AP poll: More Republicans are satisfied with field of 2012 presidential candidates

Most Republicans say they're now satisfied with their choices in a presidential candidate, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll released Friday.

Sixty-four percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they are satisfied with their options in candidates to face off against President Obama next fall. That represents an increase since June, when just half of Republicans said they were pleased with the candidates in the field.

Thirty percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they were dissatisfied with the candidates, a number that's down since mid-June, when the last AP-GfK poll had been conducted.

The figures suggest potential GOP voters have increasingly come to terms with the field as it stands. A perceived sense that voters weren't entirely thrilled with the candidates already running for president has driven new candidates to enter the race — most notably, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) — and has sustained rumors about other candidates getting in the race.

Of the Republicans surveyed in the poll who said they were happy with the field, 26 percent said they were strongly satisfied with their choices, and 38 percent said they were somewhat satisfied.

The poll, conducted Aug. 18 to Aug. 22, ha a 6.4 percent margin of error for the sample of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.

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