Gender gap widens on Cain's favorables

PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 30 (UPI) -- The gender gap among Republicans concerning U.S. presidential candidate Herman Gain has widened, Gallup reported Wednesday.

Fifty-eight percent of Republican men said they have a favorable view of Cain and 26 percent said they had an unfavorable view for a net favorable rating of plus-32, poll results indicated. Among Republican women, 42 percent said they view Cain favorably and 34 percent held an unfavorable view for a net favorable rating of plus-8.

Gallup said the data were collected the day before Cain responded to a Georgia woman's claim that they engaged in a long-term extramarital affair. That report followed a series of sexual harassment allegations against the Georgia businessman. News reports Tuesday indicated he was reconsidering his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.

Cain's standing also took a hit after he stumbled through a response on the situation in Libya, raising questions about his grasp on foreign policy issues. The Princeton, N.J., polling agency said his Positive Intensity Score has tumbled from 34 in early October to 9. Also, Gallup's latest poll on candidate preferences indicated Cain fell behind Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich as the favored candidates.

Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews conducted with 1,415 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents as part of Gallup Daily tracking Nov. 14-27. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.