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Today's Gallup poll on the 2012 Republican presidential field is supposed to be about Romney, but it's really about Rick Perry.
Without Perry in the results, Romney maintains his commanding lead at 27%, with Bachmann in second place at 18%.
But when you include Perry, Palin, and Giuliani, Romney's lead drops to 17% and Perry comes in second at 15%.This is comfortably within the margin of error, putting Romney and Perry in a statistical tie.
The other entrants hurt Bachmann the most. But the real question is: is Perry doing too well at this point?
He has surged from among the cellars of the polls to near the top over the past month and a half as speculation about him has risen.
But unlike Palin, who has enjoyed a long run of intense media coverage and is benefiting from the release of "Undefeated," and unlike Giuliani, "America's mayor" and past presidential candidate, Rick Perry has surged owing to the speculation about him in recent cable TV and radio coverage.
America hasn't seen him perform in real-time yet. He is relatively unknown as a "live" personality on the national stage.
If he runs - and it seems pretty clear he will - he will have to deliver publicly in a way that justifies his high numbers. If he fails to enthuse a broad enough base of voters, the story could quickly become how he's flaming out in Fred Thompson-ish fashion.
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