Posted on 06/12/2011 3:48:44 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
STRATHAM, N.H. – Mitt Romney's political backyard is the most promising terrain in his second bid for the Republican presidential nomination. It's also the most perilous.
The former governor from neighboring Massachusetts has a vacation place in New Hampshire, so the state really is his second home. He's well known and well established here, and he's putting more emphasis on the Granite State, which holds the nation's first primary, than he did four years ago. He'll be in Manchester for a seven-candidate debate Monday night.
But the state's proximity to Massachusetts is a two-edged sword.
Voters know a lot about Romney's health care program for Massachusetts, which included mandatory insurance coverage similar to President Barack Obama's federal requirement that many conservatives detest. As a politician in liberal Massachusetts, Romney took stands now at odds with many GOP primary voters.
If his rivals can cripple or weaken Romney in New Hampshire, they might be able to overcome his impressive fundraising and experience in later-voting states such as South Carolina and Florida, their thinking goes.
"Romney is very strong in New Hampshire, and it's his race to lose here and nationally," said Jamie Burnett, a New Hampshire consultant who was Romney's political director in the state four years ago. Burnett isn't backing a presidential contender yet, a sign of the wariness that some former supporters feel about the candidate.
At the debate, it's not hard to guess what line of attack the field will take on perceived front-runner.
Romney's rivals on Monday night will be U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota; businessman Herman Cain of Georgia; former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia; U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty; and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Unless Romney is the last one standing, the Tea Party will take care of who is nominated! Now of course if it comes down to Obama or Romney, well then you may have a winner. Otherwise, sorry all of you Romney supporters...
WHAT Romney supporters??? Oh, wait. You mean the MSM.
Heh... well to be fair, there are a few Conservatives that probably support Romney. There are many diverse voters out there that either are partisan, ignorant, or know the relatives of said politician and expect benefits due to their election.
Now if you take away those folks, then you’re right, it is some of the MSM that support him... Of course their support is only until a Democrat runs against him/her...
Tea party voters are probably less than half of primary voters, and they vote for various candidates. So, tp influence yes, but not decisive. Last time in gop primary polls romney got strong support among self described conservatives. Some polls had mitt leading among conservatives.
Either pawlenty or Perry wins in nh, or romney is the nominee.
It’s good of you to be hopeful - seems so Republican to me.
I really believe that those that turn out for primaries will be majority Tea Party (enough to sway the vote) so your hopes may be dashed. I really don’t want to see another RINO running for President - we already had McCain. Sometimes it seems not to matter who is elected if they are not going to change things in Washington.
If you are right, then yes, I hope Romney wins over Obama...however, if that happens, we may not be any better off. My opinion of course...
There is no monolithic “tea party” vote. In 2008 there were many exit polls trying to identify different factions in GOP primaries. Self-identified conservatives was probably closest thing to today’s “tea party” group.
Romney, Huckabee and Thompson were more or less tied there, with Romney having small edge. Among “Tea Party” voters today, probably every candidate gets votes.
I can bet anything that the leading candidate among self-identified Tea Party voters get less than 30% in polls today.
I’m undecided, but I think either Perry or Pawlenty is going to win the nomination. If either one wins Iowa caucus, he is the nominee.
Look for lots of dems registering as repub. to vote in the weakest GOP candidate during the primary.
I won't be voting for Mittens, that's for sure.
It’s been over 30 years since the NH primary really chose a nominee.
None of the last three winning presidents- Clinton, Bush, Obama- won NH.
What a farce. Fodder the media can use as it wants.
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