A tweet just out from PPP polling …
Newt up 37-20 on Mitt with SC evangelicals last night, but wonder how talk of an open marriage will affect that in final 48 hrs
It’s looking like a big, big day for Newt Gingrich — the even bigger question is which kind of ‘big’ it’s going to be. You probably know the news that broke last night about a supposedly tell-all interview Gingrich’s (second) ex-wife, Marianne, gave to ABC and which is scheduled to run tonight at 11:35 PM eastern. But that’s not the only news for Gingrich today. There were hints and drabs of information yesterday suggesting that Gingrich was making a big move in South Carolina. And now three new polls this morning confirm it.
The TPM Poll Average of the South Carolina primary shows Romney 33.4%, Gingrich 29.3%, Santorum 13%, Paul 13%. Read More
The Republican party of Iowa has finished its recount of the January 3rd Iowa caucuses and the certified final results show Rick Santorum came out ahead by 34 votes. So he ‘won’, right?
Well, not according to the state GOP. According to the state party it’s a “split decision” or a “tie.” Read More
Newt Gingrich’s second wife (out of three) has long maintained that she has the power to end his campaign with a single interview. Leaking out on the Drudge Report in drips and drabs tonight are indications that Marianne may well have given that interview to ABC News, which is reported to be conducting an internal debate on whether to air it before Saturday’s South Carolina primary.
While details dribble out from Drudge you can get a comprehensive backgrounder in this TPM article from 2010, which is a stunning reminder of just how much material Marianne has at her disposal. Even now it’s an explosive read. (Forgive, however, the distorted picture, which was a victim of TPM’s recent reformatting).
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More after the jump. Read More
Key issue: Mitt Romney is saying he’ll “probably” release his tax returns in April 2012. But the key is he’s saying he’ll only release his 2011 returns, in other words, the ones his tax preparers are preparing now. And that will help Romney because that return can be prepared with the needs of 2012 in mind.
If he’s forced to release returns for earlier years, that’s a very different proposition. He can’t change those.
Is your tax rate higher or lower than Mitt Romney’s? This chart will tell you.
If Rasmussen’s latest poll is even close to accurate, Gingrich is in the midst of making a big, big move in South Carolina nationwide.
Late Update: I want to see another poll that shows this sort of movement before I’m convinced it’s real. But the Romney campaign held a Newt-bashing conference call this morning — the first time they’ve really gone there since the Iowa drubbing. So I think they’re at least seeing Gingrich moving up if not quite was Rasmussen is seeing.