A new poll shows a drastic change to the Republican playing field, only five days before the Iowa caucuses. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s previous momentum has disappeared entirely as his standing in the polls plunges, down to fourth place with only 14% of support. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney continues to hold the lead, though second place is now held by Texas Re. Ron Paul.
The biggest change in the polls is for former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, whose support has tripled since the beginning of the month. Now in third place, Santorum holds 16% of voter support. Santorum attributed his rise to hard work paying off. “It’s like any small-business person,” Santorum said. “If the money’s not coming in, you’ve just got to work harder, and that’s what we’re doing.
