It appears to be working. (That, or Newt Gingrich’s knack for making radically bizarre statements is taking its toll.) Romney now ties Gingrich in at least one national poll, and is closing the gap in other early primary state polling.

Anyone tuning into cable and network news broadcast over the last week may have noticed the former governor’s meticulously gelled hair on Sunday political talk shows and on late night TV. This is in stark contrast to months of very limited media exposure following the Iowa Straw Poll back in August.

On Tuesday morning, Romney appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe to continue beating back his image as a 'Romneycare' flip flopper and to talk up his 25-year private sector experience:

“Look, I happen to think I'm in the best position to replace President Obama. I think that the only way we’re going to get President Obama out of the White House -- because it's hard to replace an incumbent, is if we have someone run against him who is different than a lifelong politician. I think there’s nothing wrong with being a lifelong politician; we got one in the White House right now. Newt Gingrich has spent his life in Washington and I don’t think someone who has spent their life in Washington is going to be able to be sufficiently distinctive for President Obama to actually beat him.”

Read more from his 'Morning Joe' interview here.

Night owls may have caught Romney’s David Letterman appearance on Monday night. He tried (unconvincingly) to show his lighter side. Romney stalely delivered last night’s Top Ten list of things he’d like to say to the American people.

Number nine on the list: “What’s up, gangstas…it’s the M-I-Double-Tizzle.”

Not kidding. See for yourself below: