Romney reclaims lead from Gingrich in South Carolina

[cthulu2016]

So Santorumentum is real but Romney will probably skate through his divided opposition. Likeliest outcome, IMO, is that Santorum is Huckabee to Mitt's McCain. Fox News is, by the way, not a bad source for intra-republican politics. It is, however, a bad source for most other topics.
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Three polls Friday showed Mitt Romney reclaiming the lead from Newt Gingrich in South Carolina following the former Massachusetts governor's narrow win Tuesday in Iowa. Rick Santorum and Gingrich are now battling for second in South Carolina -- whose election results historically have been the most accurate gauge for who becomes the Republican presidential nominee.

Gingrich lost an earlier lead in South Carolina but he remains competitive there despite a fourth-place finish in Iowa. A Rasmussen Reports poll out Friday showed Romney with 27 percent support in South Carolina, followed by Santorum with 24 percent and Gingrich with 18 percent. An American Research Group poll in the state showed Romney with 31 percent, and Gingrich and Santorum each with 24 percent.

A CNN/Time poll later showed Romney with 37 percent, followed by Santorum at 19 percent and Gingrich at 18 percent.

The polls reflected a steady rise for Romney and an astonishing surge for Santorum following his near-tie with Romney in Iowa -- Rasmussen had him at 1 percent in South Carolina just two months ago.



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/06/gop-candidates-step-up-south-carolina-push-as-polls-tighten/#ixzz1ihZpzsXt

[limpyhobbler]

1. Yeah but SC evangelicals haven't got the best emails and robocalls yet...

reminding them than Mormonism is part of Satan and Mitt Romney is secretly for polygamy and he has a black love-child.

[cthulu2016]

2. Very true.

On the other hand New Hampshire will give Mitt a good media week.

Unless Newt collapses I can see Mitt winning SC. (With less than 50% of course, but "winning" )

[WI_DEM]

3. If Romney clinches this early...

it wouldn't be the worse thing. The fight between Obama and Clinton in '08 probably helped Obama in the end. If Romney clinches it early he'll be cockier and smugger yet and I think that repels people and Obama can start campaigning directly against Mittens.

[banned from Kos]

9. No - we want GOP vs GOP blood.

Theirs is ideology. Its different than Hillary vs Obama.

[banned from Kos]

4. If that 37% holds - ITS OVER. South Carolina should be anti-Romney more than any

other state.

[limpyhobbler]

5. 37% in south carolia would be a dream come true for Romney. Seems kind of implausible though.

I don't see how that's possible. That's almost what he's got in NH and he lives there. The CNN/Time poll seems goofy, no?

[cthulu2016]

6. Do you know if SC is an open primary?

CNN seems to like polling only registered republicans and Romney is stronger with them.

I don't know if SC is closed or open.

[limpyhobbler]

8. I think it is a wide open format where anybody can vote in any primary regardless of registration.

(Googled it just now)

[banned from Kos]

7. I'm mildly shocked --- and

disappointed. I want a bloody battle.