In snap polls conducted directly after former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s big win in the South Carolina primary, Florida GOP voters were momentarily convinced that Gingrich would be the man in their state — InsiderAdvantage and Rasmussen released surveys conducted the Sunday after the SC vote that showed him up by eight points. Now former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has righted the ship in Florida, and takes new eight points leads in new snap polls from those same firms.
“As GOP voters search for the candidate best equipped to defeat President Obama, perceptions of Romney’s electability have risen since earlier in the week,” Rasmussen wrote in its analysis. “Four days ago, 42% of Florida primary voters said Gingrich would be the strongest candidate against Obama, while 39% felt that way about the former Massachusetts governor. Now 49% think Romney would be the strongest challenger versus 34% who believe that of Gingrich.”
Added into our TPM Poll Average, Romney has now taken an 8.2 percent lead.
