Iowa: Santorum Surges, Romney Stable, Paul Dropping (Internal Polling: Romney is “pulling away”)

weeklystandard.com/blogs ^ | 12/29/2011 | Stephen F. Hayes

[TBBT]

Rick Perry’s presidential campaign released a tough new ad Thursday targeting Rick Santorum and his history of supporting earmarks in Congress. Why is Perry attacking a candidate who has been mired in single digits in Iowa despite living there for most of the past several months?

Simple, Santorum is surging. A CNN poll of registered Iowa Republicans released Wednesday puts Santorum in third place with 16 percent of the vote – his highest share yet. It’s not an outlier. In fact, data from Perry’s internal daily tracking polling shows that the Santorum surge is real and that he has the potential to continue gaining in the days before voters gather for the caucuses next Tuesday.

The polling was described to TWS by a strategist for a rival campaign and confirmed by a source familiar with the numbers. The four important takeaways from Perry’s polling: Mitt Romney is “pulling away” from a group of four second-tier candidates bunched together behind him; Ron Paul’s numbers have dropped steadily in the aftermath of the attention given his troubling newsletters; Santorum’s rise has coincided with the erosion of support for Newt Gingrich; and Michele Bachmann is in danger of becoming a non-factor in the race.

Almost all of this is good news for Mitt Romney, who announced in recent days a busy schedule of Iowa campaigning and whose campaign let it be known that he would remain overnight in Iowa after the caucuses – both indications that the Romney camp is increasingly confident of a win in Iowa next week. And Romney, in an appearance in Iowa on Thursday, said only a win in Iowa would constitute a real victory.

[darrellmaurina]

FYI, I discovered when checking TBBT’s posting history that his account is now banned or suspended. Apparently this happened sometime on Sunday or early Monday since he hasn't posted since Sunday.

I have major problems with what TBBT wrote here attacking evangelicals, but I did not request that, and I can't find a post by Jim Robinson or Admin Moderator zotting him. It may be there but I can't find it. Also, TBBT may have said something someplace else that led to him being banned or suspended.

I don't want anyone thinking that I asked for him to be banned because I was offended by his post. Free Republic's management can do what they want, of course, and I have no role or even influence in those decisions.

[.30Carbine]

That quiz was fun! Told me what I already knew, but I love to know that I know my self so well!

Your top candidate match is Michele Bachmann!
Rick Perry and Rick Santorum were runner-ups.

[.30Carbine]

I have enjoyed reading your comments here at the end of this thread!

[darrellmaurina]

123 posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2012 6:19:51 PM by .30Carbine: “I have enjoyed reading your comments here at the end of this thread!”

Thanks!