If you thought Herman Cain’s rise to second place in the new Washington Post poll was impressive, take at look at the new CBS News poll: He is tied at No. 1 with Mitt Romney at 17%. Again, his rise mirrors the fall of Rick Perry, who slipped from first to third place (and from 23% to 12%) in just two weeks. Following in single digits are, in order, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Jon Huntsman.
What’s with Cain’s quick rise? He seems to have replaced Perry as the conservative’s conservative, explains the Christian Science Monitor. In particular, his 9-9-9 plan to revamp the tax code—he wants a 9% flat income tax, a 9% corporate tax, and a 9% national sales tax—is resonating, adds CBS. A big test will be to see how he fares amid all the new attention, writes Peter Grier in the CSM. He’ll likely be a big target in the next debate.
