After 17 grueling debates, the field of 2012 Republican Presidential candidates has narrowed, shifted dynamically and experienced more than their 15 minutes of fame. These men and women have been exposed to more scrutiny than any other candidates over the past 30 years. That scrutiny will continue tonight at the last national GOP debate before the caucuses and primaries begin

Herman Cain, Atlanta businessman and former “Anti-Romney” frontrunner, suspended his campaign for the White House on Dec. 3. This means that he dropped out of the contest, but still retains his campaign money, structure and organization, to plan another campaign or possibly run for a different office (here’s hoping he primaries Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss in 2014).

The truth to the allegations against Cain was irrelevant – the fact that so many women came forward to blame him and destroy the campaign was enough for the media, establishment and influential voters to write him off and relegate this man to a level of disingenuous smut-mongers like Eliot Spitzer and Anthony Weiner.  After the fall of Cain, the GOP field needed a new Anti-Romney, and the man who emerged as that mythic hero is another philandering Georgian, former Speaker Newt Gingrich. 

Gingrich’s rise in the polls can be traced through any of the major polling organizations (follow the data). Newt is simply another figure in the long dynasty of candidates who have emerged from the woodworks to challenge the authority of former Mass. Governor Mitt Romney as the Republican frontrunner.

Gingrich’s surge timing may have peaked ideally, however; with Iowa only weeks away, voters may still consider him the viable frontrunner and propel him to a surprise win in the “first in the nation” all-important caucus. Gingrich may just be poised to beat Romney and Ron Paul in Iowa and pull off a proverbial political comeback. 

The Iowa caucuses, the most important minor political event in the early election cycle, will be a telling gauge of whom the voters truly trust and support. Ron Paul may do extraordinarily well, but he won’t win. Gingrich will be first, Paul second, and Romney and another vying for third.  For Romney, who’s basically been running for 5 years, this is an embarrassing failure. Rick Santorum, who’s run a grassroots and vigorous campaign, will do well, possibly tying with Romney. 

Tonight’s GOP debate in Sioux City, Iowa, will air at 7 p.m. on the Fox News Channel.