ORANGEBURG, S.C. ? Newt Gingrich went into the last night before Saturday?s South Carolina primary acting like he thought he was on the verge of a win. And Mitt Romney seemed to agree.
Gingrich?s momentum has been ticking steadily up all week, but Friday, it crystallized into his first polling lead in weeks: up 6 points over Romney, 32-26, in the latest numbers from Clemson University, and up 35-29 over Romney in the latest Public Policy Polling tracking poll.
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Rick Santorum, whom Gingrich had been competing with for the conservative anti-Romney vote, has unmistakably dropped from the top tier in these polls.
Both leading campaigns reflected that growing sense Friday: Gingrich was buoyant, more upbeat than he?s been in weeks. Romney and his aides, meanwhile, took pains throughout the day to start dialing back expectations for the primary that was only days ago looking set to give him his third consecutive ? and nomination-clinching ? early state win.
?We?re going to take the first big step toward ensuring that a conservative is nominated for president of the United States,? Gingrich said Friday, ginning up the roaring crowd.
Romney, meanwhile, spent the day seeming to brace for disappointment.
?I said from the very beginning South Carolina is an uphill battle for a guy from Massachusetts,? Romney told reporters at a Christmas tree farm in Gilbert, S.C. ?The fact is right now it looks like it?s neck-and-neck that?s a good spot to be in. I?m pretty pleased and pretty proud about the success of our effort.?
Romney, who had a wide lead in state polls as recently as last weekend, started reminding reporters of his fourth-place finish in the state in 2008. Suddenly in his telling, he?s not the front-runner ? he?s the underdog.
?I realized that I had a lot of ground to make up,? he said. ?And Speaker Gingrich is from a neighboring state, well-known, popular in the state. And, and so I knew that we?d have a long, long road ahead of us. And frankly to be in a neck-and-neck race at this last moment is, is kind of exciting.?
Gingrich is riding a growing wave of good news for his campaign that?s included standing ovations at both debates this week, a nod of support from Sarah Palin, an endorsement from Rick Perry and voters? embracing his seething response to ABC?s interview with his ex-wife, in which she claimed he?d asked for an open marriage. He was even endorsed by Chuck Norris Friday.
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