wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina |Survey: Endorsements may do more harm than good

(RNN) - With only five candidates vying for the Republican presidential nomination, a recent poll from the Pew Research Center found that endorsements from prominent GOP members would probably do more harm than good for their campaigns.

The survey, released before former Utah Gov. John Huntsman dropped out of the race, found that the only endorsements with a positive impact on the primaries would come from former president George W. Bush or former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Overall, voters found that an endorsement from any well-known GOP figure would actually hurt the nominee's chances of winning the presidency.

Among Republican voters, presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann was the only one of six people named in the survey to be viewed as more of a hindrance than a help to a potential GOP nominee. Among GOP voters surveyed, 18 percent said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate backed by her.

With Huntsman out of the race and his support behind frontrunner Mitt Romney, there is still no telling if his nod will shift voters from his camp to Romney's.

"I believe it is now time for our party to unite around the candidate best equipped to beat Barack Obama," Huntsman told supporters in South Carolina.

The Pew Research Center poll didn't ask voters whether Huntsman's support would influence voters, as he was still in the race when the survey was conducted. The poll was released Friday.

Almost one-third of Republican or Republican-leaning voters - 28 percent - said they were more likely to vote for a candidate endorsed by Bush, while 23 percent said they were more likely to support a nominee with Palin's backing.

Overall, the poll found that an endorsement from well-known Republicans George W. Bush, Palin, Arizona Sen. John McCain, entrepreneur Donald Trump, former presidential candidates Herman Cain and Bachmann would be more of an obstacle than a boost in the general election.

Among all voters, an endorsement from any of the GOP favorites would make little difference in their voting decisions. Between 21 and 28 percent of those identifying as Republican, Democrat and Independent said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate endorsed by one of the prominent Republicans.

In contrast, between 6 and 14 percent of all voters were more likely to vote for a candidate with backing from one of the six.

Romney has continued to garner large support from Republican voters after wins in Iowa and New Hampshire. Polls from both the American Research Group and Rasmussen Reports found his lead extending into South Carolina with a 28 or 29 percent majority of voters.

Copyright 2012 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.