In Naples, Florida -
Herman Cain unexpectedly showed up at a GOP dinner in West Palm Beach on Saturday night to give his endorsement to Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich. The polls here though, are showing Gingrich needs a boost in the Florida Primary on Tuesday.
"I hereby officially and enthusiastically endorse Newt Gingrich for President of the United States," Cain said to cheers, with a smiling Gingrich at his side.
Cain said he felt that Gingrich was going through the "sausage grinder" in Florida, evidently a reference to all of the attacks raining down on the former House Speaker from inside the GOP and from radio and TV ads that are saturating this state.
"That's why we need a real leader in the White House!" Cain said to cheers.
It wasn't too long ago that Cain was at the top of the GOP field, bringing in poll numbers in the 30's - but those days are long gone - and it's not really clear if this endorsement will mean any type of boost for Gingrich here in the Sunshine State.
Just as momentum swung dramatically in favor of Gingrich in the closing days in South Carolina, you have to wonder if the same thing is happening here in Florida.
Polls out late last week showed the race moving definitively to Romney, with his lead in the 7-9 point range - but then the Sunday newspaper hit the doorstep.
A Miami Herald poll done by Mason-Dixon had Romney up 11 points on Gingrich; a new Rasmussen poll out on Sunday morning had Romney with a huge lead of 16 points. A poll done by NBC News and Marist College showed Romney ahead by 15 points.
Romney begins his day in Naples and then goes to the east coast for events in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area.
Gingrich starts to the north of Tampa, visits The Villages north of Orlando and ends with an event in Jacksonville.
Not much time left before the voters make their choice here in Florida on Tuesday.
