Ron Paul Leading in Iowa Polls; Gingrich's Numbers Plunge

In a turn of events that is sure to shock the Republican political establishment, Libertarian leaning GOP contender Ron Paul is now leading the polls in Iowa while former front-runner Newt Gingrich’s numbers have fallen precipitously. This new data could not come at a better time for the Paul campaign, and if it is accurate, he could take the state’s caucuses in a near landslide.

A new poll from Public Policy Polling, shows that the Texas Congressman in first place with 23% of the likely electorate versus 20% for Mitt Romney. Newt Gingrich, who had opened up a sizable lead in Iowa, is now fading fast.

The latest data shows him at 14 percent versus 27 percent just three weeks ago. Furthermore, Gingrich’s favorability rating is now at 46 percent versus 47 percent which is absolutely terrible – only John Huntsman does worse, according to the Atlantic. Voters in Iowa are obviously starting to strongly consider Gingrich’s sordid past, and they don’t like what they see.

Further evidence of this can be seen in the fact that only 36 percent of likely caucus goers answered yes to the question “Do you think Newt Gingrich has strong principles?” A full 73 percent responded in the affirmative to the same question about Ron Paul. The continuing Ron Paul surge is also being reported by the New York Times which has him at 24 percent, Romney at 21 percent and Gingrich at just 16 percent of the likely electorate in Iowa.

According to the Times’ latest modeling, Ron Paul now has a 44% chance of taking Iowa versus a 32% chance for Mitt Romney and a 15% chance for Gingrich. The headlines from Monday based on the very latest polling data are suggesting that Newt Gingrich is on the precipice of a major collapse.

They also suggest that Ron Paul’s numbers are being boosted by his performance in last week’s final Iowa debate. Another sign of Dr. Paul’s significant momentum can be seen in the success of his weekend money bomb, which raised more than $4 million. Paul’s latest surge could not be coming at a better time for his campaign as the Iowa caucuses are fast approaching on January 3, and his rise is coinciding with a steep fall for Gingrich. At this point, Ron Paul has become the clear front-runner in the first-in-the-nation 2012 caucuses, and it may be difficult for any of his opponents to catch him in Iowa with so little time left.

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