No one is more aware of Newt Gingrich's solid surge in the polls than Mitt Romney. The new CNN/Time/ORC International Polls released today show the former speaker of the House pulling ahead of Romney by double-digit numbers in three out of the four early primary states.
Romney's fighting back with a new ad that hits Newt where it hurts — his serial marital record. In the video, old family footage casts Romney as a loving husband and doting father.
"I think people understand I am a man of steadiness and constancy," Romney asserts. "I don't think you are going to find somebody who has more of those attributes than I do." He goes on to mention he's been married to the same woman for 42 years, has been in the same church his entire life, and worked in the same company for 25 years.
This starkly contrasts Gingrich's less conservative and more tumultuous family history as a man whose been married three times and had an extramarital affair. However, it's unclear whether pushing the family card will resonate with voters when it comes to generating a negative image of Newt.
In a new Washington Post-ABC News Poll, 16 percent of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers said that Gingrich's marital history was not a major reason to oppose him. While a New York Times-CBS Poll found 16 percent of likely Iowa voters identify Romney as the candidate which most represents the values they try to live by, and 11 percent cited Gingrich.
This has left some analysts wondering whether Romney should use a more strident approach when it comes to connecting with caucus-goers who now seem to be flocking to Gingrich.
— By Skivjana Neza