Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has moved to the front of the pack in a new poll of Florida by Rasmussen, which echoes numbers that dropped last night from InsiderAdvantage showing a Newt lead. Gingrich gets 41 percent in the new survey, while former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney gets 32 and his campaign is floundering after a big loss in the South Carolina primary. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum sees 11 percent and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) gets 8.
Our TPM Poll Average now shows Gingrich with a seven point lead in Florida.
The new numbers show that the electability argument, the centerpiece of the Romney candidacy, is starting to be one by Gingrich in some polls. From Rasmussen:
Throughout the GOP race, Romney has always benefited from the perception that he was the strongest general election candidate in the field. However, among Florida voters at the moment, that is no longer the case. Forty-two percent (42%) now believe Gingrich would be the strongest candidate against Obama, while 39% say the same of Romney. At the other extreme, 64% see Ron Paul as the weakest potential candidate against Obama.
