Poll shows Santorum leading GOP race in Tennessee

KnoxvilleNewsSentinel ^ | February 14, 2012 | Staff

[Tennessee Nana]

NASHVILLE — Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has scheduled a trip to Tennessee next week while a poll indicates Rick Santorum is now leading in the state despite his lack of a campaign organization within the state.

The American Research Group Inc. poll, involving 600 "likely" Republican voters contacted by telephone Feb. 8-9, found Santorum favored by 34 percent, followed by Mitt Romney (27 percent), Gingrich (16 percent) and Ron Paul (13 percent).

The former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania recruited no committed delegates to appear on the Tennessee's March 6 ballot, though if he wins the state primary, he will have delegates assigned by the state Republican Party in consultation with his campaign. Santorum last week won in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri and has been surging in national polls.

Romney, Gingrich and Paul all have a Tennessee organization and all recruited committed delegates.

[Tennessee Nana]

Early voting in TN starts tomorrow, Wednesday

[dangus]

You just have a thing against Mormons. HHOK! Thanks for the update.

[Ingtar]

I predicted that Tennessee would surprise if we did not see any polling ahead of time. Santorum is the talk of my conservative friends.

[ngat]

Santorum. The establishment’s holecard.

[Vigilanteman]

Seven reasons for Rick Santorum

1. Who has won the most states without the benefit of their own money, last election's organization or a billionaire casino sugar daddy?
   
2. Who is everybody's second choice when he isn't their first?
   
3. Who can get both the Romney people and the Gingrich people, who hate each other, to vote for him?
   
4. Who has the best record on immigration?
   
5. Who has the best plan for repealing ObamaCare? And is the only GOP candidate who didn't help write or approve legislation which helped spawn this fiasco?
   
6. Who has the best plan for expanding the American economy and strengthening American families?
   
7. Who is the closest thing we have to the "generic Republican" which polls show consistently beating Obama and is most likely to make the election about Obama's sorry record rather than about himself?

[skaterboy]

rumor on the street here in mississippi is ricky s is surging too....newts southern wall is crumbling...if ricky beats romney in michigan his momentum will likely over take newt in georgia...and we have our nominee...unless he falls apart like every one else

[bert]

Hi Nana.....

I will be surprised immensely if Romney doesn’t win. Tennessee is not a conservative state. Moderates always win over conservatives.

Governor Bill Haslem, Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Bob Corker are the evidence for that statement

Now that Herman is out, Newt is my favorite. I can only hope the issue is not already decided by the time our primary date rolls around

[Tennessee Nana]

Now that Herman is out, Newt is my favorite.
____________________________________________

I’m going to vote for Newt tomorrow...

Early voting starts at 9AM

[tillacum]

Romney has been running for at least 4 years, campaigning and putting his teams in place in every state, city and village. Before the campaign really got started the msm began telling us romney “was the front runner”. As candidates began entering the race, he was still the “front runner” even when Bachmann was. The the rnc moved and and backed romney. He’s still up there, not matter what. I’m afraid he will be the nomanee. If he is, I’ll hold my nose and vote republican, cause we cannot have another 4 years of nobama. I really hope and pray, Newt begins to move up.
He may have baggage, but he has a good brain and some plans in place, where the others really don’t, including romney. romney just follows the wind.

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

East TN resident here. My Santorum yard signs are scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

For those wondering about Republican politics in Tennessee, the right wing, social/fiscal/defense wing of the Party outnumbers the left wing, business wing of the Party, but the left wing has the most money. They usually are able to convince enough of the squishy middle to get their man elected. I’m thinking that they won’t be successful this time. There is a lot of buzz for Santorum, and it’ s growing daily.

[Strategerist]

Will be amusing to see how people will try to contort themselves into asserting Newt should stay in the race if he ends up third in any state that was in the Confederacy.

[Crazy ole coot]

I’m fairly new here in Western Tenn. How do you vote early. Do you need to apply or what?

Sorry for the confusion. In CA I voted by mail.

[Tennessee Nana]

Did you register to vote in TN by a month ago ???

