Results from CBS/New York Times poll of likely GOP caucusgoers: Newt Gingrich (31 percent), Mitt Romney (17 percent), Ron Paul (16 percent), Rick Perry (11 percent), Michele Bachmann (9 percent), Rick Santorum (4 percent), and Jon Huntsman (1 percent).
One interesting observation from CBS’ Jan Crawford:
Bottom line: It may look like it’s shaping up nationally to be two-man Gingrich-Mitt Romney brawl. But in Iowa, our poll indicates it could well be a four-person race: Gingrich, Romney, Ron Paul and a “true” social conservative like Michele Bachmann. And that means it as wide open as ever.
And a couple of intriguing numbers:
When asked which candidate was “most prepared to be president,” 43 percent of likely Iowa caucus goers said Gingrich, with Romney a distant second at 20 percent. Voters had a similar response when who was “most qualified to be commander in chief,” with Gingrich pulling in 40 percent to Romney’s 19 percent.