New Rasmussen poll in FL puts Romney up by 8 (17 point swing in just 3 days !!)

Hotair ^ | 01/26/2012 | Ed Morrissey

[SeekAndFind]

Mitt Romney’s performance in Monday’s debate turned out to be a game-changer after all. Three days after a Rasmussen poll of likely Republican primary voters showed Newt Gingrich up by nine points, a new survey taken yesterday shows Romney has an eight-point lead heading into tonight’s CNN debate:

Mitt Romney has jumped back ahead in the fevered Florida Republican Primary race with his support back to where it was before Newt Gingrich’s big win Saturday in South Carolina.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Florida Republican Primary Voters, taken Wednesday night, shows Romney with 39% support to Gingrich’s 31%. Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum earns 12%, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul runs last with nine percent (9%). Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate, and seven percent (7%) are undecided.

That’s a ten-point drop for Gingrich since Sunday’s survey, and a seven-point gain for Romney. The momentum of the debate performance, and perhaps the renewed aggression on the campaign trail for Romney, seems to be firmly established in new polling. That makes tonight a must-win evening for Gingricg, and that probably means a lot of bloody knuckles for both men.

Let’s take a look at the differences in the internals. Very conservative voters still choose Gingrich as the stronger candidate against Obama, but that’s down to 47/34 from 56/24 in the earlier survey. Women had given a three-point edge to Romney on this question, but that has now jumped to 22 points, 52/30, and men now give Romney a nine-point lead where Gingrich had a double-digit advantage. The overall rating on this question now favors Romney by 15 points, 49/34, where Gingrich led by 3 on Sunday. Gingrich’s favorability didn’t change much at 63/35, but Romney’s increased to 73/25.

This looks like a very volatile race, though. A big debate stumble by Romney could reverse this yet again. However, with the tax issue off the table and every other line of attack likely to be a rerun, there’s a question about whether Gingrich can find another way to knock Romney off his stride as he did in South Carolina, or go after the media like he did to win in two debates there.

[altura]

I hate early voting. It evolved from absentee voting for a genuine reason and now people just do it for convenience.

[Grunthor]

Oh, my dear Thane, I do not expect them to learn. I expect them to die.

;0)

[Friendofgeorge]

I have been preaching it for years and years, all pollsters have a agenda, there is no science in political partisan polling period.

They are ALL dishonest, and in fact Ras is as bad as the NY Times.

All the pollsters are in the tank, for either the MSM or Rep establishment.

Sarah Palin I think figured this out, if the pollsters personally dislike you, it`s tough to win.

Make no mistake, most Americans are influenced by the polls, please do not tell me the American People are smart, they are NOT

[longtermmemmory]

there is a full court press on Newt.

All radio adds, even during rush, are pro-mitt.

Pawlenty was on the CNBC show around 8am praising Mitt.

FNF was touting the new poll as conclusive.

PMSNBC was all about romney.

It is a relentless meme attack.

[CAluvdubya]

creating the template for Obamacare. Romney's own former advisers then helped President Obama implement Obamacare on a national level. Governor Romney's record is very liberal, even for a Democrat governor, let alone for a Republican one."

This is a huge point to make. We all know that Romney has said he won't overturn ObamaCare and doesn't regret RomneyCare, even though it has bankrupted his state!

[CommerceComet]

Yeah, if that happens we’d be lucky to get someone like Romney. More likely we’d get someone like Olympia Snowe or Joe Lieberman.

There isn't enough distance between Romney's policies and theirs to even worry about it. Both Romney and Snowe are Rockefeller Republicans - the only difference is that Olympia will publicly admit it.

[vicar7]

I just think Newt is making it harder than it needs to be he just cannot help but be distracted but he better figure it out. He is the one drawing the crowds and creating any excitement that there is so he needs to capitalize on that and I am not sure he is right now. Gee Newt please just 3 minutes of whining about “Mitt’s foolishness” then on to what you are gonna do or your vision for America.

[Theodore R.]

As they say, the Republican establishment, like Scotland Yard, always gets its man! People in FL are pretty establishment types too, but they balked at Crist.

[swampfox101]

Good point..., thanks...!

[KansasGirl]

I bet the moderator won’t let Newt make the case!

[hoosiermama]

We must fight the Dredge,Cooter,Heck attack on Newt

Below are four non-FR links that freepers can send to all on their email list (ask recipients to forward), their facebook friends and any local politician and news media.

NEWT Needs us, lets use our commputers to help him contradict the lies. Truth will out.

http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/article/what-really-happened-gingrich-ethics-case/336051

http://legalinsurrection.com/2012/01/nancy-reagan-1995-ronnie-turned-that-torch-over-to-newt/

http://spectator.org/archives/2012/01/24/reagans-young-lieutenant/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec_Nunb6izo

[Wallace T.]

If Gingrich hits it out of the park tonight at the Jacksonville debate, and puts Romney on the ropes, with a few slaps at Paul and Santorum for good measure, these numbers can reverse in favor of the former Speaker. But he does have to be on top of his game.

[gov_bean_ counter]

And it doesn’t help Newt that the little Yorkie in the sweater vest is biting at his ankles and will probably continue to do so after he exits the race.

[rbmillerjr]

The Deeper question is...

Are we really free?

[gov_bean_ counter]

Mrs GBC says NO. I go back and forth on the question.

[GoCards]

Hope your right. I like when Happy FReepers buck up the “having a negative day “ FReepers :)

[M-cubed]

and Newt could add....Romney has said , and these are his own words... “I’m not a partisan Republican, I’m
someone who is moderate - my views are progressive,”...and that is how he governed in Mass...his record speaks for itself..(tick off 8-10 examples) Do u still agree with those positions Governor???

[CatherineofAragon]

This poll seriously makes me nauseous. May I suggest that we keep Newt in our prayers today for a good debate performance? This thing needs to be sewn up so that Romney is no longer a threat.

[faucetman]

We will see if it is working when THE PEOPLE vote. These polls are like the 3G 4G commercials, so 24 hours ago. They just aren't up to date, regardless how current they are. The people weren't home, they were at a Newt rally.

While I regard Rasmussen as the poll I trust the most, it just isn't current enough. I will accept the actual poll, the vote, when it happens.

[Josh Painter]

Newt’s bounce for winning the SC primary is gone. Romney’s smear money is now leading Florida. He’s saturating the airwaves so thoroughly, that some 5-minute breaks have two anti-Newt attack ads in them. This is what he did to Newt in Iowa.