Not so fast, Newt.
Three separate polls released in the past 24 hours and just days ahead of the Florida primary show that Mitt Romney may be one his way to retaking the lead once again. Two polls shows Romney with a slight lead of two percent (those are within the margins of error, so they're technically not leads at all but statistical ties). Yet another show that the two are also basically tied.
Remember, earlier this week Gingrich was ahead by nine points according to a Rasmussen poll. Are we on the verge of another Gingrich collapse?
Here's the details on the three polls:
CNN/Time Poll of 369 likely voters taken between Jan. 22nd and 24th:
- Romney - 36 percent
- Gingrich - 34 percent
- Santorum - 11 percent
- Paul - 9 percent
Quinnipiac Poll of 601 likely voters taken between Jan. 19th and 23rd:
- Romney - 36 percent
- Gingrich - 34 percent
- Santorum - 13 percent
- Paul - 10 percent
Florida Chamber of Commerce Poll of 506 registered voters taken between Jan. 22nd and 23rd:
- Romney - 33.13 percent
- Gingrich - 32.95 percent
- Santorum - 10.32 percent
- Paul - 6.15 percent
So, what does it mean? It looks like Newt may be losing his edge. That Rasmussen poll was taken on January 22, just a day after his South Carolina victory. He had a nine-point lead. A PPP poll taken on the 22nd and 23rd showed him with only a five-point lead. It seems that as more time elapses since Gingrich's South Carolina win, the less he gets a boost from the victory in Florida.
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