Gallup’s new portrait
of GOP presidential candidate preferences by issue preference displays
some moderately interesting features. Among frontrunners Huckabee,
Romney, and Palin, Huckabee is the choice of social conservatives;
Romney, of economic conservatives; and Palin, of foreign policy
conservatives. Mostly the differences are not great but a couple stand
out. Huckabee is weak with those Republicans who care most about
business. And Romney is very weak with the moral values crowd, who
prefer Huckabee to him by a 4-1 margin. In other words, the two stand
exactly where they were last presidential cycle.

As of today, 31
percent of GOP voters think business/economic issues are the most
important, compared with 17 percent who think moral/social issues are.
If the economy continues to improve, the gap should narrow–which is
good news for Huck, and bad for Mitt.

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