Five polls of Iowa this week all show the same thing, Mitt Romney is either in first place, or gaining steam. The NBC News, Rasmussen Reports, Insider Advantage, and CNN polls all have Romney either in first or tied for first. The one poll that does not have Romney winning, the Public Policy Polling survey, shows Romney up 4 points from just two weeks ago.
And on the ground, ABC News is reporting the same trend:
They spilled out of a hotel ballroom in Davenport, Iowa on Tuesday night to hear his closing argument speech, they lined up at a coffee shop in Muscatine before the sun rose Wednesday morning to throw a couple questions his way and so many people — about 450 in all — showed up to a lunchtime meet-and-greet at a Clinton, Iowa deli yesterday that the campaign decided to stage an impromptu event with Romney at another restaurant across the street to accommodate the overflow.
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Though political campaigns are notoriously expert at filling venues to create the appearance of a well-attended event, the growing fervor for Romney among the Iowans who are showing up to see him this week is palpable.
Nationally, Gallup polling also shows Romney pulling away from the pack. Their daily tracking poll shows Mitt capturing 27% of the vote and Newt Gingrich falling to 23%. The next closest candidate is Ron Paul with 11% and no other candidate breaks double digits.
The Romney campaign may say they are prepared for a long primary fight, but if Romney wins Iowa and New Hampshire, this thing may be over before the Super Bowl.
Around the Bigs
The Washington Post, Payroll tax cut raises worries about Social Security’s future funding: According to The Washington Post, “By extending the payroll tax cut, Congress and the administration have quietly made a critical change in how Social Security is funded — one that some in Washington worry could undermine the program’s foundation if lawmakers keep renewing the tax break.”
Los Angeles Times, U.S. launches new hotline for detainees: The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency announced the creation of a telephone hotline Thursday, for local law enforcement detainees who believe they are being wrongly detained on immigration law violations.
Fresno Bee, Federal judge invalidates part of California’s greenhouse gas law: U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill ruled that California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard violated the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause by seeking to regulate farming and ethanol production practices in other states.
The Hill, Despite GOP opposition, light bulb standards will phase in on Jan. 1: Despite Republican efforts to cut funding for enforcement of a new light bulb ban, many expect companies to follow the law. “The [spending bill] cut funding for enforcement, however the law is still in effect,” Jack Gillis, spokesman for the Consumer Federation of America, told The Hill. “It is our expectation that companies will still comply with the law.”
Gallup, Americans See Views of GOP Candidates Closer to Their Own: USA Today/Gallup poll asking Americans to rate their own ideology on a scale of 1-to-5 (with 1 being very liberal and 5 being very conservative) found that most Americans view themselves as conservative. The mean score was 3.3. Respondents ranked President Obama as a 2.3, and Mitt Romney as 3.5.
Politico, ‘Capitalism’ slipping in the U.S.: A Pew Research Center poll released yesterday found that found only 50 percent of Americans had a positive reaction to the word “capitalism,” while 40 percent said they view capitalism negatively. That’s a dip from 2010, when capitalism polled at 52 percent positive and 37 percent negative.
Campaign 2012
Iowa: NBC‘s new poll of likely caucus-goers in Iowa shows Mitt Romney in the lead with 23%, Ron Paul in second at 21%, followed by Rick Santorum at 15%, Rick Perry at 14%, Newt Gingrich at 13% and Michele Bachmann at 6%.
Romney: The Washington Examiner‘s Byron York previews a new book, “Mitt Romney: An Inside Look at the Man and His Politics,” on how Romney handled his dual roles as church officer and political candidate in 1994.
Bachmann: Michele Bachmann lost another top staffer yesterday when Wes Enos, Bachmann’s political director, resigned after publicly defending Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson, who resigned Wednesday.
Righty Playbook
RedState‘s Erick Erickson calls Rick Santorum an “earmarxist” and a “pro-life statist.”
AEI‘s Peter Wallison catches Barney Frank “distorting the truth on his role in the financial crisis.”
At The Corner, David French looks at “The Welfare State’s War on Religious Liberty.”
Lefty Playbook
Talking Points Memo summarizes Obama campaign manager Jim Messina’s new video explaining how Team Obama plans to get to 270 electoral votes.
Mother Jones‘ Kevin Drum has a plan to end robocalls.
Stan Collender flunks all of the Republican presidential candidate’s budget proposals.
