Writing for The Weekly Standard, Jeffrey Anderson wonders if Newt Gingrich is just as electable as Mitt Romney:
Across five Rasmussen polls of likely voters over the past six months (fewer polls have been taken of Gingrich versus Obama than of Romney versus Obama), Obama has always been within a 6-point range versus Gingrich - between 44 and 50 percent. However, Gingrich's own numbers have moved up steadily, and considerably - from 30 percent, to 34, to 38, to 38 (again), and now to 40. As a result, while Gringrich trailed Obama by 18 points six months ago (48 to 30 percent), he now trails him by only 6 points (46 to 40 percent).
Yes, the former House speaker has seen a rapid rise in the polls, but there doesn't seem to be anything that distinguishes this bubble from the ones that elevated Georgia businessman Herman Cain and Texas Governor Rick Perry. With a little more than a month before the Iowa caucuses, the smart thing to do –- as far as political analysis is concerned -– is to wait and see what happens to Gingrich's campaign. If he places first or second, then his candidacy might be a little more serious than it looks. Until then, I think it's still safe to say that Gingrich -– with his scant resources and few endorsements –- is in the second-tier of presidential candidates.
