Two new polls show Gov. Mitt Romney opening up a strong lead in South Carolina over his GOP Presidential Rivals.

A new Reuters / Ipsos Poll shows a shocking result, with Romney opening up a 21-point lead over his nearest rivals, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul. Romney leads them 37%-16%.

REUTERS: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has opened a wide lead over his rivals in the South Carolina primary election race, trouncing Newt Gingrich and gaining momentum in his march toward the party’s nomination, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, could all but quash his rivals’ presidential aspirations with a victory in South Carolina on January 21 after winning the first state-by-state nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Voters in South Carolina – who have favored Republicans in nine of the last 10 presidential elections – appear to have shrugged off attacks on Romney by rivals who accuse him of killing jobs as a private equity executive for Bain Capital in the 1990s.

The poll showed 37 percent of South Carolina Republican voters back Romney. Congressman Ron Paul and former Senator Rick Santorum tied for second place with 16 percent support.

Gingrich, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, has fallen far back after holding a strong lead in South Carolina in December. He was in fourth place at 12 percent in the Reuters/Ipsos poll.

“In primary races things can change quickly but it does look like Romney is in position to win South Carolina, and if he wins … that’s sort of the end of the road for most of his challengers,” Ipsos pollster Chris Jackson said. . . . Read More

A poll done by a Virginia-based group New Frontier Strategy shows Romney opening up a 9-point lead over Newt Gingrich 32%-23%, with the other candidates further back. I have to say these polls surprise me because it had appeared the race was actually narrowing. We’ll have to see if polls over the next few days confirm this move up for Romney. If so, it may be that the attacks by Gingrich and Perry on Romney’s Bain Capital work have actually managed to do what Romney himself has had a hard time doing – making him look conservative and sympathetic to GOP voters. That would certainly be ironic.

Two New Polls Show Mitt Romney Widening His Lead in South Carolina over GOP Presidential Field – 1/14/12

A new Rasmussen Poll on a possible race between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama gives Romney a six-point lead over the President, 45%-39%. Just one week ago, Obama led Romney 44%-41% in the Rasmussen Survey. The fact Obama has now slipped below 40% is a shocking number for a sitting President:

RASMUSSEN: Mitt Romney has now jumped to his biggest lead ever over President Obama in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup. It’s also the biggest lead a named Republican candidate has held over the incumbent in Rasmussen Reports surveying to date.

The latest national telephone survey finds that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters favor the former Massachusetts governor, while 39% prefer the president. Ten percent (10%) like some other candidate in the race, and six percent (6%) are undecided.

A week ago, Romney trailed Obama 44% to 41%. The week before that, he held a slight 43% to 42% edge over the president. The two candidates have been essentially tied in regular surveys since January, but Romney remains the only GOP hopeful to lead Obama in more than one survey. Despite Romney’s current six-point lead, his latest level of support is in line with the 38% to 45% he has earned in matchups with the president this year. However, Obama’s 39% is a new low: Prior to this survey, his support has ranged from 40% to 46% in matchups with Romney. . . . Read More

New Rasmussen Poll Gives Mitt Romney a Six-Point Lead over President Obama; Obama Below 40% vs. Romney – 12/29/11

GOP Rep. Ron Paul holds a four-point lead over the GOP Presidential Field in a new poll out of Iowa. The Public Policy Polling survey results come less than one week ahead of the Iowa Caucuses – January 3, 2012.

Paul leads Mitt Romney 24%-20%, with Newt Gingrich in third place at 13%. Michele Bachmann is at 11%, with Rick Perry and Rick Santorum each at 10%.

Ron Paul leads in the 7-day, 10-day, and 21-day average of polls, and appears to have a strong base of support at around 22%. Whether Mitt Romney can overtake him in the final week is unclear. Romney’s support is at 20%, about two points behind Paul in the averages. Gingrich is still third in the averages, but his numbers have been falling. Right now, the battle for first is a two-man race between Paul and Romney, with everyone else fighting to get into the top-tier and a third-place finish. Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, and Michele Bachmann appear to be battling it out for third place, with Santorum’s numbers rising.

Polling Averages for Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, Nevada

New Poll Shows Ron Paul with a Four-Point Lead in Iowa; Paul Leads 21-Day, 10-Day, 7-Day Polling Averages in Iowa – 12/28/11

*New Polls – National – 2012 GOP Nomination*
11/13-15/11	Fox News	Gingrich	23
		Romney	22
		Cain	15
		Paul	8
		Perry	7
		Bachmann	6
		Huntsman	3
		Santorum	2

11/12-15/11	The Economist / YouGov	Gingrich	23
		Cain	21
		Romney	19
		Paul	7
		Perry	6
		Bachmann	5
		Huntsman	5
		Santorum	2
		Johnson	1

Two new polls confirm the rise of Newt Gingrich to the top of the GOP Presidential Nomination field. Gingrich leads in both polls, by one-point and two-points respectively. The Fox News Poll also shows Herman Cain falling to third place, with 15% support. That’s a 9-point drop for Cain and an 11-point rise for Gingrich in three weeks, when the previous Fox News Poll was conducted.

