Herman Cain and Mitt Romney are tied for first place in a new CBS News poll of GOP primary voters, with both receiving 17 percent support.
Rick Perry is in third place with 11 percent support — a 12 percentage point drop in two weeks.
Newt Gingrich leads the rest of the field at 8 percent, followed by Ron Paul (7 percent), Michele Bachmann (4 percent), Rick Santorum (3 percent), and Jon Huntsman (2 percent). Eighteen percent of GOP voters are undecided.
Perry’s support among Tea Partiers went from 30 percent two weeks ago to 12 percent. In the same time period, Cain skyrocketed among Tea Partiers, going from 7 percent support to 24 percent. Romney also gained five percentage points among Tea Partiers, reaching 17 percent support.
Fifty-eight percent of GOP primary voters say they are watching the debates. Only 10 percent agree that children of illegal immigrants should pay in-state tuition rates.
Seventy-four percent of GOP primary voters would prefer that Sarah Palin not enter the race.