New Poll Solidifies Perry's Lead Over Romney

Increasingly clear there's a new frontrunner in the 2012 race

The Gallup poll last week that found Rick Perry leading the Republican 2012 pack was not a fluke -- a new national poll from CNN/ORC International shows Perry as the top pick for 27 percent of Republicans. Romney trails with 14 percent. The frontrunner and the former frontrunner are followed by Sarah Palin with 10 percent, Michele Bachmann and Rudy Giuliani at 9 percent, and Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul at 6 percent. Without undeclared candidate Palin and Giuliani, CNN's Paul Steinhauser reports, Perry's lead expands to 32 percent over Romney's 18 percent and Bachmann's 12 percent.

Men like Perry more than women do -- 32 percent compared to 23 percent. And he's the top pick among Tea Partiers, getting 37 percent of their vote. Still, there is no national vote to pick the Republican nominee. Real Clear Politics polling averages show Perry tied with Bachmann and Romney in Iowa and Romney solidly beating both in New Hampshire.