Rick Perry at Just 4 Percent in New Harvard/Saint Anselm Poll

The most startling thing is how drastically Rick Perry has faded from the top-tier. No wonder's he's out with these heavy hitting ads against Mitt Romney:

It's a good line of attack, as I noted this morning here.

But see: "NEW POLL FROM INSTITUTES OF POLITICS AT HARVARD, SAINT ANSELM FINDS ROMNEY LEADING NH PRIMARY FIELD BY 18 POINTS" (via Memeorandum).

And also Lynn Sweet, "Romney 18 point NH lead: Harvard, St. Anselm Institutes of Politics poll."

Mitt Romney .................................................................. 38%
Herman Cain ................................................................. 20%
Ron Paul ....................................................................... 13%
Newt Gingrich................................................................ 5%
Jon Huntsman ............................................................... 4%
Rick Perry...................................................................... 4%
Michelle Bachmann ....................................................... 3%
Gary Johnson................................................................ 1
Rick Santorum............................................................... 1%
Don't know .................................................................... 11%

Michele Bachmann started fading after getting into hot water with her comments on HPV vaccines. She's betting on a big win in Iowa to carry her trough. Maybe a win in the Hawkeye State (or a place in the top three) will help her with these drastic numbers in New Hampshire. Beyond that, keep an eye on Herman Cain. I'm pleased to see him doing well in the polls, and it's a national trend in the surveys.

RELATED: From The Other McCain, "'Mr. Cain, Who Is Lawrence O'Donnell to Tell You How to Be a Black Man?'"