With less than a year to go before the Iowa caucuses, Republican voters have yet to form strong opinions about most of their potential candidates for president in 2012, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Only those possible contenders who regularly appear on television — or have run before — are well known enough to elicit significant views from their fellow Republicans. And of that group, only former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska are viewed favorably by more than half of the Republican electorate.

The poll would seem to reflect the late start to the Republican primary season, with many of the major likely candidates seeking to hoard their money and avoid any missteps that they might have to live with later, when voters go to polls or caucus rooms.