Poll: Gingrich Pulls Ahead Of GOP Field
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – Former Godfathers Pizza CEO Herman Cain rode a Florida straw poll victory to the top of the GOP field. But, new poll numbers show that Cain's ride may be over and his replacement is a former powerful Washington politician.
According to a new Quinnipiac University national poll, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has vaulted to the top of the Republican field.
Gingrich was the favored candidate of 26 percent of Republicans surveyed.
Gingrich was followed closely by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney at 22 percent. Cain, the former frontrunner, had just 14 percent supporting him.
No other GOP candidate polled higher than 6 percent in the Quinnipiac poll.
Cain's fall has been quick. In the last national poll from Quinnipiac, Cain was head and shoulder above the rest of the field at 30 percent.
But, several policy flubs and sexual harassment allegations have undercut Cain's support amongst Republicans.
Romney continues to poll in a statistical tie with President Obama. Romney captures 44 percent of the overall vote compared to Obama's 45 percent, well within the poll's margin of error.
For comparison, if the general election was held between Obama and Gingrich, Obama would beat the former Speaker of the House by nine points.
Still, Gingrich's rise has been powered by strong performances in debates and considering his campaign was at one-time left for dead; he's still a formidable challenge for anyone seeking to win the presidency in 2012.
