Posted on 01/05/2012 11:59:07 PM PST by neverdem
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Independents are a finicky and fickle bunch. They are deeply dissatisfied with the direction of the country, with an overwhelming majority saying things are badly off track. Social issues do not concern them. Many of them voted for President Obama.
And now, this critical voting bloc — which makes up as much as 45 percent of the New Hampshire electorate — is about to take center stage. If the Iowa contest exposed the conflicted mood and sharp divisions within the GOP, then New Hampshire will offer a broader snapshot of a hard-to-pin-down sliver of the electorate that has an outsize impact on elections, particularly in this swing state.
“I’m disappointed in the unemployment rate and the economy, so I’m open and I’m listening,” said Julie Gagne, 52, an independent who voted for Obama in 2008.
Now, Gagne is planning to vote in the Republican primary Jan. 10. As part of her decision-making process, she...
--snip--
That sentiment is reverberating across New Hampshire and the country, as independents express their dissatisfaction with both the president and the alternatives. Their unhappiness could not matter more: Nationally, the candidates will be competing for the roughly one-third of the electorate that is considered independent and remains up for grabs...
--snip--
Independent voters — more than eight in 10 of whom are unhappy with the country’s political system — are more deeply unhappy with Washington than are Democrats or Republicans, and they’re far more apt than others to blame both sides in Congress...
--snip--
According to a Boston Globe-University of New Hampshire poll in December, Paul ranked first among independents who plan to vote in the New Hampshire primary, with 36 percent support. Romney came in second among independents, with 25 percent of the vote, and 21 percent preferred Huntsman...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Thanks Wa-Po. /s
Easier and more reliable to consult who knows what evil?!!!
If anyone but Romney comes in first place I will consider it a good day..:)
We all have what we considered intelligent friends who voted for Obama the last time around. I still scratch my head when I think about it but these so called intelligent people are once again being lead down that same road.
During each news cycle a story comes out similar to yesterdays jobs numbers and the white house spins it, the msm confirms the spin and the GOP does not react or half ass reacts. The GOP needs to stop fighting each other and start effectively educating these independents how incompetent this president is.
Teh same newscrapper that, one column over, showed Mittens leading in New Hampshire by the exact same percentage.
The “independents” (Democrats who wish to influence the election) vote—they will be for Mittens or Ron Paul. Its the DNC plan.
Better to save wear and tear on your cardiovascular system by ignoring Red Hampshire, and instead setting your sights on South Carolina and Florida.
The NH primary is nothing more than a trip to the circus...amusing at the time, but quickly forgotten.
Independents in my state do not get to vote in the primary unless there is an independent candidate running.
New Hampshire is a primary that really means nothing,except as a money pit for the candidates.
The coffers in Red Hampshire are suffering this year...they rely on that 9% meals and lodging tax. It took a hit when Bachmann dropped out and Perry took a detour. Tourism is taking a BIG hit because there is NO SNOW at all on the ground...no snow = no skiers or snowmobilers = no sales tax revenue.
Perhaps “Independents” are really just liberals disgruntled that they personally are not getting “their fair share” from the federal coffers.
Or, maybe Independents acknowledge that Bush spent more that Clinton ever dreamed of and set the stage for Obama with “too big to fail”.
Remember it was cross over democrats in New Hampshire that “chose” cross the aisle and compromise with my good friends McCain for the nomination in 2008.
The compost trying to cover for the Axelrod operation chaos project that placed the Paul nutter 3rd in IA and now another open primary give the Axelrod Soros operatives a chance to screw with the GOP choice in NH and SC.
Thanks To the Rnc who kept these primaries Open to help Mittens but now benefit Obama thanks to Leftiists using Paul and Romney to
Destroy our chances !
It’s not 1980 Dem party it’s a the Axelrod Soros voter fraud machine and media team.
New Hampshire is a trivial Yankee event that is not really relevant any more. The only important result would be if Mitt loses. that would mean he can’t even win among liberal yankees who inject their socialist poison into the Republican agenda.
New Hampshire is trivial as a force in America
The compost trying to cover for the Axelrod operation chaos project that placed the Paul nutter 3rd in IA and now another open primary give the Axelrod Soros operatives a chance to screw with the GOP choice in NH and SC.
Thanks To the Rnc who kept these primaries Open to help Mittens but now benefit Obama thanks to Leftiists using Paul and Romney to
Destroy our chances !
It’s not 1980 Dem party it’s a the Axelrod Soros voter fraud machine and media team.
Agree. NH has evolved into a DNC media scam.
Sadly SC is an open primary too !
Independents shouldn’t be voting in a REPUBLICAN primary....
My heart bleeds for them.
Perhaps someone can list the states with (spit) OPEN primaries so we can watch for 'shenanigans'...
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