Iowa caucus: Newt Gingrich trounces Mitt Romney among Fox viewers

Mitt Romney badly trails Newt Gingrich among Fox viewers
despite the network's best efforts to boost Romney earlier in the campaign
 

Mitt Romney badly trails Newt Gingrich among Fox viewers
despite the network's best efforts to boost Romney earlier in the campaign
 

Mitt Romney yesterday in an interview on Fox, offering his explanation of the reason he agreed to appear on Fox News Sunday for the first time since March of 2010:

I will be on TV. I will be on FOX a lot, because you guys matter when it comes to Republican primary voters. I want them to hear my message and have an opportunity to make their choice.

And The New York Times today, offering what is probably the real reason for his about-face:

If there were a Fox News primary, Mitt Romney would be losing it.

Among Republican voters in Iowa, nearly 40 percent say they get most of their news from the network and its many conservative hosts, according to the most recent New York Times poll. And among those viewers, Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, is trouncing Mr. Romney.

Nearly half of the Fox News watchers said they would vote for Mr. Gingrich if the state’s Republican presidential caucus were held today. Just 12 percent of the regular Fox watchers said that Mr. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, is their choice to be the Republican standard-bearer.

Mitt Romney has done a great job of nailing down support from wealthy donors and he's got a virtual monopoly on support from the GOP establishment. The one thing he seems to have forgotten about is how to reach the people who actually vote. Fortunately for him, he's got the entire Fox network at his disposal. The question is: will he be able to take advantage of it?