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Subscribe to RSSCan anyone stop Romney?... We’ll find out with two debates -- including the NBC/Facebook one -- taking place in the next 24 hours… Breaking down the new NBC/Marist poll… Electability and ideology helping Romney in NH… Paul’s low ceiling and Santorum’s higher one... How Paul is hurting Huntsman… Last night’s campaign developments… And Gingrich hires two former Bachmann staffers in SC.
*** Can anyone stop Romney? With a new round of polls, including our NBC/Marist survey, showing Mitt Romney with a substantial lead in New Hampshire -- and another poll showing him up big in South Carolina -- the question becomes: Can anyone stop Romney? We’ll get an early answer to that question from the two GOP presidential debates we’ll see in the next 24 hours. At 9:00 pm ET tonight, the six remaining Republican candidates square off at an ABC/WMUR debate in Manchester. And then, at 9:00 am ET on Sunday, they’ll participate in the NBC/Meet the Press/Facebook debate moderated by NBC’s David Gregory in Concord. In case anyone has forgotten, the debates -- these next two will be Nos. 14 and 15 of the cycle, respectively -- have mattered. A lot. Indeed, the new NBC/Marist poll shows a combined 45% of likely New Hampshire voters believe the debates have helped decide their vote a “great deal” or a “good amount.” That’s compared with 10% who say the same about the results from the Iowa caucuses, and 20% who say the same about seeing the candidates in person.
*** Electability and ideology helping Romney in NH: The horserace numbers from our new NBC/Marist poll among likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters are Romney 42% (up three points from our last NH poll), Ron Paul 22% (up six), Rick Santorum 13% (up 11), Jon Huntsman (unchanged) and Newt Gingrich (down 15) at 9%, and Perry at 1% (down 1). The survey also shows that electability and the state’s ideological makeup are helping Romney in the Granite State. For instance, 65% of these voters think the former Massachusetts governor has the best chance of beating President Obama in November, and a strong majority prefers an electable nominee to a true conservative. What’s more, Romney performs better among the very conservative voters (beating Santorum among them, 30%-27%), Tea Party supporters (beating Paul 35%-25%), and evangelicals (leading Santorum, 31%-30%) than he did in Iowa. And helping him even more is the fact that there are fewer of these conservative/Tea Party/evangelical voters in New Hampshire than there were in Iowa. “New Hampshire is a very different ballgame than Iowa,” said Marist pollster Lee Miringoff.
*** Paul’s low ceiling and Santorum’s higher one: Can anyone catch Romney in New Hampshire? Well, while Paul sits in second place in our poll, he has a fairly low ceiling: 43% of likely voters find him unacceptable. That’s compared with 25% who say the same about Santorum and 16% who say that about Romney. (The most unacceptable in the poll? Perry’s at 54% and Gingrich is at 44%.) Those numbers suggest that Santorum can increase his poll position in New Hampshire. But can he overtake Paul with just three days to go until the primary?
*** How Paul is hurting Huntsman: That said, the NBC/Marist poll shows that Paul has become a thorn in Huntsman’s side, and it explains why Huntsman’s campaign has gone after the Texas congressman in recent days. Among the 38% of likely New Hampshire primary voters who identify themselves as independents -- the same folks Huntsman is trying to court -- Romney gets 35%, Paul 28%, and Huntsman 13%. And among self-described moderates and liberals, it’s Romney 46%, Paul 22%, and Huntsman 15%. In addition, the poll shows that Santorum has consolidated the “very conservative” vote, as well as evangelical Christians.
*** Last night’s developments: Here are some of the campaign stories from last night: Romney, in New Hampshire, blasted Obama over the economy and said the president doesn’t deserve credit for the improving job/unemployment numbers. “He doesn't deserve it because everything that's been done has hurt this recovery, everything done by this president." (Numbers from the Congressional Budget Office and other independent economics would disagree.)… Yesterday, Newt Gingrich slammed Mitt Romney’s gubernatorial resume (including his health-care law) during a tele-town hall, an indication of how the former House speaker may try to go after the Republican front-runner in the coming days… And Gingrich, stumping in New Hampshire, was forced to answer many questions that have been looming over his campaign (like the $1.6 million he made for Freddie Mac).