Two New Polls Confirm the Rise of Newt Gingrich to the Top of the GOP Presidential Field – 11/16/11

*New Polls – Iowa – 2012 GOP Nomination*
11/11-13/11	The Polling Company	Cain	20
		Gingrich	19
		Romney	14
		Bachmann	10
		Paul	10
		Perry	5
		Santorum	4
		Huntsman	2
		Johnson	1

11/10-12/11	Selzer / Bloomberg	Cain	20
		Paul	19
		Romney	18
		Gingrich	17
		Perry	7
		Bachmann	5
		Santorum	3
		Huntsman	1

Two new polls out of Iowa show a very tight race shaping up there, just seven weeks away from the Iowa Caucuses.

As you see, Herman Cain leads both polls, but by only one-point. Newt Gingrich is clearly making a strong move in Iowa, with Mitt Romney in the mix at the top. One poll actually shows Ron Paul just one-point off the lead, but the other has him 10-points behind. We’ll watch future polls to see if Paul’s support is growing in Iowa.

In our 21-Day Average of Polls for Iowa, Herman Cain still has a 3.8-point lead – Cain 21%, Romney 17.2%, Gingrich 17%.

Two New Polls Show Tight Race in Iowa between Cain, Romney, Gingrich, and Ron Paul – 11/15/11

*New Polls – National – 2012 GOP Nomination*
11/11-13/11	CNN / Opinion Research	Romney	24
		Gingrich	22
		Cain	14
		Perry	12
		Paul	8
		Bachmann	6
		Huntsman	3
		Santorum	3

11/10-13/11	Public Policy Polling (PPP)	Gingrich	28
		Cain	25
		Romney	18
		Perry	6
		Paul	5
		Bachmann	5
		Huntsman	3
		Santorum	1
		Johnson	1

11/10-12/11	NBC / Wall Street Journal	Romney	32
		Cain	27
		Gingrich	22
		Paul	9
		Perry	4
		Bachmann	2
		Santorum	2
		Huntsman	1

11/6-9/11	Politico/George Washington Univ.	Cain	27
		Romney	25
		Perry	14
		Gingrich	14
		Paul	5
		Bachmann	2
		Santorum	2
		Johnson	0
		Huntsman	0

Four new national polls on the 2012 GOP Presidential Nomination race have come out today, and they show a mixed bag of results.

As you can see from the polls listed above, Mitt Romney leads in two of the polls, Cain leads in one, and Newt Gingrich leads by 3-points in a new CNN Poll. That poll has Herman Cain falling drastically to a distant third-place at 14%. We’ll what polls over the next confirm as the trend.

Our latest 21-day average of national polls now has Mitt Romney in the lead with 23%, followed by Cain at 22.6%, and Newt Gingrich in third, now at 16.9%.

Four New National Polls on the GOP Presidential Race Show a Mixed Bag of Results – 11/14/11

*New Poll – South Carolina – 2012 GOP Nomination*
11/8/11	Insider Advantage	Cain	26
		Gingrich	19
		Romney	16
		Perry	6
		Bachmann	5
		Paul	3
		Santorum	2

A new Insider Advantage Poll in South Carolina shows Herman Cain continuing to lead there, but with Newt Gingrich surging to second place just 7-points behind. Cain leads Gingrich 26%-19%, with Mitt Romney falling to third at 16%.

In the Insider Advantage Poll conducted less than a month ago, Cain led Romney 32%-16%, with Gingrich at only 8%.

Our 21-day average of polls in South Carolina now shows Cain in the lead by 4-points over Mitt Romney, 25.5%-21.5%. Gingrich is now third with 13%.

New Poll Shows Newt Gingrich Surging into 2nd Place in South Carolina; Cain Still Leads – 11/11/11

*New Poll – Iowa – 2012 GOP Nomination*
11/8/11	Insider Advantage	Cain	23
		Romney	19
		Gingrich	15
		Paul	11
		Perry	9
		Bachmann	5
		Santorum	3

11/3/11	Insider Advantage	Cain	30
		Romney	15
		Gingrich	12
		Paul	9
		Bachmann	8
		Perry	6
		Hunstman	2

A new Insider Advantage Poll in Iowa shows Herman Cain still leading the GOP Presidential Field there, but that he has been damaged significantly by the controversy surrounding him for the last two weeks.

As you see, when you compare the new Insider Advantage Poll with the one they did in Iowa on November 3, Cain’s lead has dropped from 15-points to 4-points over Mitt Romney. Newt Gingrich continues to make strong gains, now getting 15% support. We’ll have to see if other new polls from Iowa confirm it as a trend that Cain is dropping and Gingrich is rising in Iowa.

The 21-day average of polls out of Iowa now shows Herman Cain leading the field by 1.8-points over Romney, 21/8%-20%, with Newt Gingrich in third at 13.2%.

