The GOP has a New Top-Tier of Candidates

Herman Cain has had a great week. Even those in the media are now beginning to recognize that he has moved into the top-tier of candidates in the GOP Presidential Race, along with Romney and Perry:

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL – Byron York: It took a few days to become clear, but events last week at the Republican debate and straw poll in Orlando have dramatically reshaped the GOP presidential race. In a new poll from Fox News, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has regained the lead in the race, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has fallen to second place, and Georgia businessman Herman Cain has made a big leap into the contest’s top tier.

In the new survey, conducted from September 25 to 27, Romney has the support of 23 percent of respondents, while Perry is at 19 percent and Cain is at 17 percent. That’s a complete re-ordering of the race from the last Fox News poll, conducted August 29 to 31. In that survey, Perry led the race with 29 percent, Romney was second with 22 percent, and Cain was in fifth place, with six percent.

Romney’s support has remained remarkably stable at a time of great change in the race. While Romney is cruising forward, Perry’s support has dropped ten percentage points, while Cain’s has risen 11 points. (Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich came in fourth in the survey, with 11 percent, and all other candidates were in single digits.) . . . Read More