Poll: Mitt Romney frontrunner, Christie would start in fourth place

A new Washington Post/ABC News poll released Tuesday shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as the definitive frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination with 25 percent of the vote, with businessman Herman Cain and Texas Gov. Rick Perry tied for second place at 16 percent.

Congressman Ron Paul reaches 11 percent, former Speaker Newt Gingrich and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann hold on at 7 percent, former Sen. Rick Santorum at 2 percent and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman 1 percent.

Yet, these numbers would shift slightly if New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie decides to toss his hat in the ring for the GOP nomination. If Christie reverses his long-standing decision not to run for president, he would start out tied for fourth place with Ron Paul. Christie would also face difficulties associated with building a campaign and raising money late in the game.

Though the New Jersey governor presents an exciting alternative to the current GOP field, two New York Times op-ed contributors wrote yesterday that come Super Tuesday the nomination would, or should, go to the current frontrunner Mitt Romney.

But, until then, "what fun we have! The 24-hour news cycle demands nothing less," wrote Frank Bruni in his column titled, "The Twisting Route Back to Romney."

"There are pundits to quiz, acres of cyberspace to fill, op-ed columns to file … Newsweek covers to shoot, campaign strategists to deify, campaign strategists to demonize, and an Ed Rollins psychodrama to behold." Yet, when it's all said and done, "the victor will most likely be Mitt Romney."

Times columnist David Brooks was slower to declare Romney as the winner, praising Christie throughout his column. But, he wrote, while "It's exciting to have charismatic leaders … often the best leaders in business, in government and in life are not glittering saviors. They are professionals you hire to get a job done. The strongest case for Romney is that he's nobody's idea of a savior."

EMAIL: hboyd@desnews.com