Republican enthusiasm for 2012 declines sharply

Republican enthusiasm about voting in the 2012 election has fallen sharply over the last three months, from 58 percent in September to 49 percent in December, according to a Gallup poll released Thursday.

Democratic voters have held steady since September, with 44 percent saying they were more enthusiastic.

According to Gallup, voting enthusiasm is a strong indicator of the eventual outcome of the election.

The poll indicates that the whipsaw battle for the GOP nomination is taking its toll on voters. Donald Trump, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Herman Cain have all taken their turns atop the polls.

Cain recently suspended his campaign, saying he wanted to protect his family from the mounting allegations of sexual harassment and marital infidelity against him.

Newt Gingrich is the current front-runner, but some members of the GOP establishment have publicly spurned him.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said that he cannot support Gingrich because the former House Speaker lacks leadership skills.

And Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) has called Gingrich “too self-centered,” and said he “does not have the capacity to control himself.”

Following Gingrich in the polls is Mitt Romney, who has struggled mightily to gain traction with conservatives in the party, who are unconvinced of his fealty to their cause because of his reputation as a flip-flopper from his past campaigns.