That’s MY OPINION, which is not manufactured by polls.
Seriously, so much of the election race is about traction. I've heard so many opinions expressed, even on these boards, to the effect that "such and such a candidate cannot possibly win", followed by a rash of reasons that basically boil down to "who they?" or "they're nobodies". Well, with the recent opinion polls, Santorum IS suddenly a somebody. I'm not personally quite sure WHY - the reasoning behind why people make choices about candidates are never very clearly explained. It might be that the voters are turning to him because they are sick and tired of hearing Romney and Newt gouge lumps out of each other. Perhaps that will change when the guns are turned on Santorum instead.