Jeff Smith: Is Romney the Frontrunner Again?

Unfortunately for Democrats, when you take into account money, organization, and candidate discipline in addition to polling, Romney was really never not the frontrunner.

But don’t be fooled by Romney’s above-the-fray tack last night. For the next three weeks, Romney will be savaging Gingrich (and anyone else who is rapidly rising in his campaign’s internal polling) on TV, radio, and in the mailbox.

The name of the game for Romney will be to project as positively as possible in his own appearances while, underneath the seemingly placid surface, his ad campaign and his surrogates will be as nasty as necessary until he regains his lead in national polls.

(Cross-posted, with permission of the author, from Politico’s Arena)