Romney, Paul lead in Iowa, but Santorum surging

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Campaign 2012

DES MOINES -- Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are in a statistical tie atop the field among likely Republican caucus-goers in Iowa, according to a new poll from the Des Moines Register. But the survey shows a surge for Rick Santorum, who topped Paul on the final two days of polling.

Romney secured 24 percent support in the survey, conducted Tuesday through Friday, with Paul coming in at 22 percent -- within the poll's four point margin of error. Santorum followed with 15 percent. Newt Gingrich came next with 12 percent support, followed by Rick Perry with 11 percent and Michele Bachmann with 7 percent.

In polling over Thursday and Friday, Santorum came in with 21 percent support, while Romney held steady with 24 percent. Paul came in third over these last two days with 18 percent support. The findings prompted Register pollster J. Ann Selzer to say in a story released by the newspaper, "Momentum's name is Rick Santorum."

The survey found that four in 10 likely Republican caucus-goers say they are willing to change their mind before the Jan. 3 caucuses, which kick off the primary season.

Gingrich led with 25 percent support in the previous Register poll, in November, but has fallen 13 points since then.

Santorum, one of the few GOP candidates to have not seen a surge before now, has been crisscrossing Iowa in hopes that a strong caucus finish could give a boost to his longshot campaign. A strong social conservative, he has been engaged in a fierce competition for the support of the state's evangelical and born again voters, most directly with Bachmann and Perry.

Rick Santorum tries to make his moment last

Full CBSNews.com coverage: Election 2012

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by GeorgeHew January 1, 2012 4:58 PM EST

Santorum represents what is wrong with the world. He represents hate, debt, war, and exactly the opposite of what it is to be Christian. He represents the interests which wrecked the Republican party the last time it started to get somewhere. He also represents the same interests which have been working to bankrupt our country for nearly a century. It is hard to tell which would be worse, Bachmann or Santorum, they are both worse than even Gingrich. The only reason Santorum has a chance is that he is the devil they don't know.

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by mariner34 January 1, 2012 5:34 PM EST: Romney is unelectable, and besides he would just usher in more government. Ron Paul was the only republican to stand with isreal in 1981 when isreal bombed an iraq nuclear plant, all the other republicans turned on isreal.

Conservatives will not vote for Romney and it will lead to 4 more years of obama


by remant January 1, 2012 11:19 AM EST: I don't think ppl understand what is going on in the GOP. The struggle there is between a Bush-style neo-conservatism represented by their candidate Mitt Romney, and the traditional paleo-conservative Ron Paul. But since there are still many neo-cons who dislike Bush and his heirs, they have been looking for a suitably Reagan-esque replacement, seizing on a succession of possibles all of whom are still interested in fighting the Soviets, supporting Israel and evangelicalism. Some may consider Paul a libertine, instead of a libertarian, but I doubt very many. Most of them understand only too well that he wants to pull back the financial-military complex and that galls them and their belief in America's destiny.; Reply to this comment


by Jenna1955 January 1, 2012 10:54 AM EST: Before you vote Santorium....talk to people from Pennsylvania.; Reply to this comment


by VictorAshesLoveChild January 1, 2012 10:26 AM EST: Oh, this is sooooo precious....

You Republicans have spent the last three years making up funny names for our President and vigorously protecting the welfare of billionaires, and now it's all coming home to roost.

All the clowns have clambered out of the little clown car, nobody's left, AND YOU DON'T HAVE A CANDIDATE WHO COULD WIN A SACK RACE, much less the Presidency.

HAW
HAW
HAW

Suffer, morons.; Reply to this comment

by 2happy2ride January 1, 2012 9:54 AM EST

Should a 22 year old freely & legally be able to have sex with a 12 year old?
Should we leave our borders completely open?
Should we deplete our military and not protect our interests and our security? Should we abandon Israel?
Should we have a country where heroine, crack and cocaine are legal?
THAT is ALL Ron Paul's platform.
And there are a lot more irrational ideas from his camp. For 10 years he profited from a radical, bigoted, racially explicit newsletter that he now claims to know nothing of it's origin.

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by GeorgeHew January 1, 2012 5:12 PM EST: Paul's platform does not say anything about 22 year olds having sex with 12 year olds. Nor does his platform argue for completely open borders, or that we should deplete our military (on the contrary, he is the ONLY ONE in recent memory who would actually strengthen the US.) Paul is on the record of doing exactly what Israeli leaders have asked the US to do. One lie and you're out of any serious discussion, you seem to be way out. In fact, your post is almost so full of nonsense you sound like you may be a Paul supporter in disguise trying to make those against him sound completely ridiculous.


by 2happy2ride January 1, 2012 9:44 AM EST: People claiming to be searching for the perfect candidate reminds me of a buddy I have. He's a tall, thin, handsome Italian guy with a great personality and a good sense of humor. The problem is, every time he meets a nice girl, he is always looking for the one better. I am now happily married after 24 years and he's still looking for that perfect woman. He never believed me that she only needed to be perfect for him.
Romney has governed and balanced his budget, he turned the bankrupt Olympics into profitably, started many current national companies, has NOT had any moral or unethical issues. Is he perfect? No because he is human. Romney is the best candidate we've had in years but some, who are far from perfect, are holding on to a dream while we're in a nightmare.; Reply to this comment


by X2670 January 1, 2012 9:06 AM EST: Be glad when Wednesday comes so we can put 'Eye-Oh-Way' in our rearview mirror. Too much corn polls. :); Reply to this comment


by gamok January 1, 2012 8:37 AM EST: Are you a Democrat wanting to vote for Ron Paul? http://www.bluerepublican.org/about/; Reply to this comment

by gamok January 1, 2012 8:34 AM EST

Please protect the US Constitution, vote Ron Paul. The other candidates will finish it off and we will no longer have the rule of law.

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by Anotheryahoo January 1, 2012 9:22 AM EST: Only one guy will talk about the Constitution and what it means, the others want to tear it down and establish a police state for the most part. Im voting Ron !

by gamok January 1, 2012 8:29 AM EST

Of the top 4 Ron Paul is the only true conservative in the race. The others are RINO big government elitist liars. Look at their record and what they do, not what they say. Ron Paul is the only one telling the truth.

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by signseeker1717 January 1, 2012 11:14 AM EST: You tell us to look at "what they DO, not what they say", then you say Paul is "telling the truth" but don't point out anything HE has DONE. I don't care about the fact he was a doctor - I want to know what he accomplished in Washington all those years.

What about HIS record? What exactly has "Dr. No" done in 20+ years as a Congressman, besides OPPOSE the work and efforts of others?

Has he sponsored any significant legislation? Has he had any positive influence on the body he has served in all those years? All I ever hear from his supporters is how he "sticks to his principles", but what has he actually DONE besides that? I'd like to see a list of tangible ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

Paul is a LIBERTARIAN who runs as a "Republican". He would never have gotten elected and re-elected to his Texas seat if he had run as a THIRD PARTY candidate. He seems to be continuing that trend. In that respect, he's just as much a "RINO" as the rest of them. If he was TRULY principled, he'd run as the Libertarian that he is.