*** Gingrich hires two former Bachmann staffers in SC: NBC’s Ali Weinberg reports that the Gingrich campaign has hired two of Michele Bachmann’s South Carolina staffers. Taylor Mason, who was Bachmann’s Lowcountry field coordinator, and Gavin Smith, who was the assistant to Bachmann state chairman Sheri Few, will both serve as Lowcountry and Midlands field directors respectively. “Michele Bachmann had some very good grassroots support here in South Carolina and they built a lot of great relationships with voters here, whether they be traditional republicans or Tea Partiers,” said Gingrich South Carolina director Adam Waldeck. “With Bachmann’s campaign ending, it made sense for them to come to another conservative’s campaign and so we’re happy to have them helping out and looking forward to working with them to win on the 21st.” These additions, Weinberg says, bring Gingrich’s staff to a total of 14.
*** On the trail: It’s a busy day before tonight’s debate: Romney already held a rally in Derry (which NBC’s Garrett Haake says got interrupted by Occupy protesters)… Huntsman stumps in Littleton, North Haverhill, Plymouth, and Manchester… Paul hits Concord and Windham… Santorum holds events in Manchester, Amherst, and Hollis… And Gingrich stumps in Wolfeboro.
Countdown to New Hampshire primary: 3 days
Countdown to South Carolina primary: 14 days
Countdown to Florida primary: 24 days
Countdown to Nevada caucuses: 28 days
Countdown to Super Tuesday: 59 days
Countdown to Election Day: 304 days
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Iowa has caucussed, the Northeast is talking, Romney has less to offer and some terrible baggage to overcome than McCain did last time. Where are all the Republican first string players? When is the Mormon church going to learn basic economics. We currently have many things in our world that could do with a little improvement, we could start with a Forth Estate that lucidly covers them. Free speech is fine, but first it requires a few that have some idea of what they are talking about.
As bad as the Republican field is for this country, everyone has a chance to beat the Obamination.
Any Obamabots that are still slurping his platitudes should not get to excited.
Our choices seem to be a Eunuch, Magic Underwear, and Mr. Frothy...whata country!
Mitt took HIS Trickle Down Bush Tax cuts, invested the money in overseas factories, and then outsourced everybody's jobs. Hows THAT for a thank you! And remember folks outsourcing is a GOOD thing. its for our own good as they say. oh yeah and trickle down economics works! really! Just ask Cheney who said they didn't matter because we would GROW our way out of the deficits produced by the Bush tax cuts. Still waiting, ya CHUMP
Already been done--RON PAUL will get rid of Romney--he tried 2x before and still not talking American just placate rich talk. Nope he is NOT for the Presidency.
Mitt the beady eyed, robotic, flip flopping Fat Cat Outsourcer. Devoted to the major stockholders and screw the temporary help
Gives off the appearance of a supervisor motivating his troops: He gets rich, they benefit by having a job-- maybe.
who ownes the media? who of these owners has had a financial relationship with mitt and his fellow financial friends? thank you us congress and us supreme court for destroying the us republic and making it a plutocratic oligarchy. and thank you us populace for being more interested in you entertrainment media than in your own financial condition.
The Middle Class is, in reality, a permanent ward of the Upper Class, forever dependent on their spending and investment whims---- and that leads to a lot of Fat Cat ass kissing. Pathetic, really when you consider there ARE other ways to make an economy work
Which Mitch Romney are we talking about today?
The American people will stop Romney, no doubt about it.
There is some doubt there, some of them seem to want to vote against their own best interests.
Romney's claim to have worked in the private sector is using the term work quite loosely.
Lmao......Thanks for making my morning! As I have stated Im not caring who wins the presidential election, but I am enjoying the liberal comments and do look forward to the next 10 months of popcorn and massive amounts of budda! I predict a good year for the guys hawking Cellulite reduction creme next year!
Someone better he won't beat Obama.
UNFORTUNATELY the GOP candidates are looking more like A CIRCUS EVENT !
CAN'T stand the thought of another 4 YEAR HITCH with OBAMA !!
