Poll: Romney emerges as New Hampshire front-runner

[onehandle]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Where does the Republican presidential race in New Hampshire stand? New Hampshire Republicans had a debate and now they have a new front-runner.

In early April, there were two front-runners in the New Hampshire Republican primary: Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani were tied for first place.

Now, after last week's CNN-WMUR-New Hampshire Union Leader debate in Manchester, New Hampshire, things have changed. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has picked up support, from 17 percent in April to 28 percent now. He's the new front-runner, by a narrow margin, while Giuliani and John McCain both lost support. They're still tied -- but for second, at 20 percent each

The remainder of the GOP's presidential contenders were in the low single digits. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who has said he will decide whether to run in the fall, scored 4 percent; Texas congressman Ron Paul, the lone voice of opposition to the war in Iraq among Republican candidates, came in at 3 percent; Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee were at 2 percent; and Colorado U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo rated less than 1 percent.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/12/schneider.nh.gop/index.html

[TwilightGardener]

1. Mittens is also raking in the most money from California. Mittens may

win both NH and IA, get the big mo for SC, and then the nom will his to lose. I do see this happening. He is too logical of a candidate, asset and image-wise, for the R's to resist.

[RufusTFirefly]

2. Meanwhile, Barney Frank pulls his punches when asked about Mitt

(NOT!)

Monday, June 11, 2007
Speaking Frankly

US Representative Barney Frank, who's been known to have a caustic word or two about Republican pols, lays into Mitt Romney in an interview with NECN's Jim Braude to be broadcast tonight. Frank calls Romney "the most intellectually dishonest human being in the history of politics."

Here's the full quote, as provided by NECN: "The real Romney is clearly an extraordinarily ambitious man with no perceivable political principle whatsover. He is the most intellectually dishonest human being in the history of politics."

boston.com

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. Leave it to Barney to tell it like it is, thanks for that ....n/t

[WindRavenX]

6. I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with him. He's great.

God, that quote is *fantastic* and spot-on :thumbsup:

[RufusTFirefly]

7. I'm a big Barney fan

However, I've always felt he was better in an interview or in committee than he is on the floor of the House.
He's smart as a whip and amazingly quick on his feet. However, I don't think he's as strong as an orator.

[Elspeth]

4. Where is Fred Thompson on this list?

Or was it done without him?

[onehandle]

9. He's still too busy with his child bride.

She's 24 years younger and filled with Silicon.

Probably her head too.

[Elspeth]

14. LOL!

:D

[WindRavenX]

5. Good. ANY of our canidates would absolutely wipe the floor with him.

There has yet to be *any* major support, iirc, from the RW Christian wing ; without them, Romney will loose a ton of voters.

[Bucky]

8. Northeastern pols always, always enjoy a huge advantage in NH.

In 1988 Mike Dukakis used NH as a spring board to the nomination and went on to prove New England is a bad gauge of national popularity. That same year Poppy Bush ran in NH as a "son of Connecticut" which helped him put down Bob Dole's insurgency.

In 1992 Paul Tsongas won NH and went on to lose the nomination

In 2000 Bill Bradley got his best performance against the inevitable nominee, Gore, in NH. His numbers went straight down hill after that.

In 2004 New Hampshire was a show down between two New England pols, both of whom before Iowa were correctly calculating NH as a "must win."

New Hampshirites are among the most colloquial and regionally chauvinistic voters in the union. If Romney wins it, it means nothing. It's just neighbors liking neighbors more than outsiders.

[On the Road]

10. Not Just from the Northeast

but from Massachusetts specifically. Something like 30% of people who live in NH are former MA residents. Romney is almost a favorite son, although he may not get viewed that way.

[Tracer]

11. Massachusetts voters bought a pig in a poke ...

... when they elected the Mittster governor.

They thought they were getting a Bill Weld-type Republican.

Not.

The slimy, two-faced, do-nothing Mittens wasted no time in gallivanting about the country insulting the residents of the state, seeming not to give a good damn about the how this would play in MA.

[Massachusetts]

12. Mittens was never a threat or effective in Mass

We appoint jesters to be Gov for a while now and then.

The Speeeka and his group are the ones who make things happen (most of the time). They are the Movers and Shakers.

Remember Mittens big moment?....the unfortunate collapse of a section of the big dig tunnel. He did hid very best to look like the man in charge, and he used every bit of that unfortunate accident to do so (like little bu$hit did).IMO

He is prettier than Jane Swift though (not that there's anything wrong with that).

[flaminbats]

13. wow..you guys hate mitt almost as much as I hate Bush!!

I probably won't vote for this guy..but I'll give him one thing..at least he supports universal health insurance. yet there are too many Democrats who consider that just way too liberal!!!!:dunce:

[Tracer]

15. Geez! Why would you ever even think about voting for him?

Are you a Republican't in disguise?

[midnight armadillo]

16. Read the fine print

The system MA is now trying out, that Romney supported with little enthusiasm, if memory serves, coerces people into buying into the insurance co dominated health care racket. People without insurance -> make it illegal not to have it, problem solved!

While I appreciate the earnestness of the effort by Gov Patrick and the Legislature to get this system to work, it is more expensive and much more punitive than a simple single-payer system would be.