Where The GOP Candidates Stand

Herman Cain is winning the (Iowa) battle while Mitt Romney is winning the (national) war.

The fact that Herman Cain's "9-9-9" plan got a great deal of attention at the Tuesday night debate confirms that Cain has become the candidate of choice for "Anybody But Romney" GOP voters. He definitely can capitalize on this status with some hard work in Iowa to win the caucus.

But the fact that leading Democrats are attacking Romney and Mitt is seen as the most polished candidate within the debates confirms his status as national front-runner.

As for the other candidates:

Ron Paul is currently set for a second-place finish to Cain in Iowa, because his passionate supporters are good at things that require people to show up.

Mitt Romney will claim the third slot, as he unites people that are afraid that the other candidates would say something crazy in the general election to lose a winnable contest.

Perry and Bachmann are battling for fourth and fifth. When a candidate begins to campaign within Iowa, that candidate is surrounded by a small group of die hard supporters and a large group of tepid supporters. The tepid supporters will run to another candidate after "kicking the tires" of a campaign and finding it lacking. Perry and Bachmann's tepid supporters have fled, and they won't return.

Santorum is working hard, but I can't see a top-five finish for him unless the polling tells me otherwise.