• Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  Polling,  President 2012,  Sarah Palin

    President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Newt Gingrich Making a Comeback? 3 Points Behind Romney

    Perhaps, according to the latest Rasmussen Poll.

    The race for the Republican presidential nomination is now nearly even with Mitt Romney still on top but Newt Gingrich just three points apart.

    The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Republican Primary Voters nationwide shows Romney with 30% support and Gingrich with 27% of the vote. Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, who was running second two weeks ago, has now dropped to 15%.

    Texas Congressman Ron Paul captures 13% support from likely primary voters, and Texas Governor Rick Perry remains in last place with four percent (4%). Another four percent (4%) like some other candidate in the race, and seven percent (7%) are undecided.

    But, the big story here is Gingrich’s resurgence and Santorum’s seeming collapse. This poll was taken Tuesday night after the last South Carolina debate in which Gingrich was the CLEAR winner.

    Is there enough time for Gingrich to surge in South Carolina?

    But the story in the new numbers, taken Tuesday night, is Gingrich’s jump 11 points from 16% two weeks ago. Romney’s support is essentially unchanged from 29% at that time, while Santorum is down six points from 21%. Paul’s and Perry’s support is also unchanged. Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman earned four percent (4%) of the vote at the start of the month but dropped out of the race this week. This suggests that many voters are still looking for an alternative to Romney and currently see Gingrich as that candidate.

    Will Sarah Palin’s pronouncement last night on Fox News help?

  • Laura Ingraham,  Newt Gingrich,  President 2012

    President 2012: Newt Gingrich Urges Santorum and Perry to Drop Out of Presidential Race – Bring Conservatives Together Against Romney

    Newt Gingrich on the Laura Ingraham Show

    @4:53 Gingrich: One of my goals over the next four days is to convince South Carolina conservatives that voting for me is the one way that they can stop a moderate from becoming the nominee. And if I can convince enough people that the other votes are for nice guys who aren’t going to win that they functionally help Romney become the nominee.

    Newt Gingrich is correct and the conservative vote is split and there is NO consensus candidate.

    Buoyed by his strong debate performance in Myrtle Beach, Newt Gingrich has called his rivals to drop out of the race because “consolidating into a Gingrich candidacy” would “virtually guarantee victory” in the South Carolina primary and stop Mitt Romney becoming the Republican nominee.

    Making the case to a crowd of almost 200 in an art gallery in the old railroad junction town of Florence, South Carolina he said: “If you look at the polling, I’m the only conservative who realistically has a chance to be the nominee.

    “So any vote for Santorum or Perry in effect is a vote to allow Romney to become the nominee. Because we’ve got to bring conservatives together in order to stop him.”

    But, do Santorum and Perry care?

    Probably not.

    I suspect Perry will withdraw after a dismal Saturday performance in South Carolina and Santorum may not be able to continue due to campaign cash problems.

    Newt could come in second in South Carolina (or even win it) and should a Super Pac fund him enough, weather Florida and hope for better election outcomes – one on one with Romney.

    But, is it too late?

  • Newt Gingrich,  President 2012,  Rick Santorum

    President 2012: Newt Gingrich Says a Vote for Santorum is a Vote for Romney

    Newt Gingrich speaking at the South Carolina Presidential debate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina last night

    There is little doubt that Rick Perry, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are dividing up the conservative vote.

    “If you vote for Sen. Santorum, in effect, you’re functionally voting for Gov. Romney to be the nominee. The only way to stop Mitt Romney, for all practical purposes, is to vote for Newt Gingrich. It’s a fact. It’s a mathematical fact,” Gingrich said to reporters after an event in Myrtle Beach, according to the Wall Street Journal.

    “Any conservative who votes for anyone but Newt helps elect a moderate as the nominee,” Gingrich added.

    The former House Speaker went on to criticize Santorum’s defeat in 2006 to Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, in which the incumbent earned just over 41 percent of the vote and lost by more than 700,000 votes.

    “Evangelical voters would like to have a nominee that will win a general election, and somebody who set the all-time Pennsylvania record for the size of their defeat has a harder case to make as to why they could be elected,” Gingrich said.

    Newt has a point, but I doubt Santorum or Perry will voluntarily withdraw with only a few days before the South Carolina primary election.

    Now, after Saturday’s election, this may be a different story.

  • Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  President 2012

    President 2012: Mitt Romney Super PAC Strikes Back at Gingrich

    See the ad and facts sheet at www.newtfacts.com.

    The gloves are off in South Carolina and Florida. There is no love lost between Romney and Gingrich.

    The Restore Our Future “super PAC” supporting Mitt Romney has unleashed a new ad against Newt Gingrich called “Desperate”….

    The ad, running in South Carolina and Florida, highlights how Mr. Romney’s supporters are prepared for a full-throated battle with Mr. Gingrich, and it comes in the wake of an ad campaign by a super PAC supporting Mr. Gingrich that is spending millions attacking Mr. Romney and his stewardship of Bain.

  • Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  President 2012,  Rick Santorum,  Ron Paul

    President 2012: Gingrich and Santorum Get Testy with Opponents on the Day of the Iowa Caucus

    First, there is Newt going ballistic at Mitt Romney:

    Newt should probably be mad about his abysmal campaign response to Romney’s negative television ads who everyone knew were going to hit him.

    Then, there is Rick Santorum going after Ron Paul.

    “Ron Paul is disgusting,” presidential candidate Rick Santorum said to a handful of Fox News and Business reporters shortly after his Fox and Friends interview Tuesday morning.

    Santorum blamed his rival for Iowa robo calls that claimed that the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania was Pro-Choice and against the second amendment.

    There will be some bad blood among the GOP ranks after Iowa tonight.

    But, hey, isn’t that politics?

  • Jeb Bush,  Newt Gingrich,  Polling,  President 2012

    President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Newt Gingrich Poll Lead Collapses

    According to the latest Gallup Poll.

    After enjoying 14- to 15-percentage-point leads over Mitt Romney in early December, Newt Gingrich is now statistically tied with Romney in national Republican preferences for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination: 26% for Gingrich vs. 24% for Romney. This follows a steady decline in support for Gingrich in the past 10 days.

    The latest findings are from Dec. 13-18 Gallup Daily tracking, based on 1,177 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who are registered to vote. Gallup initiated Daily tracking of the Republican presidential trial heat on Dec. 1, and reports the results in continuous five-day rolling averages.

    No single candidate has benefited proportionately more from Gingrich’s 11-point decline — from 37% to 26% — over the past 10 days. Rather, Gallup polling finds slight increases in support for the six remaining major candidates in the race. Also, the percentage of Republicans favoring none of the candidates or who are unsure has risen by three points, from 14% to 17%.

    Twenty-four percent of registered Republicans and Republican-leaning independents now favor Romney for the nomination. This is up just slightly from the 22% to 23% level seen for much of the first two weeks of December. Support for Ron Paul is now 11%, up from 8% to 9% earlier in the month — marking the first time his support has been above 10% since mid-September. At that time, a Gallup poll of all Republicans/Republican-leaning independents put his support at 13%.

    The GOP Establishment “pile on” against Newt Gingrich has been profound and frequent. Gingrich who has little campaign cash and/or organization to respond to the attacks both in the free media and “on air” has had as meteoric a rise as has been his collapse.  Gingrich has wilted under all of the attacks. Here is the graph:

    It seems the GOP voters are “settling” now for Mitt Romney or are giving other candidates a second look.

    I maintain that there is still time for a third candidate to arise from the ash pile of former GOP Poll leaders. Today’s hunch is Jeb Bush who, today, has a piece in the Wall Street Journal.

  • Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  Polling,  President 2012

    President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Gingrich Opens Up Large Leads in Florida and South Carolina

    Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

    According to the latest NBC/Marist Poll.

    Newt Gingrich’s surge in the polls isn’t limited to just the early presidential-nominating contest of Iowa.

    According to new NBC News-Marist polls, the former House speaker has now opened up commanding leads in South Carolina and Florida — two states that historically have played important roles in deciding the eventual Republican nominee.

    Fueled by the support from conservatives and the Tea Party, Gingrich is ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by nearly 20 points in South Carolina.  The winner of that state’s primary has gone on to capture each GOP nomination since 1980.

    And he leads Romney by double digits in Florida, whose primary ultimately ended up deciding the party’s pick in 2008.

    I think this GOP primary race is just about over, unless Gingrich fumbles the ball with some momentous gaffe or something comes out that is very very damaging.

    Now, the real questions are whether Newt Gingrich can unite the GOP and win against President Obama in the key battleground states or…..will another candidate come along.

  • Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  Polling,  President 2012

    President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Newt Gingrich Leads BIG in 3 Early States – Is Newt the Nominee?

    Newt gingrich Thumbs Up

    Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gives a thumbs-up as he leaves the stage after addressing the 2012 Republican Presidential Candidates Forum hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011, in Washington

    According to the latest CNN/Time/ORC Polls.

    Iowa:

    • Gingrich 33%
    • Romney 20%
    • Paul 17%
    • Perry 9%
    • Bachmann 7%
    • Santorum 5%
    • Huntsman 1%

    South Carolina:

    • Gingrich 43%
    • Romney 20%
    • Perry 8%
    • Bachmann 6%
    • Paul 6%
    • Santorum 4%
    • Huntsman 1%

    Florida:

    • Gingrich 48%
    • Romney 25%
    • Paul 5%
    • Bachmann 3%
    • Huntsman 3%
    • Perry 3%
    • Santorum 1%

    In New Hampshire, Mitt Romney continues to lead but Newt Gingrich has taken a commanding lead in the GOP Presidential primary race. Unless something happens and happens dramtically and quick, it looks like Newt Gingrich WILL BE the Republican Nominee.

    The New Hampshire numbers:

    • Romney 35%
    • Gingrich 26%
    • Paul 17%
    • Huntsman 8%
    • Bachmann 3%
    • Perry 2%
    • Santorum 2%

    I will hold to my belief there will be a draft movement for another candidate. But with such a commanding lead and if it is sustained, in later, other polls, it will be difficult to turn the tide away from Gingrich.