Cain, Gingrich lead Romney in new Iowa poll

A new poll of Iowa voters shows Herman Cain maintaining support among Republicans in the state, leading Newt Gingrich, who has been surging in recent polls, by a 22 percent to 18 percent margin. 

Mitt Romney rounds out the top three with support from 15 percent of those surveyed, according to a We Ask America poll released Monday.

Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul also cracked double digits, each receiving 11 percent of the vote. Rick Perry led the remainder of the field with just 4 percent, while Rick Santorum (3 percent) and Jon Huntsman (2 percent) brought up the rear.

The We Ask America findings contrast with an Insider Advantage poll released Sunday that showed the former Godfather's Pizza CEO leading with 30 percent of respondents and Gingrich in third with 12 percent of supporters. But Insider Advantage found Romney with an identical 15 percent of support.

Those numbers may validate popular narratives that Cain is slipping amid allegations of sexual harassment during his time as president of the National Restaurant Association, while Romney is unable to attract Republicans beyond his core constituency. Gingrich, the conventional wisdom goes, could be where conservative Republicans defect if Cain proves untenable.

But there were some encouraging signs for Cain. Seventeen percent of women chose Cain despite the allegations, more than any candidate other than Romney. And Cain's support seems concentrated among older Republicans, who traditionally are among the most likely to vote.

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