“Obviously, he’s really kind of taken over among that group,’’ said Jeff Jones, the Gallup Poll’s managing editor. “They’ve been casting about, looking for someone who is a better fit for them than Romney is. It looks like everyone’s had their chance and basically squandered it, so that leaves Gingrich.’’
Voters supporting the Tea Party movement, which favors smaller government and a balanced federal budget, have shifted from one candidate to another, with each candidate enjoying just a short run at the top. Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who formed the House Tea Party Caucus, was once the movement’s “it girl,’’ but that was back in the summer, when she won the Iowa straw poll, before she was overshadowed by the entry of Governor Rick Perry of Texas. Perry’s series of debate gaffes opened the door for pizza mogul Herman Cain, who quit the race last weekend following accusations of sexual impropriety. Cue the music for Gingrich.
Tom Jensen, director of Public Policy Polling, which conducts polls by automated phone calls and was founded by a former Democratic pollster, said Gingrich has a significant lead among Tea Party voters in at least eight states, including Iowa, Florida, and Arizona.
“The story with the Tea Party more than any other segment of the Republican Party is what is driving the instability in the race and causing the front-runner to shift so much,’’ Jensen said. “Right now, they’re in the infatuation stage with Newt Gingrich.’’
But not everyone in the Tea Party movement shares the infatuation. Many of the movement’s leaders remain wary of the former House speaker and cast a skeptical eye at his conservative credentials. In Gingrich, some see nothing more than baggage and a history of Romney-esque flip flops. Particularly troubling, they say, are his shifting views on global warming and health care overhaul.
