The latest major poll out of Iowa released on Monday shows a virtual three-way tie, with Public Policy Polling showing Ron Paul at 20 percent, Mitt Romney at 19 percent, and Rick Santorum at 18 percent going into tonight's Caucuses.

But the sentiment among many political reporters on the ground in the Hawkeye State is that it's Santorum who has the Big Mo in the final days and hours leading into tonight's vote, and that he could come out as the upset winner.

Considering that Jon Huntsman isn't competing in Iowa, such a result would show that yes, every Republican running for president was able to get his or her time in the spotlight there as the Anti-Romney. Let's face it, win or lose, Santorum is thrilled that he's finally being taken seriously by the powers that be, since for much of the campaign season the most vivid recollection most people have of him is his complaint that he hasn't been asked enough questions during the many debates that have taken place throughout the year.

The logical question to ask today, though, is: Why is Santorum finally breaking through?

One reporter on the ground says that it's simply vanity. That Santorum has spent considerable amounts of time telling Iowa audiences how great they are, and how they can make a statement by telling the pundits that they don't know nothin' about Iowans and how they really think.

This article appears in Dec 22-28, 2011.