In New Hampshire, 'Acceptable' Is Pronounced 'Winner'

· Wednesday, January 11, 2012

For anyone gauging the Republican presidential contest, this week's most significant poll results weren't the ones tabulated in New Hampshire last night. They were the ones released by Gallup yesterday morning.

To say such a thing is heresy, I realize, given the long months of New Hampshire campaigning and the media's obsessive focus on the state over the last few weeks. But more telling than Mitt Romney's long-expected victory in the Granite State -- he drew about 38 percent of the vote, followed at a considerable distance by Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman -- was Gallup's finding that among Republicans (and Republican-leaning independents) nationwide, only the former Massachusetts governor is regarded as an "acceptable" GOP nominee across the ideological spectrum.

A large majority of both conservative Republicans and moderate/liberal Republicans -- 59 percent in both cases -- told Gallup that a Romney nomination for president would be acceptable. No other candidate had majority support among moderate/liberals; and only Newt Gingrich (51 percent) and Santorum (50 percent) were deemed acceptable by at least half of the conservatives.

Granted, being seen as "acceptable" by most Republicans isn't the same as winning their hearts and minds. Romney has never fired the Republican base with enthusiasm, and the party's anyone-but-Romney contingent certainly hasn't thrown in the towel. According to Gallup's tracking polls, only 30 percent of Republican voters say that Romney is the candidate they would prefer to nominate. But that's after months in which conventional wisdom has insisted that Romney's ceiling of support was no higher than 25 percent. And it's significantly higher than anyone else in the field is drawing.

The old saw is that Democrats fall in love with their candidates while Republicans fall in line behind theirs. It's a dubious rule of thumb -- were Democrats in love with John Kerry in 2004? With Michael Dukakis in 1988? -- but this much is true: Conservative insurgents rarely win the GOP presidential nomination. The nod almost always goes to the party establishment's candidate.

This year that candidate is Mitt Romney. If Gallup's numbers are right -- and New Hampshire offers no reason to doubt them -- the GOP nomination is now his to lose.

© Copyright 2012 Globe Newspaper Company


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Comments

Matthias Klein

The salt has lost its flavor. Evangelicals have lost their influence.

Why? As the body of Christ has been split so is their political influence.

And the attitude - country first Christ second - is wrong?

What needs to be done to become salty again?

Watch video: A German preacher's thought on American Christians and politics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpLYq525SpM

Posted January 11, 2012 at 7:23:03 AM


wjmccrindle

And the media will champion Romney as our choice. We will fall in line and vote for whoever gets the nomination. Congress is the key however, and those who replace the weak and ineffective idiots now holding office can do the peoples busines of ridding ourselves of the marxist tyranny now imposing itself on us.

Posted January 11, 2012 at 10:02:56 AM


Jonathan Sipe

If Romney gets the nomination we will be voting for the lesser of two evils. It is truly crazy how the Republicans keep on placing a RHINO on the ballet to run against the Democrat and then complain about how liberal the RHINO is after he is elected. Why are the American people and the GOP afraid to elect a true conservative who can actually put America back on the right track? Cain and Bachman have been driven off and now the establishment is trying to get Santorum out of the picture. I sure hope some true conservatives run for Senate and Congress so that maybe we can have a Conservative Run House and Senate. That is the only way we will be able to turn things around. It would be a whole lot better if The President was a true conservative though.

Posted January 11, 2012 at 10:29:53 AM


Howard Last

Jonathan, it is not crazy how the Republicans keep on placing RINO's on the ballet. The republican big shots (you can't call them leaders) are RINO's themselves. Take Karl Rove a republican big shot, he was Bush the Younger's adviser. What did he give us, the first bailout, No Child Left Behind, Medicare Part D, ban on incandescent light bulbs, the TSA, national identity cards, pushed amnesty for illegal aliens (oops undocumented workers), pushed the North American Union, etc, etc, etc. So why is anyone surprised when the nominee is a RINO?

Posted January 11, 2012 at 12:39:56 PM


Pepper

Ron Paul is on safari right now. He's RINO hunting. Pray he doesn't run out of bullets.

Posted January 11, 2012 at 2:25:01 PM


Jonathan Sipe

Howard,

I guess what I mean is that it just amazes me when I hear someone complaigning, and rightfully so, about everything that Obama had done and stands for then turn around and say that Romney is their man. I can't help but think that they are having some kind of mental imbalance. When I ask those people what about Cain, Bachman, or Santorum they say something like "Yeah, I like most of their ideas but I just don't think that they can win because the people aren't ready for them yet". What? Our Country is getting flushed down the toilet by the establishment and the liberals so insetad of electing a true leader who will represent The People we elect another establishment guy with his own agenda. This is ludicrous. If the Country does finally go down then the people who elected the establishment are to blame, not the politicians.

Posted January 11, 2012 at 2:45:06 PM


BoFromTexas

The inconvenient truth is that we must beat Obama at all costs. The person to do that is the one who has pissed of fewer voters than any of the rest, AND has some name recognition. While Santorum and Bachmann are true conservatives, few voters know them well enough to support either of them. Why are they not known? Because the liberal media will not mention them. The world of news has been reduced to the one minute sound bite, and those are provided only the folks who are (1) saying outrageous thing, or (2) sweethearts of the media. So we are forced to select a man who is electable, but who is definitely NOT our picture of perfection. That is our system. Those who are awaiting another Ronald Reagan are going to die tired. Grit your teeth and support your dead dog if he can beat Obama.

Posted January 11, 2012 at 5:39:05 PM


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