Poll: Minnesota GOP presidential nomination a toss up
A new survey by Public Policy Polling shows that all four Republican presidential candidates have a shot at winning Tuesday's caucuses.
According to the Democratic polling firm, Rick Santorum has a slight lead with 29 percent of the vote. Mitt Romney has 27 percent of the vote, while Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul follow with 22 percent and 19 percent respectively.
PPP says Santorum's lead in Minnesota and in Colorado, which also holds its caucuses on Tuesday, can be attributed to two factors: likability and the fact that no other candidates are attacking him.
In Colorado 68 percent of voters see Santorum favorably. In Minnesota, 72 percent of voters view him favorably - the highest of all the candidates.
"Wins for Santorum in Minnesota and Missouri would make it clear he's a more viable alternative to Romney than Gingrich and give him a lot of momentum for the road ahead," the firm reports.
There's a lot more detail on the polling firm's website, including analysis of Paul's chances in Minnesota, which will largely depend on how many Independent voters show up on caucus night, and how well he does with older voters.
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