No way in hell I'd vote fro Mitt. No mormons! He has family living in Mexico. They fled there ages ago because of the law against multi wives. They still take multi wives. That is his mind set in regards to women. No matter how many millions he has in the band.
Pat in Reno - Based upon the article I read yesterday it appears his family in the late 1800s fled to Mexico, in part, to practice polygamy. I don't believe the main LDS Church, of which Romney and his Mexican relatives are members, practice polygamy as it was "outlawed" about 120 years ago. Some small factions not associated with their Church still attempt, but Romney and his family do not.
As an independent, if I vote for him (or any other candidate), it will not be because of their religion/race, etc..., it will be based upon their merits to do the job.
I served with several Mormons, always 1 wife but lots of kids. One of my shipmates wife had a habit of birthing kids with in a very short time after her water breaking....... she had her 8 child a daughter in the back seat of my Camaro on the way to the Charleston Naval Hospital.
Ask him if he supports Fair Free Trade?
Thousands of US American Factories have been shipped overseas, Millions of US American Jobs have been shipped overseas, Billions of US American Dollars to buy "Made In China" consumer goods have been shipped overseas, Billions of Dollars worth of US American raw materials have been shipped overseas to provide offshore jobs, and Trillions of US American Debt Obligations have been shipped overseas. Home owners were scammed and home values are going through A Great Depression, unemployment is still a problem, our economy is shaky, and the USA National Government is totally dysfunctional. What is most needed is the return of “Made In The USA” long term manufacturing jobs. Maker Jobs are what are needed. Our economy will not stabilize until maker jobs are returned to US Americans. Are any of these candidates willing to propose a policy that will “return” Jobs to US Americans. Fair Free Trade – (Not Balanced Trade) Fair Free Trade - The key to stable and sustainable recovery is the return of manufacturing (maker) jobs to the USA. US American Jobs will not return to the USA until 3 / 4 of our Local Governments adopt a policy of County Wide Fair Free Trade Zones. Where all products and/or services offered for sale/use in “The Zone” (be it county, state, or nation) must be produced and/or provided in accordance with all USA; quality, safety, health, environment and wage standards. NO ONE is even talking about this option. Go to: www.manifestry.info > Fair Free Trade
A country wide "Free Trade Zone"?
Our 1st Amendment of our US Constitution does not permit your "Manifestry Method"
Romney is a toxic person on a massive power trip. He is the candidate for the 1%. Anyone else who would vote for him for President is plain stupid. He is the greedy guy mentioned many times in the Bible. He wants to take from the poor and give to the rich. What a creep !
Better: Can Anyone stop sachs o'gold?
"He doesn't deserve it because everything that's been done has hurt this recovery, everything done by this president."
Talk about a bunch of BS. Anyone who thinks that Romney is more electable than President Obama must have drunk the cool aide. Just ask some of the workers of the companies that Bain Capital took over to get the real facts about whether he and his company created jobs and what kind of jobs if any. HAHA HA!
Well the media is doing a pretty good job of repeating the same corporate state
sponsored trash, so I guess people will just believe what they hear repeated enough times. Good job Satan, but we all know in the end you will be seen as the weakling you are.
I for one am sick of paying for the military defense of foreign nations with money borrowed from enemies of a free society. Where are the Pastors of this country...oh yeah they are preaching soft messages from a tax exempt pulpit. not Chuck Baldwin though. ChuckBaldwinLive.com go there for real info not this trash
9 trillion ( 750 billion a year for 12 years) in tax revenues were lost thanks to the unnecessary Bush tax cuts. Another 3 trillion were wasted on Revenge Wars because the Moron dropped the ball on 9/11. So our deficit would only be 3 trillion, not 15, if but for one infamous 5/4 Supreme Court vote. Is it too late to hang them?
Another 10 months to go? Catch you then.
Sure. President Obama.
No problem.
Hasn't the Media learned that they should NEVER post a political article as if the subject is a threat? Some danged fool out there might panic or take it as a challenge.
The very same question was asked of Robert Kennedy as I recall and look what happened there.
I want to know how Mitt is going to do to fix the mess which has gotten worse the last 3 years of Obama.
Is Phil Graham, one of the architects of trickle down economics still alive? If so can we hang him? If not where's his grave so I can give him some trickle down back