In a just released poll from Matt Towery's Insider Advantage, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is now leading in South Carolina.  In a Politico poll it is also being reported that Gingrich is 'in striking distance' of Romney.

This is certainly not a good day for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney who is watching his strong grasp on the nomination slip away one piece at a time.  It is also being reported that former Pennsylvania Rick Santorum will now be called the winner in the Iowa Caucuses as a recount now shows that Santorum won by 34 votes.  This race is far from over as Gingrich continues to get a bump in the polls everytime he debates

I just recieved a personal message from State Senator Kevin Bryant of South Carolina who has confirmed that he will indeed be supporting Congressman Ron Paul for President.

Quite honestly, I wrote to the Senator asking him to reconsider his support for Paul.  He sent me the following gracious email:

"Great to hear from you Bill, I have chosen to support Dr. Paul as I believe his message energizes our base. Interestingly, even though he's the oldest candidate, the young voters seem to be attracted to him. Thanks for your input."

I responded back that I sincerely hopes that he will do what most Paul supporters won't, and that is back the eventual nominee of the GOP should it not be Congressman Paul.  I will let you know if he responds.

UPDATE:  So far the Senator has responded that

"If RP isn't our nominee, then he must embrace some of RP's positions to capture this constituency. We can't beat BO without a conservative."

I totally agree with Senator Bryant, but this leads us back into the discussion of what a Conservative really is.  Apparently the Senator and I have different ideas of the definition.

UPDATE:  When asked directly if Senator Bryant would endorse the eventual GOP nominee should it not be Congressman Paul,  hs

Democrats (and the mainstream media) have taken some glee from the
ongoing contentious contest for the 2012 Republican Presidential
nomination.  Indeed, they sound like Republicans last time celebrating
the extended 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination battle between then
Senator Hillary Clinton (the presumptive nominee who wasn't) and Senator
Barack Obama (the eventual nominee and now President). Democratic
insiders and institutional party operatives remained convinced that
Senator Clinton would win all the way until the day she didn't.

This 'vetting' process is part of winning the nomination, and it should
be.  If candidates can't take the heat, the best time to find out is
before they are the chef in the kitchen.  Every weakness has to be
exposed and every test thrown at them.

No one doubts that this year's General Election will be every bit as
tough, and undoubtedly, tougher than anything in the primaries.  And, it
does not end there.  Presidents get hammered every day from the moment
they take office until the day they leave office (and with some - like
President George W. Bush - even long after they have left office).

With all of that said, it can be tough for the faint of heart to watch
as the candidates get bruised and battered along the way.  Yet, it is a
long time until Labor Day, and an even longer time until November 4,
2012.

Oddly, the current scorecard in the GOP race could not be more
confusing.  On the one hand, Governor Mitt Romney has scored one
unexpected victory in Iowa and a foregone victory in New Hampshire (the
adjacent neighbor to his home in Massachusetts where he was governor).
The last time this was done was 1976 by President Gerald Ford.  He lost
in the general election.

Meanwhile, conservatives continue to battle amongst themselves for the
Romney alternative with three candidates dividing up 60%+ in the GOP
field.  Most agree that at some point, Governor Romney has to either
find a way to break in among conservatives, or conservatives will
eventually coalesce around someone else as the eventual nominee.

Congressman Ron Paul and former Utah Governor John Huntsman complicate
the math for building momentum in very different ways.  Congressman
Paul's devoted following has enabled him to remain a factor in the GOP
field.  Here is how.

Assume there are 15 devoted Ron Paul followers.  They will vote no
matter what.  If the total votes cast are 100, then they are only 15% of
the total.  But, if the total votes cast are only 30 people, then he
gets 50% (15 of 30).

So, the smaller the state and the turnout, the greater Congressman
Paul's impact is.  Presumably, as the nomination process moves to larger
states like Florida or Georgia, his impact could become less of a
factor.

Then there is Governor Huntsman.  Like Senator Rick Santorum in Iowa,
Governor Huntsman put all of his eggs in one state - New Hampshire.  And
like Senator Santorum, his impressive showing got him a ticket to ride a
little longer.  While most believe it was a ticket to South Carolina, it
is more likely a ticket to Florida.  South Carolina won't be the
friendliest of territories for him, but if he is prepared to spend real
money, he could have a real impact in Florida.

Governor Huntsman does create some interesting dynamics for the GOP
race.  Every vote he gets is more likely than not a vote taken from
Governor Romney.  It is dilution from the middle as 3 conservatives
dilute the right.

In the end, South Carolina could be the last stand for one (or maybe
two) candidates.  Florida is just too expensive for tagalongs to
compete.  Should Governor Huntsman play on in Florida while a
conservative or two fall away in South Carolina, then the dynamics get
even more interesting.

Just like 2008, there will be lots of last minute twists and turns as
GOP voters realign constantly, with the ever changing political
landscape of a topsy-turvy contest.  Look next for a dizzying pace of
endorsements in the days ahead.  At some point, former candidates will
start to jump in while they are still relevant and can have an impact.

It was crazy last time and it will be crazy this time.

Unless one candidate can break through with a 45%+ win (very unlikely)
in South Carolina, then the show will likely go on even as the field
dwindles down from too many to the final two or three.  Until then, the
majority of GOP voters seem resigned to wait.

So, sing it again Sam - Florida may not be the end of show.  Everything
could come back once again to Super Tuesday and Georgia.  Somehow it
would be fitting if Georgia could be among the states to actually pick
the Republican nominee who will face President Obama in November.