Gingrich takes lead nationally (Herman Cain in close 2nd, Milt distant third)

Raleigh, N.C. – Newt Gingrich has taken the lead in PPP's national polling. He's at 28% to 25% for Herman Cain and 18% for Mitt Romney. The rest of the Republican field is increasingly looking like a bunch of also rans: Rick Perry is at 6%, Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul at 5%, Jon Huntsman at 3%, and Gary Johnson and Rick Santorum each at 1%.

Compared to a month ago Gingrich is up 13 points, while Cain has dropped by 5 points and Romney has gone down by 4. Although a fair amount of skepticism remains about the recent allegations against Cain there is no doubt they are taking a toll on his image his net favorability is down 25 points over the last month from +51 (66/15) to only +26 (57/31).

What is perhaps a little more surprising is that Romney's favorability is at a 6 month low in our polling too with only 48% of voters seeing him favorably to 39% with a negative opinion.

There's reason to think that if Cain continues to fade, Gingrich will continue to gain.

Among Cain's supporters 73% have a favorable opinion of Gingrich to only 21% with a negative one. That compares to a 33/55 spread for Romney with Cain voters and a 32/53 one for Perry.

Cain's continuing to benefit from doubts about whether the allegations against him are true- 54% of primary voters think they are 'mostly false' to only 24 who believe they are 'mostly true.'

Painting himself as a victim of the media is proving to be a good strategy for Cain so far- 61% think it has been 'mostly unfair' to him compared to 26% who say it has been 'mostly fair.'(continued)

What constitutional struggle are you talking about? What specifically does he NOT understand?

A successful businessman hasn’t fought socialism via his participation in the private sector?

So you happen to have greater knowledge on the constitution that he has? You’ve seen him grilled on every single part of the constitution? He has LESS than a layman’s knowledge?

Again, does that mean a citizen shouldn’t run (or win) because they have the same love and appreciation that we do but not some encyclopedic knowledge? Guess that pretty much answers my question about whether you think the founders were incorrect to NOT put qualifiers on who they thought would make a good president.

Maybe the next president who is a member of the permanent political class should work on passing an amendment forbidding anyone without X number of years in government to be elected president.

Yes, he’s got some learning to do as far as campaign staff but this isn’t the only time he’s ever in his life had to surround himself with competent people. How is it possible to turn companies around as he did if he was incapable of choosing good people. He recently hired the BEST attorney one could ever hire to deal with his charges. I haven’t seen whats-his-face in public since his ridiculous accusations.

Cindie

I think Newt will be the last one. He's actually not that different from Romney as far as I can tell, except that he's probably a tougher sell.

The Tea Partiers have gone through a series of not-ready-for-prime-timers. It seems to be their favorite flavor. But after Newt, who they never thought they'd support, who is left? No one.

So it will come down to Newt vs Romney. I think Romney can win it, if the Tea Parties can't make up their minds. If they cling to Cain the way they clung to Palin, they'll split the vote with their somewhat more rational brethren, and Romney has a shot at winning it. If the press savages Newt, as I think they will, Romney will be the one the non-junkies will see as the one who can beat Obama.And then the real fun begins, as the Tea Party has to decide if they want Obama or Romney.

As for me, I was close to going with Newt, but that foreign policy debate ruined it for me. He's a hubristic, arrogant neocon, and I just can't cast my vote for that--even if the base insists on such a policy. No thanks.

I'm going to vote for Gary Johnson. Y'all can make whatever dumb choices you want. I'm done with it. It's not as if my vote amounts to squat anyway.

Fighting socialism by being in business is not the same as fighting the socialists while you are in power. At another time, I would be more tolerant of taking the risk. But since we are in a battle with the radical left, the Muslims and the transnationalists who have all teamed up together to attack the Nation, the economy and the constitution, I’m not able to support Mr. Cain now.

I also don’t want the socialists having a new pot of taxpayers’ money - consumption taxation. So 999 is a dead end to me.

Well I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on who is qualified to be in the White House. I don’t think only a professional politician can defend and protect the Constitution and fight socialism. And I think the country needs an outsider. The founders were right to NOT put qualifiers. Lincoln only served in the Illinois state house where his concentration was on his state’s constitution. Yet he managed to keep the entire country from splitting in two.

Sometimes “business as usual” doesn’t work. And someone who isn’t typically considered “qualified” is the very best choice. Professional politicians with Ivy League credentials and the “right” path gave us 0bama (the right path, no experience, Marxist ideas). Whether right or left socialism has been creeping into our country. I have absolutely no faith left in the political class. I’m willing to take a risk on the qualifications the founders deemed important, along with my own reasoning skills.

Clearly what we’ve been doing for the last couple of decades hasn’t been working. There isn’t one member of those running with “political careers” who hasn’t been compromised (or compromised themselves) in some manner or the other. I’m fed up.

Cindie

And I think the country needs an outsider.

He won't stay an outsider for long, and it is precisely his inexperience that will facilitate it. His national sales tax is going to need a Constitutional Amendment. That means he is at the mercy of the states. In other words, he is at the mercy of the very thing...the game of politics...that he supposedly stands apart from. By the time the amendment passes, if it does, he will have agreed to a lot of deals and granted a lot of favors...just like any other politician. Don't kid yourself into thinking that they're going to let him ride above the game.

I don't think he'll take the nomination though, let alone the Presidency. He knows practically nothing about foreign affairs and his understanding of domestic affairs is, to be kind, less than impressive. He would get clobbered in the general election. Don't think someone like Herman Cain is just going to breeze into the White House. It's not going to be that easy. If the electorate were dumb enough to vote someone like Obama in once, they can do it again.

Mr. Cain simply has too much inexperience, and it was glaringly obvious with this new interview that just surfaced. I'm sorry, but he's simply not fit to be President.

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