There’s horse-race politics, but then there are also bona fide plot twists in the presidential campaign season, and we’re looking at one of them with the boost conservatives are giving Rick Santorum — yes, he of the sweater vest — as he and the formerly more confident Mitt Romney get ready for Arizona and Michigan primaries late this month. –KA

Los Angeles Times:

A new CBS News/New York Times poll shows that Santorum now leads Romney 30%-27% among Republican primary voters nationwide. Romney’s standing is statistically unchanged, while Santorum has surged 14 points since a January survey, conducted between the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries.

Newt Gingrich, who triumphed in South Carolina, has now dropped into fourth place with just 10% support, down from 21% last month. Ron Paul is just ahead of him at 12%, down from 15%.

Read more

Wait, before you go…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

Support Truthdig