Time for some inside politics.

With Newt Gingrich suddenly on the rise in South Carolina, what we like to describe as “Anyone But Romney” forces which include, some Tea Party, Right To Lifers who are unconvinced by Romney’s promises of being Pro-Life, and of course deep Evangelical leaders who lifted Rick Santorum’s unfunded campaign to victory in Iowa, are ALL playing their cards.

*This morning, Rick Perry…who all but dropped out in his post- New Hampshire defeat speech, suddenly returned to campaign once more in South Carolina?  Now the “Christian” candidate is miraculously dropping out JUST in time for a vote in South Carolina.  This shuffles the field just a bit, not much, but just a bit.  PERRY TO ENDORSE GINGRICH.  Interesting.

*All of a sudden ABC News reveals an investigation and interview of Newt Gingrich’s most public years, and private years in a marriage that didn’t just end, but when up in flames while he was Speaker of the House.  That airs tonight and apparently contains enough inflammatory material that ABC seriously considered holding it until after South Carolina.  Details are leaking out already of second wife Marianne’s dirt on her ex-husband.  As a former congressional aide, she would certainly know the good, the bad, and the ugly behind the years when Gingrich virtually lost the Republican majority in the House, was brought up on ethics charges, and was forced to resign.  This could be a nuclear bomb for his campaign, but Newt knew all this was out there.  Like Herman Cain, he knew it could emerge at any moment.

*Look for an influx of media money for Rick Santorum and for South Carolina Christian leaders to organize an extraordinary turn-out for Rick Santorum, not just because he is “the true conservative” in the race, but because some religious leaders are still opposing the Mormon in the race.  NOW Santorum is “surprisingly” announced as the de-facto winner of the Iowa Caucuses!  An inch more momentum for him.

All of these musical chairs promise a debate this evening on CNN at 9pm Eastern, that will be contentious, revealing, even desperate, as Santorum, Paul, Gingrich and Romney must each try to look like they command the race.

Mitt Romney?  Three days ago, some polls put him ahead in South Carolina by as many as 21 points!  Now the lead is 3.  Now the very latest polls show Santorum edging Mitt Romney.   Who is the puppet-master in all this?  Probably not….Voters.

Many questions to be answered in the last high-stakes days of the historically-rocky road of the South Carolina Primaries.  Is it becoming more of an “American Idol” contest?  Everything hanging on your latest performance and the applause you received?

Shouldn’t we stay focused on Barack Obama?  And the dire decision of picking the best candidate, with the best chance of beating Barack Obama in November?

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Filed under: Economy, Featured, Inside The KC, Politics by Sonja Eddings Brown, Jan 19, 2012