Posted on 06/29/2011 6:35:22 AM PDT by markomalley
Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) newfound political momentum isn't limited to Iowa, a new poll showed late Tuesday night.
Bachmann, the newly-minted presidential candidate, gained ground since a May Suffolk University poll, catapulting into the (distantly) second place position among Republicans of New Hampshire, according to a new edition of the poll.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) leads Republican presidential contenders among the Granite State's likely GOP voters, drawing the support of 36 percent of them.
Bachmann is the only candidate other than Romney in double digits; 11 percent of New Hampshire Republicans said they support the three-term congresswoman as the nominee, up from 3 percent in early May.
The poll was conducted over the weekend, just as Bachmann was preparing her formal announcement on Monday in Iowa. A poll by the Des Moines Register showed Bachmann at second place in the state, at 22 percent to Romney's 23 percent.
It suggests the momentum that Bachmann's enjoyed since announcing her candidacy, and stealing the limelight, at this month's New Hampshire presidential debate has translated to the nation's first-in-the-nation primary state. Romney's still in command, but the two polls combined could afford Bachmann an opportunity to emerge as the primary anti-Romney voice in the race.
That would be especially disconcerting for Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), who's jockeyed to become the top Romney alternative, but passed on a shot at the frontrunner at the GOP debate. Pawlenty was the choice of just two percent of Republican voters in the poll, down from three percent in the last poll. While he's focused more on Iowa, he's also made a decent number of stops in New Hampshire.
Rounding out the poll are Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) at eight percent, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) at five percent, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) and former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman (R) at four percent, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and pizza mogul Herman Cain at two percent.
Twenty-one percent are undecided. The poll, conducted June 25-27, has a 4.9 percent margin of error.
She’s being set up like a bowling pin.
It is really hard to understand NH folks. They seem like a conservative lot but seem to have huge identity problems. The whole NE seems to be overly dependent on image and media. Everyone seems to want to be on board with the “right” people.
Only ‘pre-season’ until Palin announces.
??? MSM is really pumping up Bachmann!! MSNBC is completely over the top with her. Hell, Chrissy Matthews is even taking credit for finding her? They can control Bachmann and her staff (Rollins). They cannot control Palin. That is unexeptable to them. Bachmann is NOT independent of the establishment. Palin is. PALIN MUST RUN.
“Everyone seems to want to be on board with the “right” people.”
This is a very common essential problem with Republicans, including many in talk radio. In my opinion it really blinds them to the sneaky tactics of our domestic enemies.
You are a million percent correct.
IMHO, what has happened is the distrust and hatred of the biased MSM has become so distasteful to Conservatives (after all, we have sloping foreheads and are neanderthals), that a reverse effect is happening.
Whenever the press is perceived as coming out and attacking a conservative unfairly, the people rally round them.
My son mentioned how they were going after Bachmann all week. My answer was of course, it is what the MSM does. A member of a traditional victim group comes out as a strong conservative, and the MSM goes after them in a very vicious personal way.
They take the area a greatest strength and immediately try to paint that person as the opposite (Palin as not having “experience”, Bachmann as a tax lawyer being a “flake”, etc in order to negate their strength)
The MSM is the unofficial propaganda arm of the Dem party. We all know it.
New Hampshire conservatives have fled the state...a majority of NH residents are from 'somewhere else'. The few conservatives remaining are usually from New York, Massachusetts, or California. Those people, of course; think NH is a 'conservative' paradise. Don't be fooled.
It does and it is unfortunate because even though talk radio appears to pride itself in running against the grain it still behaves like the jilted sister to the msm. This goes along well with studies that show people individually are much more conservative in personal values but political are more liberal because of not wanting to be seen as out of the “mainstream”. We see what happens when conservatism is on the march like prior to 2010. People standing up in the fight against HC. The conservative self id spiked to its highest levels in Gallop polling. When conservatives are no longer ashamed of what they believe they will be ascendent.
NH is truly a swing state and the internal polling on individual views tends to show a much more conservative state than its voting. The same goes for many NE states. Maine for example has always had a very conservative undercurrent but until recently it was like the conservatives stopped voting or something.
“New Hampshire conservatives have fled the state”
No, they have not left. They are just outnumbered by the people that have moved in and want more from their govt.
The real problem is the Independents that can register the day of the primary and chose their affiliation that day.
Those people are the conservatives...my family will be joining them very soon. Abortion, gay marriage...a real 'conservative' bastion.
Those people are the conservatives...my family will be joining them very soon. Abortion, gay marriage...a real 'conservative' bastion.
It is way to early to be peeking. Ask Presidents Romney and Giuliani what it means to lead in these polls the summer before the votes.
You nailed that...since Obama has the Dem nomination locked up; you will have more Democrats than ever voting in New Hampshire's GOP primary. They will vote for the weakest Republican candidate; as they did with McCain in 2008. However, the state GOP has NO INTEREST in closing the primary.
Gee...wonder why?
Your post was the most well reasoned, thought-out argument for supporting Bachmann absent a Sarah Palin candidacy. Good luck on the flaming from people not so willing to exercise common sense.
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