Poll Shows Ron Paul Taking Iowa Lead, Gingrich's Numbers Sinking

Support for Newt Gingrich in Iowa is "imploding" as Ron Paul continues to gain strength, according to several polls, including one from Public Policy Polling that shows Paul surging to the lead.

That poll roughly tracks a "poll of polls" from Real Clear Politics, which shows Gingrich up by a single point over Paul and two points ahead of Mitt Romney. That's down from a 10-point lead only two weeks ago.

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The Public Policy poll shows Paul at 23 percent, Romney at 20 percent and Gingrich falling to 14 percent, ahead of Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry, who each are polling at 10 percent.

"Newt Gingrich's campaign is rapidly imploding and Gingrich has now seen a big drop in his Iowa standing two weeks in a row," the polling firm said in a statement.

From Public Policy Polling, a Democratic organization that has often been reliable in the past:

Gingrich has now seen a big drop in his Iowa standing two weeks in a row. His share of the vote has gone from 27% to 22% to 14%. And there's been a large drop in his personal favorability numbers as well from +31 (62/31) to +12 (52/40) to now -1 (46/47). Negative ads over the last few weeks have really chipped away at Gingrich's image as being a strong conservative -- now only 36% of voters believe that he has 'strong principles,' while 43% think he does not.

The Public Policy polls shows Paul with strong support among young voters, but trailing both Romney and Gingrich among older voters.

Gingrich's personal favorability numbers also fell during the past two weeks from plus 31 to plus 12, Public Policy said. Gingrich has come under relentless attack from Paul and Romney for weeks and more recently from Bachmann.