New Hampshire primary
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Jon Huntsman, appearing on the Today Show this morning, said he has enough support from across the political spectrum to beat Obama: "You've got to have math in your favor if you're going to beat Barack Obama. That means you're going to have to reach beyond just the Republican Party to get it done," he said.
"Tonight, I think, we're going to prove the point that we've got the staying power and we've got the ability to bring this thing home from an electability standpoint. And I think that's going to change the financial dynamic in ways that will be very positive for this campaign." -
Huntsman seems to have won the msnbc primary. Stunning he's not doing better with the GOP #partoftheproblemby samyoungman via twitter 1/10/2012 3:28:01 PM -
"We're gonna put all our eggs in the South Carolina basket." -- Ray Sullivan just now on Foxby samyoungman via twitter 1/10/2012 3:33:01 PM -
Never been a big Monty Python fan, but I can't help but think that Romney is coming out of NH with "merely a flesh wound"by samyoungman via twitter 1/10/2012 3:33:54 PM -
Romney camp sends out email noting states where other candidates aren't on the ballot. Asks "really national candidates or just regional"by samyoungman via twitter 1/10/2012 3:37:05 PM -
Santorum just said on Fox that every candidate on stage has "the same position on social issues as I do." Same tune in SC?by samyoungman via twitter 1/10/2012 4:05:28 PM -
Ha. Santorum just said Ron Paul has been running in NH "since 1953."by samyoungman via twitter 1/10/2012 4:07:09 PM -
Weather report on Fox just now: "Absolutely no reason not to get your vote on." Well saidby samyoungman via twitter 1/10/2012 4:40:52 PM -
If this was a basketball game, and it was 42-17 with a minute to play, would you be all that interested? #fitnby samyoungman via twitter 1/10/2012 4:50:17 PM -
Once unthinkable: I've been in NH for almost a week and have yet to visit the Wild Roverby samyoungman via twitter 1/10/2012 4:54:03 PM -
Romney's gonna make it through the piranha-infested waters of New Hampshire. But they got his horseby samyoungman via twitter 1/10/2012 6:22:50 PM -
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Romney's support is up: 30 percent of Republicans say they would vote for Romney, compared with 18 percent a month ago. But Obama would still beat the Republican frontrunner if the election were held today:
Romney's closest rival in the national poll was Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, who had 20 percent support, down from 28 percent in December.
Obama, a Democrat, leads all of the Republican candidates in the race. Better economic data, including improved jobs figures, have helped him stay ahead of Romney in the last two months. The latest survey shows him leading by 48 percent to 43 percent.
"Obama's standing has started to improve parallel with the economy," Ipsos pollster Chris Jackson said.
The Republican front-runner gained on Obama compared to last month, when he was behind by eight percentage points.
With both Obama and Romney strengthening their positions nationally, the competition between the two men is getting closer, Jackson said.
"Now that Mitt Romney looks like he's got a clearer path to the Republican nomination, his standing is improved as well, so this race is tightening between Romney and Obama."
Read more -
Reuters' Steve Holland was at a polling station in Manchester when Mitt Romney stopped by.
Romney said he hoped the state would make a "big statement" for his candidacy:
"You see great enthusiasm and of course people know that New Hampshire people have a great responsibility to the entire nation to get to know the candidates and support the person they think ought to be president," he told reporters. -

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Rick Santorum, meanwhile, is downplaying expectations: "It's just been grassroots" in New Hampshire, he told Fox. "We have 35 phones in our headquarters."
"Most people see Romney as the establishment candidate. He's the establishment moderate. Bob Dole supported Mitt Romney. We're coming from a different perspective, from the outside, someone who has been a conviction candidate...It's going to be tough, but going to south Carolina it's going to be different. Eventually we'll get this race down to two people and my hope is it'll be between me and Mitt Romney." -
A few facts about the New Hampshire primary, from Reuters' Lily Kuo:
-- If Romney wins New Hampshire, he will be the first non-incumbent Republican to win both states since they became home to the first nominating races in the 1970s.
-- Number of delegates at stake in NH: 12
-- New Hampshire has become famed for political upsets, starting with Dwight Eisenhower's 1952 win over long-time Republican Senator Robert Taft before winning the presidency.
-- Winners of the Granite State have had mixed success in getting their party's nomination, a fact that has raised questions about the primary's relevance. John McCain, for example, won the Republican primary in 2000 but lost the bid to George W. Bush. In 2008 Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary but the party nod went to Obama.
-- Candidates who lost New Hampshire but eventually won their party nomination include Democrat Walter Mondale in 1984, Republican Bob Dole in 1996, and George W. Bush.
More facts -

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In New Hampshire, Democrats and Independents can vote in the Republican primary.
Reuters' Mary Milliken and Ros Krasny met one voter, a 74-year-old homemaker named Belinda Carr, after she voted in Manchester. Carr said she plans to vote for Obama in November, but voted for Jon Huntsman in today's primary:
“I really support Barack Obama and his health reform plan, so I looked at the Republican candidates for the one that….I have issues that are important to me, like the immigration issue, I don’t think they should be deported. So, I was looking for someone who might be more interested in those people who don’t have health insurance or would be more gentle with our illegal aliens. And our environment is very important to me. I am not interested in the economy. And so it was very hard because none of the candidates would speak about healthcare at all, they wouldn’t say what they would do for the 30 million people who have health insurance."
She went on:
"I don’t think there is any choice among the Republicans. They don’t care about the people in need. They just care about enabling big business and maybe our taxes are a little high on businesses. But I think there is a lot of wealth in this country and it could be shared more equally among those who have nothing. We had a saying when I was young, when I was in my 20s: 'Live simply, so that others may simply live.’ The idea says that if we live more simply other people that really don’t have anything could have something. But we have to be willing to give and to share. The Republicans call that socialism and it isn’t. It’s not socialism. The Republicans only care about making money and not giving up any money.” -

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@Benjamin - according to WMUR New Hampshire, the results will start to come in after the polls close at 7pm and 8pm. -
New Hampshire voter Holly Hargis, 26, told Reuters' Mary Milliken and Ros Krasny that she voted for Jon Huntsman. She said education and the economy were the issues foremost in her mind:
"Education for my son, he is special needs and just want to make sure special needs is funded. That it has all the programs that have been available to him. On economy, just making sure that my 401K doesn’t crash through the floor and that I have something left for retirement. I voted for Jon Huntsman. He just seemed pretty genuine in the debates. He has some good ideas. He’s not too radical or completely into one weird side like Ron Paul and he doesn’t seem to be empty like Mitt Romney.” -

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In case you missed it: according to a CBS poll, 58 percent of Republicans say they wish there were more choices in the race for the GOP nomination. -
So Santorum blew off his scheduled visit to Ward 1by samyoungman via twitter 1/10/2012 11:58:34 PM -
Afraid of you? Out buying some sleeves maybe? "@samyoungman: So Santorum blew off his scheduled visit to Ward 1"by Patricia Zengerle via twitter 1/10/2012 11:59:21 PM -
RT @brianstelter: Network execs privately say they expect to be able to call NH for Romney at 8pm sharp. The race for 2nd will take longer.by Patricia Zengerle via twitter 1/11/2012 12:03:08 AM -
Wondering if Newt will get a speaking spot at the convention. And if so, which convention?by samyoungman via twitter 1/11/2012 12:12:20 AM -

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@Benjamin - Yes there is -- as well as a really long list of candidates. You can see the whole list here. -

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