You need to have been registered to vote in the TN primary..

If you are registered ask someone at work or call your local Election Commission to find out where early voting places will be for tomorrow...

Here in SE TN they use 2 or 3 small mobile home/shed affairs at the Malls Walmart etc besides the main office...

If you go to a small satellite place you will probably have to line up outside...

theyre too small to hold more than a couple of peoiple at a time..

From tomorrow on for a couple of weeks Mon-Sat 9-6 early voting will go on..

Be warned the Sunday before the actual election day on Mar 6 there will be a list of names of those who voted already in your local newspaper

at least they used to...

Your name will be listed as having already voted..

thats TN law...

I know people who dont vote early for that reason...

Anyhoo if youre registered go and vote

or wait till March 6 when you go to your own local precinct... a school etc...

[Tennessee Nana]

That doesnt necessary apply to TN

Several counties in TN including my own were Union counties...

[samtheman]

Gingrich failed.

His greatest claim-to-fame was his debating skill.

Romney beat him in the 2 debates leading up to Florida.

Without debating skill, what is a Newt Gingrich?

I’ll never forget the deer-in-the-headlights stare when Romney assaulted Gingrich early in that first pre-Florida debate.

That was NOT the Newt Gingrich I had come to know and love. It was some kind of Rick Perry version of Gingrich standing there looking tongue-tied and stupid. (Sorry, Rick Perry, I do like you as a person but you are a debate loser.)

And it should have been an easy question for Newt to handle... but he blew it. And he went on to blow some other easy ones.

Oh well. Look at my posting history. I was big on Newt during the Newt surge... but it’s time to stop the vote-splitting and get on with the business of defeating Romney.

That leaves us all with only one choice left: Rick Santorum.

Not my first choice, not by a long shot, but the only choice any of us have right now.

Unless you like the idea of Romney getting the nomination.

[Ozymandias Ghost]

“Will be amusing to see how people will try to contort themselves into asserting Newt should stay in the race if he ends up third in any state that was in the Confederacy.”
______________

I think it would be fair to say that none of the support for any Conservative candidate is very deep. That is why it shifts every time a candidate makes a major faux pas or is attacked relentlessly w/a barrage of negative ads.

Right now Rick is riding a mile wide, 1-inch thick wave of popular approval; good for him. That said, both Rush and Dick Morris are making the case that the Dems and he Media (could well be Romney, too) are moving to try to isolate Santorum on the issue of contraception. According to them, the Dems will attempt to spin this against Rick to create the impression that he agrees that states should have the right to ban contraception. (According to Rush, Santorum is quoted as having agreed to this premise in an interview.)

Now, of course, that's a distortion and a bogus issue. No state would ever do that; however, you give the Media and the Dem talking heads a week or two to pound that issue and watch what happens to Rick's poll numbers.

So, no, I am not going to suggest that Newt, or anyone else, should drop out of this race. They should all stay in as long as they can afford to while Romney is still in the race.

Regards,

-Geoff

[Ozymandias Ghost]

No offense; but, I think I will follow Sarah Palin’s analysis rather than yours. Both Rick and Newt should stay in the race as long as possible.

(Crazy Ron should stay too, as he's the only name listed, other than Romney, on the VA GOP Primary ballot and no write-ins are allowed. Those of us in VA who are against Romney and understand the issues will be voting for Ron Paul in VA GOP Primary (ONLY the Primary; NOT the General Election); because that will help to deny VA delegates to Romney.

Stop being so negative!

GO NEWT!!!

Take care,

-Geoff

[CynicalBear]

Wait until Romney and his pac unload on Santorum. It’s going to be brutal and there is no way Santorum wins in the general.

[Tennessee Nana]

I will be thinkinbg of all you disenfranchized American citizens in VA when I vote for Newt tomorrow...

Taxation without representation started this nation...

[Norseman]

>>I’m going to vote for Newt tomorrow...

Early voting starts at 9AM<<

And if Gingrich drops out before the TN primary date, you lose your chance to cast a vote against Romney that actually matters. Sure you want to do that?