New Poll Shows Herman Cain Leading, but Dropping in Iowa; Gingrich, Romney Moving Up – 11/11/11

*New Poll – National – 2012 GOP Nomination*
10/31-11/3/11	ABC News / Washington Post	Romney	25
		Cain	23
		Perry	14
		Gingrich	12
		Paul	9
		Bachmann	4
		Santorum	1
		Huntsman	1

A new ABC News / Washington Post poll has Gov. Mitt Romney with a 2-point lead over Herman Cain in the 2012 GOP Presidential Nomination race. Romney leads Cain 25%-23%. Just over one month ago, Romney led Cain 25%-16% in the previous ABC News / WAPO Poll.

The poll also has good news for Newt Gingrich and even Rick Perry. Gingrich is now at 12%, up from 7% at the beginning of October. Rick Perry got 14% support, just down slightly from the 16% he received a month ago. It appears Perry’s slide may be ending and he is stabilizing.

This poll was conducted entirely after the Herman Cain harassment controversy broke, and Cain seems to be holding his own right at the top of the field. It certainly appears it is a four-person race now for the nomination between Romney, Cain, Gingrich, and Perry.

New Poll has Romney, Cain at the Top of the GOP Field; Newt Gingrich Continues to Make Gains

2012 GOP Presidential Nomination Poll Averages – National
*Date*	*Poll*	*Candidate*	*Pct.*
		*Perry*	*30.1*
		*Romney*	*18.4*
	*40-Day Average of Polls*	*Palin*	*11.2*
		*Paul*	*9.7*
		*Bachmann*	*9.0*
		*Giuliani*	*6.5*
		*Cain*	*4.9*
		*Gingrich*	*4.6*
		*Santorum*	*2.4*
		*Huntsman*	*1.8*
		*Roemer*	*1.0*
		*Johnson*	*1.0*
		*McCotter*	*0.5*
View Polling Data

2012 GOP Presidential Nomination 40-Day Polling Averages: Gov. Rick Perry Opens Up 11+ Point Lead – 9/12/11

New Poll – 2012 GOP Nomination – Iowa
8/31/11	Rasmussen	Perry	29
		Bachmann	18
		Romney	17
		Paul	14
		Santorum	4
		Cain	4
		Huntsman	3
		Gingrich	2

A new Rasmussen Poll out of Iowa shows Texas Gov. Rick Perry moving out to an 11-point lead in the first-in-the-nation voting state.

Perry gets 29% support, followed by Michelle Bachmann at 18%, and Mitt Romney at 17%.

RASMUSSEN: Confirming a surge seen in polling across the nation, Texas Governor Rick Perry has moved into first place among Republican voters in Iowa, host state to the first-in-the-nation caucus early next year.

A Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of those likely to participate in the Iowa GOP Caucus shows that Perry is the first choice for 29%. Essentially tied for second are Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann at 18% and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at 17%. Texas Congressman Ron Paul picks up 14% of the vote, and nobody else currently reaches the five percent (5%) mark. . . . Read More

Gov. Rick Perry Moves Out to 11-Point Lead in Iowa over GOP Presidential Field – Rasmussen

New Poll – 2012 Election – National
8/23-30/11	Rasmussen	Perry	44	Obama	41	+3
		Romney	39	Obama	43	+4
		Cain	35	Obama	42	+7
		Bachmann	38	Obama	46	+8

The latest Rasmussen Poll on the 2012 Presidential Race has four possible GOP Presidential Candidates moving closer to President Obama – with Texas Gov. Rick Perry now leading Obama by three-points.

Check all the latest Election matchup polls.

Latest Rasmussen Poll Shows Texas Gov. Rick Perry Now Leading President Obama – 9/1/11

New Poll – 2012 GOP Nomination – National
8/16-27/11	Quinnipiac	Perry	24
		Romney	18
		Palin	11
		Bachmann	10
		Paul	9
		Cain	5
		Gingrich	3
		Santorum	1
		McCotter	1
		Huntsman	1

New Poll – 2012 GOP Nomination – National
8/25-29/11	Zogby Interactive	Perry	41
		Romney	12
		Paul	11
		Bachmann	9
		Cain	8
		Gingrich	3
		Santorum	3
		Huntsman	3
		Johnson	<1
		Karger	<1

Two new national polls are out on the 2012 GOP Presidential Nomination race. Both show Texas Gov. Rick Perry leading the GOP Field.

Quinnipiac has Perry leading Mitt Romney 24%-18%, with Sarah Palin third at 11%.

A new Zogby Interactive Poll has Perry moving out to a huge lead over Mitt Romney at 41%-12%.

I don’t think there’s any doubt now that Rick Perry has become the clear GOP front-runner. While I’m sure he’s not leading by 29-points, as Zogby shows, he has had quite a month. The real question now is whether he can maintain it once the GOP Debates take place in September.

Also Check:

GOP Averages in Early-Voting States (IA, NH, NV, SC, FL)

Latest Polls and National Presidential Averages

Two More National Polls Show Texas Gov. Rick Perry as the GOP Presidential Front-Runner

Latest Rasmussen Tracking Poll Shows Mitt Romney Moving out to a Four-Point Lead over President Obama – 6/2/12

Recent Polling Gives Mitt Romney the Advantage Going into Today’s Washington GOP Caucuses – 3/3/12

Now Four New Polls Show Newt Gingrich Surging into the Lead in South Carolina over Mitt Romney; Santorum Falling far Back – 1/19/12