A new Iowa Poll puts former Godfather’s CEO Herman Cain in the lead with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, shows onetime Tea Party favorite Michelle Bachmann is continuing to head south and continues to show another one time Tea Party favorite, Texas. Gov. Rick Perry is continuing his political road to the bottom (for now):
Herman Cain and Mitt Romney top The Des Moines Register’s new Iowa Poll, with the retired pizza executive edging the former
Massachusetts governor 23 percent to 22 percent in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Even if Cain doesn’t have much of an organization, a win in Iowa would give him Big Mo and More Dough:
Cain has surged 13 percentage points since the first Iowa Poll of the caucus cycle, conducted in late June. His rise has come despite spending little time in Iowa recently, campaigning here just once since the Aug. 13 Iowa straw poll, where he placed fifth.
Likewise, Romney has campaigned in Iowa just three times this year, but he retains a core network of supporters from his near-constant presence in the state during his first presidential bid four years ago.
This tells you what Iowans have concluded about those GOPers who’ve been there clamoring for their support so far. AND:
In the new poll, Congressman Ron Paul of Texas is the only other candidate in double digits, in third place with 12 percent.
The Iowa caucuses are scheduled for Jan. 3. The Iowa Poll, a Register exclusive since 1943, is a much-watched indicator of how candidates are faring in the nation’s leadoff caucus state.
Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, winner of the Iowa straw poll, has seen her popularity wane. In the June Iowa Poll, she enjoyed support of 22 percent of respondents, trailing poll leader Romney by a single percentage point. She has dropped to 8 percent and fourth place in the new poll.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry was not yet a candidate when the June poll was conducted. But he soared to the top of national polls when he entered the race in August. However, after a string of much-criticized debate performances, his star dimmed nationally. He’s at 7 percent in the new Iowa Poll, tied with former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich for fifth place.
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has been ther more than anyone but he gets 5 percent support. That’s better than former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman – who has 1 percent support.
All of these stories about Cain on the ascent will continue to propel media interest in him and help swell polls. This also means that his opponents will try more than ever to pick him off in the next debate — and also Romney, who is on the run with his flip flopping now catching up with him.
FOOTNOTE: Last week Perry’s advisors and Perry suggested that, in effect, since he was so lousy in debates he wouldn’t do many debates. This did not go over well with pundits — in particular many conservative pundits. So now Perry — perhaps emulating Romney — has flip flopped and suggested that, why, of course, naturally, you can bet on it, you betcha, he’ll do the other debates..
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.