CNN’s John King reported on-air Wednesday night that during the final day of the network’s South Carolina Republican primary poll, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich surged after his solid debate performance. The overall poll shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with a ten point lead over Gingrich, but King said the trend changed on the last day the poll was conducted — Tuesday, the day after the Republican debate in the state.
TPM’s transcript:
KING: We begin here in south carolina this evening with the fast changing Republican presidential race. Fast, as in overnight. Our new CNN/ORC tonight shows Mitt Romney leading here by 10 points. 33 percent for the former Massachusetts Governor to 23 percent for the former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, but, and this is important, the final 24 hours of our polling suggests a Gingrich surge. And my sources in several Republican campaigns tell me tonight, there numbers too are detecting a significant shift, a shift that benefits Gingrich heading into the final hours here. Want proof? A senior Romney campaign aid described this to me as a troublesome development, and the response from team Romney was immediate. A tough new tv ad labeling Gingrich an unreliable leader.
