New polls suggest it’s Newt Gingrich’s turn to rise to the top of 2012 GOP contenders. The Republican primary race has been marked by surges and drops — save for Willard M. Romney’s steady hold. According to a CNN/ORC International Poll released today, 24% of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents showed their support for Romney while 22% favored Gingrich, with Herman Cain dropping 11 points down to 14% whose recent sexual harassment allegations were deemed a “serious issue” by 52% of the respondents.
Gingrich’s momentum was also picked up by a recent NBC/WSJ poll where he lands in third at 22%, gaining five points since the beginning of November along with Romney who garnered 32%, nudging Cain out of first place who came in with one point lower at 27%.
While making a campaign stop in Iowa this afternoon, the former Speaker of the House sounded cautiously reserved about his recent climb to the top of the “most volatile race of [his] lifetime.”
“This is a wild race,” he told the crowd at the GuideOne Insurance event. “Who knows what the polls are going to be two months from now? I’m not going to tell you that I’m on the way,” said Gingrich. To him, the American people are “going to keep pushing until they find somebody who can take the pressure and can withstand it.”
— By Skivjana Neza
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