 32% | 15% | 10% | 4% | 3% |
| Support Tea Party | 26% | 13% | 22% | 20% | 7% | 3% | 9% | |
| Does not support Tea Party | 16% | 11% | 19% | 23% | 11% | 6% | 13% | |
| Political Ideology | Liberal-Moderate | 11% | 13% | 21% | 20% | 10% | 6% | 19% |
| Conservative | 25% | 14% | 21% | 19% | 9% | 4% | 8% | |
| Very conservative | 24% | 9% | 26% | 21% | 10% | 4% | 6% | |
| Political Ideology | Liberal-Moderate | 11% | 13% | 21% | 20% | 10% | 6% | 19% |
| Conservative-Very conservative | 25% | 12% | 22% | 20% | 9% | 4% | 8% | |
| Past Participation** | Yes | 21% | 13% | 22% | 20% | 9% | 5% | 11% |
| No | 16% | 11% | 22% | 21% | 11% | 4% | 15% | |
| Top Tier Republican Candidates | Mitt Romney | 12% | 30% | 22% | 11% | 8% | 5% | 11% |
| Newt Gingrich | 57% | 3% | 12% | 12% | 7% | 4% | 5% | |
| Ron Paul | 6% | 3% | 6% | 66% | 8% | 2% | 8% | |
| Rick Santorum | 7% | 3% | 65% | 8% | 8% | 4% | 4% | |
| Candidate Support | Strongly support | 27% | 16% | 22% | 18% | 7% | 4% | 7% |
| Somewhat support | 16% | 13% | 26% | 23% | 11% | 4% | 5% | |
| Might vote differently | 19% | 9% | 21% | 24% | 15% | 5% | 8% | |
| Most Important Quality | Shares your values | 11% | 10% | 26% | 23% | 12% | 5% | 12% |
| Is closest to you on the issues | 20% | 8% | 24% | 24% | 6% | 6% | 11% | |
| Can beat President Obama in 2012 | 22% | 15% | 21% | 18% | 10% | 4% | 11% | |
| Has the experience to govern | 28% | 18% | 16% | 17% | 8% | 4% | 9% | |
| Facebook Page | Yes | 21% | 11% | 25% | 20% | 9% | 5% | 10% |
| No-Unsure | 21% | 14% | 20% | 20% | 10% | 4% | 12% | |
| Gender | Men | 23% | 11% | 21% | 24% | 10% | 4% | 8% |
| Women | 19% | 15% | 23% | 15% | 8% | 5% | 15% | |
| Age | Under 45 | 23% | 15% | 24% | 18% | 8% | 3% | 9% |
| 45 or older | 20% | 12% | 21% | 21% | 10% | 5% | 12% | |
| Region | Piedmont | 22% | 12% | 17% | 26% | 11% | 3% | 10% |
| Midlands | 21% | 15% | 22% | 16% | 7% | 6% | 12% | |
| The Pee Dee | 24% | 13% | 20% | 16% | 10% | 5% | 11% | |
| Low Country | 16% | 11% | 32% | 16% | 8% | 4% | 13% | |
| Household Income | Less than $75,000 | 20% | 13% | 19% | 18% | 11% | 4% | 15% |
| $75,000 or more | 22% | 13% | 26% | 24% | 7% | 3% | 6% | |
| Evangelical Christians | 19% | 12% | 25% | 19% | 10% | 5% | 9% | |
| Regular Religious Service Attendance | 19% | 13% | 25% | 18% | 10% | 4% | 12% | |
| Mormons are Christians | Yes | 22% | 13% | 23% | 20% | 8% | 4% | 9% |
| No-Unsure | 19% | 12% | 21% | 21% | 10% | 4% | 13% | |
| Education | Not college graduate | 19% | 14% | 18% | 20% | 10% | 5% | 14% |
| College graduate | 23% | 11% | 26% | 20% | 8% | 3% | 8% | |
| Interview Type | Landline | 22% | 13% | 21% | 20% | 9% | 5% | 10% |
| Cell Phone | 17% | 12% | 23% | 21% | 9% | 3% | 15% | |
| NBC News/Marist Poll South Carolina Likely Republican Primary Voters. Interviews conducted January 16th and 17th, 2012, N=684 MOE +/- 3.8 percentage points. Totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. **Past participation refers to previous participation in a South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary. | ||||||||