By Bill O'Reilly

A new Fox News poll among likely Republican primary voters has Herman Cain in the lead 24-20 over Mitt Romney, with Newt Gingrich at 12 percent and Rick Perry at 10 percent. The rest of the candidates are in single digits.

Mr. Cain's rise is interesting. He's taken supporters directly from Michele Bachmann and Governor Perry as conservatives rally to the businessman's engaging and direct manner. Even though Herman Cain is running a non-traditional campaign, his popularity is the story of the race thus far.

But Thursday the "New York Times" reported that Cain has just six - six - paid workers in New Hampshire and Iowa combined. The story went on to say that his campaign is disorganized in the extreme. Be that as it may, there is a stunning difference between the national and state-by-state polling among Republicans.

According to a CNN/Time magazine poll in New Hampshire, Romney is at 40 percent, Cain at 13 percent. In South Carolina: Romney 25, Cain 23 percent. In Florida: Romney 30 percent, Cain 18 percent. And in Iowa, Romney polls at 24 percent, Herman Cain 21 percent.

But Mr. Cain may have a secret weapon against Mitt Romney, and that is Rick Perry. There's no question that Governor Perry is targeting Romney and has millions of dollars to spend on advertising. Mr. Perry is highlighting Romney's big weakness, a history of changing his mind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TEXAS GOV. RICK PERRY, GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: How do you change, at the age of 50 or 60, positions on life, positions on guns, positions on traditional marriage? I mean, those aren't minor issues, Bill. So, to change those at age of 50 or 60 tells you all you need to know about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now, there is a chance that Rick Perry will become the new best friend of both Herman Cain and Barack Obama. The governor's poll numbers have been slow to rise, even after he unveiled his tax plan earlier this week. But Perry is in it to win it and will aggressively campaign in the months to come. He could do enormous damage to Mitt Romney or even to Herman Cain if he chooses to do so.

Politics is a contact sport. And there are some very hard hits coming down the road.

And that's "The Memo."

PINHEADS & PATRIOTS

As you may know, Minister Louis Farrakhan, who heads up the Nation of Islam in the USA, is good friends with Qaddafi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOUIS FARRAKHAN, NATION OF ISLAM: Did he kill people? Well, hell, did our president kill people? Talk back to me.

You have made your president an assassin, that the only value that he has now is that he was responsible for the death of Usama bin Laden. Now Muammar Qaddafi and his sons lie dead. Saddam Hussein and his sons lie dead. Well, what about your sons? They're dying in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

It goes without saying, the minister is a pinhead, but so are the people who listen to him.

- You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads & Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com.