PPP National Polls: Santorum 38, Romney 23, Gingrich 17, Paul 13; minus Newt 50-28

[customerserviceguy]

25. I guess I did sort of predict it

I know that SC and FL made me question it, but this last week has confirmed my instincts.

As the economy starts to improve, there's less need for the Romney message of "I'm a businessman, and I can get us out of this mess," and more room for Santorum's culture warrior position. Noot makes the same noises, but he's less trusted on these issues, given his personal history.

Some say that having Gingrich stay on in the race is good news for Romney, but I see it differently. As long as he stays in, Noot will be firing with both guns blazing at Romney, pointing out the various flip-flops on social/religious issues. That helps Santorum with the fundies and the tea partiers, especially after these issues have displaced the economy as what's being talked about.

One thing might change that - if there is another pissing contest over the extension of the FICA tax holiday, UC benefits, and the doc fix, then it will take the spotlight away from the culture war issues. We'll see how Rethuglicans in Congress are going to play that, but for now, they seem to be working on a solution. I don't deny that at the last minute, they'll want something unpalatable as the price of the extensions, but they won't totally shut down the extensions over not getting most all of what they want.