By Javier Manjarres

The most recent Rasmussen Presidential Poll in Iowa indicates that Newt Gingrich is significantly declining in popularity amongst likely Iowa caucus participants.

The December 13th poll clearly shows that Gingrich has dropped 12 points the last poll taken in November from 32% to 20%.  While Gingrich has leveled off, the rest of the field have all risen incrementally from 3 to 8 percnetage points.

Here are the latest Rasmussen poll results:

Romney 23% , Gingrich 20%, Paul %18, Perry 10%, Bachmann 9% Santorum 6% Huntsman 5%

So what does this mean?  If you ask any of the political pundits that believe have a nose for politics, they all write-off Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Governor Rick Perry as ‘dead in the water’ with ‘no chance’ to win the Republican nomination for President.  But as these recent polls have shown, this race is as fluid as any other in recent memory, and it could very well prove to be even more problematic for the GOP if it cannot consolidate behind one candidate.

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann enjoys extensive popularity among Iowans even though the  polls  have her running at a consistent 4th place.  Bachmann considered by many Iowans as the ‘default’ candidate if and when Gingrich were to stumble.  If Bachmann continues to rise in the polls and places a respectable 3rd place in the Iowa caucuses or better, the table can be set for an even better showing in South Carolina and perhaps Florida.  Bachmann will probably not dabble in the New Hampshire primary, since polls indicate this primary race is Romney’s to lose even with the recent surges by Gingrich and Ron Paul.

Pay close attention to South Carolina and Florida.  Bachmann has set up shop in the socially conservative state of South Carolina and is also making a move in Florida. The consensus around the state of Florida amongst conservatives is that while Bachmann is also their ‘default’ candidate, she is more in-line with their ideologically and people have hedged on openly supporting her in part because of the campaign’s lack of presence in the state.  This noticeable lack of presence in the state (who’s hair-brained idea it was not to contend in Florida is beyond understanding) has not instilled confidence in Republican activists who favor her over Romney and the rest of the field.

Governor Rick Perry is also in a good position in the sense that does not carry with him the ‘baggage’ that both Romney and Gingrich have amassed over their political careers.  In an recent interview I conducted with Governor Perry, Perry admitted that he ‘messed up’ during the Presidency 5 debate held in Orlando, Florida last September.  Perry vowed to make amends with Floridians for his debate performance as well as for not addressing them in the moments leading up to the straw poll- Herman Cain  won the poll because of a protest vote from Perry supporters.

Perry has the the money to drive his campaign through the Florida primary and he has already staffed up as far as infrastructure in concerned.  As a result, he may have the upper hand over Bachmann were both of them to continue to ascend in the coming primary polls.  It’s also possible that Rick Santorum and John Huntsman may or may not continue on after the Iowa caucuses.  If both of these candidates drop out, their support would most likely go to either Perry or Bachmann- at least Santorum’s might.  So if you add his 6 points to either Bachmann or Perry, the dynamics of the race will substantially change, especially if Newt continues to drop and the ‘anyone but Romney’ sentiment continues.