New South Carolina Poll: Romney 23% Newt 21% Santorum 14% Paul 13%

[WI_DEM]

(Perry is running behind Huntsman! Perry must love coming in last)

As the GOP presidential nomination race settles into South Carolina, Mitt Romney isn’t enjoying the double-digit lead he held in New Hampshire, according to a survey conducted Wednesday night.

A The former Massachusetts governor’s lead is so small in the Palmetto State that he’s essentially tied with Newt Gingrich, according to a poll conducted for The Augusta Chronicle by InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Research.

Romney’s 23 percent and Gingrich’s 21 percent fall within the 3.6 percent margin of error. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who came in second in the Iowa caucuses is in third place in South Carolina with 14 percent, while Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the runner-up in New Hampshire, is effectively tied with him at 13 percent.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman has 7 percent, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry has 5 percent, while 17 percent are undecided or favor a candidate not offered as a choice in the survey.

The telephone survey questioned 726 registered voters who said they were likely to vote in the South Carolina GOP primary. Voters don’t have to be Republicans to participate in the Jan. 21 balloting, but independents generally make up a small share of the total, according to pollster Matt Towery, the president of InsiderAdvantage.

http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/aiken/2012-01-11/sc-poll-mitt-romney-has-small-lead-over-newt-gingrich

[center rising]

1. Mittens ain't gonna have it so easy in SC

I love it that Perry is behind Huntsman. Rick, go back to Texas and screw up that state some more.

[sufrommich]

2. I think the "vulture capitalist" accusation is

going to stick, even in red states.

[alterfurz]

3. that leaves 29% for Colbert?

Stephen Colbert, the comedian who parodies a right-wing talk show host, will announce Thursday night if he will make his own unique bid for the Presidency. Colbert, who was moved to consider a run after polling ahead of John Hunstman in South Carolina, turned to his audience Wednesday and asked if he should throw his hat into the ring.

“Nation: What do you think? Should I run for President in South Carolina?” Colbert asked to wild cheering. “But that's a really big decision. First, I need to pray on it,” said the Comedy Central star, who then paused for less than a second. “Okay, God's good with it. But obviously, I still have to go home, sit down and talk it over with my money.”

Colbert, a South Carolina native, pulled in 5% in a recent Public Policy Polling survey of the Palmetto State.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/stephen-colbert-mulls-run-s-republican-primary-polling-huntsman-article-1.1005051#ixzz1jGQTXSEh

[morningfog]

4. SC should mark the end for Perry.

Of course, Iowa should have. Actually, 10 debates ago should have. For real this time, though.

It is my hope that Newt keeps on his Mitt vendetta until the gop convention.

[Thrill]

5. Don't be surprised if Santorum wins SC

There are complete idiots in that state.

[onenote]

13. Santorum would have to make up a lot of ground in a short time

He's still polling in the mid-teens, while Romney and Gingrich are in the 20s. Also, since the Insider Advantage poll showing Gingrich within 2 points of Romney came out, two more polls have been released. They show the race between Romney and Gingrich tightening, but with Romney still maintaining a lead of 4 to 7 points. And Santorum still lagging.

[sofa king]

14. I don't think I can live without the TPM trend charts anymore.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/01/not_over_yet_2.php?ref=fpblg

Oddly enough, Newt's hit-job on Romney also coincides with an even steeper drop in approval for Rick Santorum, but that doesn't imply causality....

...Instead my money is on inquisitive SC Republicans plugging the term "Santorum" into search engines.

The steepest gains of late are actually for Ron Paul, who is doing a wonderful job as the spoiler-to-be who will hand the whole thing to us if he splits off as an independent, sure as The Kingfish.

Paul's near-hyperbolic rise in popularity over the past week makes him the only other candidate with an outside chance of placing first or second, in my opinion.

As much as I want to see it, I think the chances of a convention ballot nightmare for the Republicans are quickly dropping unless two other candidates can snap up some winner-take-all states. If Gingrich or Paul can pull something off in SC, then we still might get our pie fight episode in Tampa, though it's highly unlikely.

[ellisonz]

6. Newt is a tricky bastard. n/t

[UrbScotty]

7. Ron Paul well behind Romney and Newt! LOL

[adagio4639]

8. Falling Mitt

I'm not surprised that Mitt is falling. The ads that took down Newt were 30 second spots. Mitt has to deal with a 28 minute film as well as a ton of ads. I think this guy will probably win eventually, but he's going to be a bloody mess by the time he faces Obama, and by then he'll find out what his "Hells Kitchen" is all about. He's the poster child for everything that is wrong with America and that should be demonstrated in spades by Nov.

[ellisonz]

9. Welcome to DU!

P.S. Derek Rose is electric.

[MADem]

10. Where's Colbert in that ranking?

[1stlady]

11. Ewww

I can't believe I'm actually rooting for Newt to win, but I just can't stand to see Mittens win 3 primaries in a row.

[Hampton Jones]

12. You should be rooting for another santorum surge

That'll REALLY make you say ewww...but it will also give the president his best chance of re-election.