But it's dark horse Ron Paul who seems to be tapping into the deep-seated cynicism with which many Americans view the economy, the prolonged downturn and how we can stop the boom-and-bust cycle.

His top target: The Federal Reserve. His solution: "End the Fed" and return to the gold standard.

How do I know this is catching on? Well, Gingrich, looking to expand on his win in South Carolina and attack Romney from the populist angle, is now embracing some of Paul's economic libertarianism. Last Friday, he announced that, if elected president, he would create a new commission on gold to "look at the whole concept of how do we get back to hard money" and how we can ensure the dollar is "worth 30 years from now what it ...