Poll: Cain, Perry Tied for 2nd

A surge in support for Herman Cain and an equally dramatic drop in support for Rick Perry has left the pair tied in second place among GOP candidates with 12% each, according to the latest Washington Post poll, which finds Mitt Romney in first place with 25%. Support for the Texas governor has dropped by a hefty 13 points over the last month, while Cain's backing is up 12 points, according to the poll, which was mostly conducted before the controversy about the Perry ranch name.

The only other candidate in double figures is Ron Paul, with 11%, while Chris Christie and Sarah Palin would have 10% and 9%, respectively, if they entered the race, the poll found. Tea Partiers are largely responsible for Cain's rise and Perry's fall, with Perry's support down from 45% to 10% among the group; Cain is up to 30%. No matter who the GOP picks, Tea Partiers sense victory: Some 91% of the Tea Party supporters believe a Republican will win the White House next year, compared with 83% among Republicans as a whole. Only 58% of Democrats expect their party to come out on top. (More Herman Cain stories.)