Last time we checked in on South Carolina, Mitt Romney was leading with a healthy margin over his competitors, including former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Since then, the ground has shifted, but just a bit. According to the latest poll from We Ask America, Romney leads with 26 percent support, followed by 21 percent for Newt Gingrich, 13 percent for Rick Santorum, 8 percent for Ron Paul, and 5 percent for Rick Perry.
Likewise, a new survey from Public Policy Polling finds Romney at 27 percent, Gingrich at 23 percent, Santorum at 18 percent, Paul at 8 percent, and Perry at 7 percent. All of the candidates plan a massive blitz of events, rallies, and campaign ads over the next two weeks, so these numbers will likely change. Still, they all find Romney in a decent spot over his competitors. What's more, the governor's likely win in New Hampshire is almost certain to boost his performance in the state, which has a tendency to support the establishment candidate in Republican primaries.
Still, given the extent to which a large percentage of South Carolina voters are undecided, as well as the degree to which New Hampshire has brought out a whole host of Romney's weaknesses, it's possible that these polls haven't caught up to the changing dynamics of the primary. Put another way, it's hard to know how things will turn out in the Palmetto State.
