There is a growing perception that this primary season is all but decided; that Mitt Romney is already the presumptive nominee. Indeed, our own Michael van der Galien is of this opinion. However, I must disagree with Michael. While things certainly look that way right now, there is a lot of time between now and August, when the convention will be held, and many primaries and caucuses left to go through. That leaves an abundance of time for other candidates to rise to prominence and for Mitt Romney to fall to successful attacks.

Take, for example, the recent attacks on Mitt Romney for Newt Gingrich. Though wrong at their core, they have seen a level of success. We can see that in the latest RealClearPolitics average for South Carolina, which I’ve screen-capped below:

Gingrich is rising in South Carolina; right now Romney is only up by 4.7, which is basically bordering on toss-up territory. The attacks were working, and it makes some sense. Though largely conservative, the Republicans of South Carolina would be swayed more by an attack of Gingrich’s type because South Carolina has a fairly sizable manufacturing base, but the unemployment rate is at 9.9%. A state full of engineers worried about their jobs want somebody who is going to help bring those jobs back, not somebody who it seems doesn’t care about their lot.

Unlike Mike Huckabee in 2008, Gingrich chose a later state to make his populist move, which could allow him to fly into February with momentum. Now is the time for Gingrich to expound on the Bain-as-evil and Romney-as-corporate-raider attack, which makes me a little puzzled about why he suddenly has shifted back to the Romney-as-moderate line. Is Romney a softy moderate or a unflinching and cold capitalist? Which is it? I think voters will ask this question as well, and unfortunately for Gingrich, it may come back to haunt him. After all, six days is forever in electoral politics.

On the same thought, these attacks have not been working nearly as well in Florida, where manufacturing isn’t as big, and the polls show it. So even if Gingrich somehow pulls off a win on Saturday, Romney could come roaring back. But it’s also possible that a win could have Gingrich make a turnaround. We just won’t know for sure until after Saturday, and in the days following. Six days may be forever, but 16 is an eternity.

Where does all this leave us? With the idea that right now there is a great struggle in the party for control, not of ideology, but finding out who has the best chance to lead the party into the general. Those winds are changing week by week and state by state. It seems as if Romney will again have a great struggle in South Carolina, but not so much in Florida, but every candidate is trying their level best to make a good showing. There is over a month and a half until Super Tuesday. A lot can change by then. So it isn’t correct to say that Romney has this in the bag until it’s indisputable that he does.