2012 Decoded

Here's a crystal clear sign that the Republican presidential primary has come down to Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, per Gallup.

Romney and Gingrich are the only two candidates that Republican primary voters believe would be acceptable presidential nominees.  Gingrich holds a narrow, but significant advantage over Romney on this front, with 61 percent viewing him as acceptable, with 54 percent viewing Romney acceptably.

The goal of Team Romney in the coming weeks: Spend big bucks to raise Gingrich's negatives, and hope he'll fade like the other candidates who enjoyed their time in the spotlight.  It's becoming clear that Romney isn't able to win the Republican nomination, but can prevail if all his rivals self-destruct and he's left as the last candidate standing.