Q Poll: Romney (36), Gingrich (24), Santorum (16), Paul (10), Perry (5), Huntsman (2)

From Quinnipiac University's survey of self-described likely Florida voters:

With 36 percent of Florida Republican likely primary voters, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has a double-digit lead three weeks before the nation’s first big-state presidential primary, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.  But 54 percent of GOP primary voters say they still might change their mind.

Twelve points back in the Republican pack is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with 24 percent, followed by former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum with 16 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey finds.  Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul is at 10 percent with 5 percent for Texas Gov. Rick Perry and 2 percent for former ambassador Jon Huntsman.   This first look at likely primary voters, a more select group, can’t be compared with earlier surveys of registered voters.

There is almost no gender gap in the primary selections.

“Gov. Mitt Romney has a double-digit lead in Florida among likely primary voters.  But the primary is three weeks away and the results from New Hampshire and South Carolina could shake things up in the Sunshine State,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.  “With more than half of voters saying they might change their minds and more than 50 percent of them backing candidates perceived as more conservative, Romney could be vulnerable if those voters settle on one candidate.”

Romney is the best-liked candidate among Florida likely GOP primary voters, with a    73 – 14 percent favorability rating.  Santorum gets a 59 – 8 percent favorability, while 33 percent of likely voters don’t know enough about him to form an opinion. Gingrich gets a 59 – 29 percent favorability, while Paul has a negative 34 – 47 percent favorability. 

Among Florida self-professed Tea Party members,  Romney and Gingrich are tied with 32 percent each, followed by Santorum with 19 percent, Paul with 7 percent and Perry with 4 percent.

Tea Party members give Gingrich a 76 – 18 percent favorability, with 72 – 7 percent for Santorum and 72 – 19 percent for Romney.

The race is closer among white evangelical Christians: Romney gets 28 percent to Gingrich’s 26 percent, with 20 percent for Santorum. 

From January 4 – 8, Quinnipiac University surveyed 560 Republican likely primary voters with a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points.  Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.  

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, 

Rick Perry picks South Florida campaign chairs

Rick Perry's campaign put out a list Thursday of its South Florida presidential campaign chairs. The picks include Miami-Dade County Commissioner Esteban Bovo, Miami-Dade School Board member Carlos Curbelo, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca and former Broward School Board member Kevin Tynan. There are also other choices in Miami-Dade and Broward, and chairs in Palm Beach and Martin counties.

See the full list after the jump.

Jeb Bush: GOP presidential candidates should "categorically reject" birthers

In an interview with the Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush denounces fringe claims that President Barack Obama wasn't born in this country. Texas Gov. Rick Perry's "decision to delve back into birtherism — on CNBC and on the day he is rolling out an economic plan — has struck a nerve with responsible GOP officials and insiders," Rubin wrote.

Here's what Bush told Rubin's Right Turn blog, apparently in an email:  "Republican candidates should categorically reject the notion that President Obama was not born in the United States. It is a complete distraction from the failed economic policies of the President."

Here's the transcript of what Perry said today about "birtherism" in an interview with CNBC's John Harwood:

JOHN HARWOOD: Mitt Romney after the President released his birth certificate earlier this year said that issue's done and settled, I accept it. You chose to keep it alive in your interview with Parade magazine over the weekend. Why'd you do that?

RICK PERRY: I-- it's a good issue to keep alive. Just-- you know, Donald's got to have some fun. So-- and the issue is this.

JOHN HARWOOD: But it sounds like you really do have some doubt about it.

RICK PERRY: Well, look, I haven't-- I haven't seen his-- I haven't seen his grades. My grades ended up on the front page of the newspaper. So, let's-- you know, if we're going to show stuff, let's show stuff. So. But, look, that's all a distraction. I mean, I get it. I'm-- I'm really not worried about the President's birth certificate. It's fun to-- to poke and add him a little bit and say hey, how about-- let's see your grades and your birth certificate.

RICK PERRY: But here's what's really serious. Is we got people sitting around watching this interview while the president has killed 2 and a half million jobs. That's serious. And that's what we got to better get right.

JOHN HARWOOD: But are you saying that your comments about that are kind of a joke? Or do you seriously have unresolved questions like Donald Trump has about them?

RICK PERRY: I don't have a clue about where the President-- and what this-- birth certificate says. But it's also a great distraction. I'm not distracted by it. If those of you in the media want to talk about it that's fine, but I hope what you'll really get focused on is how are we going to get this country back on track.