Gallup: Newt Gingrich opens double-digit national lead over Mitt Romney

"When this is all over, I'll show you how to flip-flop like you mean it." (Chris Keane/Reuters)
 

"When this is all over, I'll show you how to flip-flop like you mean it." (Chris Keane/Reuters)
 

Gallup. December 1-5. Republicans. ±3%. (11/13-17 results.)

Gingrich: 37 (22)
Romney: 22 (21)
Paul: 8 (9)
Perry: 7 (8)
Bachmann: 6 (4)
Santorum: 3 (1)
Huntsman: 1 (1)
Cain: -- (16)

As has been the case for several weeks now, the basic story is the same: Newt Gingrich is up, Mitt Romney is flat, everybody else is playing catch-up. The difference this time is Herman Cain is gone, and Gingrich has picked up most of his support.

Gingrich owes his lead primarily to his support from conservatives, tea party supporters, and southerners. He gets 41% of the conservative vote compared with 20% for Romney and 47% of tea party supporters compared with 17% for Romney. Romney's problem is that he's unable to make up any ground with moderates or Republicans who aren't tea party supporters. He runs neck-and-neck with Gingrich among those voters.

Gingrich has a wide lead over Romney in South (42% to 15%) and midwest (36% to 22%) and a smaller lead in the west (34% to 27%). In the east, the two are evenly matched (31% for Gingrich and 30% for Romney). Gingrich has a bigger lead among men (43% to 22%) than women (30% to 23%) and his strongest age group are voters 55 and older.