Poll

Keep Going Mitt Romney!

You're doing great!

Overall, 55 percent of those who are closely following the campaign say they disapprove of what the GOP candidates have been saying. By better than 2 to 1, Americans say the more they learn about Romney, the less they like him. Even among Republicans, as many offer negative as positive assessments of him on this question. Judgments about former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who denounced Romney on Saturday night in Nevada, are about 3 to 1 negative.

The cost of maintaining Romney's frontrunner status is very high, and this wingnut primary season will likely leave him with a permanent disapproval scar that will handicap his general election appeal.

Whether he backtracks to appeal to moderates after the primary is over, or digs deeper to appeal to the Lunatic Base, he can't win either way because either scenario will offend a lot of voters.