Gingrich Rises in Polls to Virtual Tie With Romney

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WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -  Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich campaigned in Iowa today as poll numbers show his rise with Republicans has put him in a virtual tie for Mitt Romney.

A CNN/ORC International Poll out today shows Romney at 24 percent and Gingrich at 22 percent. The margin of error for the poll is three percentage points.

Gingrich told ABC News this morning that while this poll says they’re very close, this is the most volatile race in his lifetime and it doesn’t say anything about what is to come.

“This is a wild race,” Gingrich said. “Who knows what the polls are going to be two months from now. I’m not going to tell you I’m on the way.”

Gingrich said he was “humbled” by the general conclusion that he’s offering “real substance and real solutions in the debates.”

Willie Anderson, a 76-year-old former Tim Pawlenty supporter, told Gingrich in West Des Moines today she was leaning toward supporting him now, but asked Gingrich what he could tell her to gain her full support.

Gingrich told her and the crowd of more than 150 people that his experience and background from his childhood growing up overseas as a military child and seeing political unrest first hand, to his willingness to withstand anything would make him the best candidate.

“I find it very formidable to think that I might win and that with your help we might go through eight very difficult years,” Gingrich said. “I don’t know any other way for this country to get back on track.”

Gingrich won one more caucus voter over today. In the press availability afterward as Gingrich was talking to the media, a local Iowa reporter informed Gingrich, “Willie just said she’s going to caucus for you.”

“Did she? All right, that’s important. That’s a very cool thing, that’s good,” Gingrich said.

Today Gingrich heads to Jefferson, Iowa, to meet with Greene County Republicans.