ARG poll in SC: Romney 29, Gingrich 25, Paul 20

Hot Air ^ | 12-13-2012 | Ed Morrissey

[TitansAFC]

Over the next week, we’re going to see a lot of polling in South Carolina, and note the consistencies and the differences between them, and Ramussen and ARG get us off to a good start today.

Both polls released today show Mitt Romney in the lead, and both show Newt Gingrich in second place — but the two diverge at that point:

Mitt Romney leads the South Carolina Republican presidential primary with 29%. Newt Gingrich is in second place with 25% and Ron Paul is in third place with 20%.

Paul has gained the most and Rick Santorum has lost the most since the last American Research Group survey on January 4-5. In that survey, Paul was at 9% and Santorum was at 24%.

Gingrich and Romney are tied among self-identified Republicans with 29% each, followed by Paul with 18%. Paul leads among independents and Democrats with 29%, followed by Romney with 27%, Gingrich with 12%, and Rick Perry with 11%.....

[TitansAFC]

Yet ANOTHER Poll in the last day showing Newt and Mitt in a two-man race in SC, with Newt surging.

Rasmussen shows a tight two-man race (Today)
ARG shows a tight two-man race (Today)
Insider Advantage shows a tight two-man race (Yesterday)
PPP shows a tight two-man race (Released later today - Twitter)

I implore everyone in SC to unite behind Newt Gingrich to defeat Mitt Romney and extend this nomination process!!!

[TitansAFC]

Newt surging in SC ping!!!!

[RitaOK]

Our last, BEST chance to speak at all of conservatism. After South Carolina, it’s a delegate count and a sock in it, for our side.

South Carolina, hold the line.

[Jim Noble]

It is unacceptable to declare a "big winner" who has "nailed down the nomination" who gets 29% of the vote.

This is a rules problem, and the rules should be changed.

I don't know how delegates are being selected/awarded, but no candidate should be able to capture a convention majority without consistently getting >50% of the votes in primary states.

I would also change the delegates needed to nominate to 67% or even 75%. If a candidate so splits the party tha he cannot achieve tha threshold, he shouldn't be nominated at all.

[Parley Baer]

Please let it be so. GO NEWT! We need to stop Mitt.

[cotton1706]

And we still have two debates before the vote. Newt, the aplomb speaker against Mitt, the stuttering plastic smiler.

[GonzoGOP]

The good news is that Newt is breaking away from the other two. Now that is not because I have something against Perry or Santorum, or more precisely not that I have more against them than against Gingrich. It is that we might end up after South Carolina with one "Not Romney". And that is the key. It honestly doesn't matter which one at this point, I just want one of them to win big so we know who to rally around. I know everyone here has their favorite. However look at it this way, either two thirds of us are disappointed when our favorite candidates drop out or all of us will be disappointed when Romney wins.

Going into Florida we need to have one Not Romney. A clear victory by Newt in SC will go a long way to making that happen.

[RitaOK]

I agree with your premise, but how would that apply to Hillary vs. Obama? I thought she would NEVER get out, but admittedly my disdain for HER blinded my interest in following Obama.

[b9]

Nothin could be finah
Than to see in Carolina
NEWT a- suuuurgin

Nothin could be sweeter
than to see a big defeater
Mitt a- puuurgin!

GOOOO NEWT!!!

[McGruff]

vs

You decide.

[greeneyes]

Good news. Hope Newt beats the socks off mittens.LOL

[david1313]

Newt can pull it together. HE WILL WIN.

[Ingtar]

A picture or two for you as well:

Newt endorses Dede

[Jim Noble]

I agree with your premise, but how would that apply to Hillary vs. Obama?

I don't know, I'm not a Democrat.

How they choose their nominees does not concern me.

[fortheDeclaration]

Newt has to win this to stop the phony MSM driven ‘inevitablity’ of Romney.

[Gator113]

The Republican elite/Rove club, Fox-Romney-news corp, the so called “conservative” talk show stars- turncoats all, and many many others have got to be pulling their hair out. LOL

GO NEWT GO.......

[fortheDeclaration]

Good points! They should have a runoff with the two highest vote getters.

[EnglishCon]

Happy to see the poll that finally has Perry moving up, but:

GO NEWT!!!!!!

Keep smacking Romney where it hurts - just about everywhere.

[ez]

Romney and Paul leading big among Democrats and Independents. Democrats and Independents have voted in every primary so far. Tell me why we should let this be over after three states and let Democrats and Independents pick our nominee for us?

[CainConservative]

Conservative Newt or Liberal Willard. Choose wisely.

ARG South Carolina 2012 GOP Primary Poll

•Mitt the Lib 29% [31%]
•Newt the Conserv 25% [24%]
•Rick Perry 9% [8%]
•Rick Santorum 7% [24%]
•Undecided 7% [7%]

Rasmussen South Carolina 2012 GOP Primary Poll

•Mitt the Lib 28% [27%]
•Newt the Conserv 21% [18%]
•Rick Santorum 16% [24%]
•Rick Perry 6% [5%]
•Undecided 8% [11%]

Hmmm….

Speaker Gingrich-led Republicans….the result:

* Four consecutive balanced budgets
* Over $500 billion of debt paid off
* Major welfare reform accomplished
* 11 million new jobs for America
* Unemployment falling to under 4%.

Mitt the Lib.....the result:

Strike one = Romneycare with the public option, intrusive mandates, death panel exchanges, and massive federal subsidies including subsidized $50 abortions through Planned Parenthood

Strike two = Willard appointing tons of ulta-liberal judges

Strike three = 47th in job creation as governor after shipping American jobs to China as Bain CEO