Cain’s fall is Gingrich’s lift

Newt Gingrich, the former Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, soared in the polls on Monday, months after the media had declared his campaign defunct and his staff quit en masse. His approval rating among Republican voters now stands at 22 per cent, according to a survery by CNN/ORC, a mere two points behind former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Gingrich’s miracle rescue is likely the result of egregious stumbles by rivals Herman Cain and Texas Governor Rick Perry, both of whom have plunged in the polls. According to the Financial Times, this reveals widespread unease about Romney in Republican ranks, as the party scrambles to look for a candidate with solid conservative credentials to challenge Barack Obama in 2012.

The Financial Times