After New Hampshire primary win, all is not rosy for Mitt Romney

Political Hot Sheet ^ | 1/11/2012 | Samuel J. Best

[katiedidit1]

On its face, it looked like a great night Tuesday for Mitt Romney. He won a decisive victory in the New Hampshire GOP primary, defeating his rivals by more than fifteen points. Examining the CBS News poll of exiting voters, though, reveals a number of worrisome signs for Romney among core groups in the electorate, which if not reversed could spell trouble for him as the campaign progresses.

Republicans Don't Love Him

Candidate enthusiasm is a key antecedent of electoral success. Whichever nominee generates the most excitement among its base typically has an easier time getting their supporters to the polls and ultimately securing more votes. When President Obama won the presidential election in 2008, he had more than twice as many voters excited about him becoming president than his Republican counterpart John McCain.

At this point in the campaign, Republican voters are not thrilled with the idea of Romney becoming the Republican presidential nominee. Nearly a third of self-indentified Republicans in the New Hampshire GOP primary would be dissatisfied if he were fronting the ticket. Of the Republicans who are dissatisfied with them, 60 percent are fiscal conservatives who want lower taxes and reduced federal spending.

Full New Hampshire primary results New Hampshire Exit Poll Republican Primary Election Center

Tea Parties Can't Stand Him

[campaignPete R-CT]

ping the field marshal to all of this.

If NEWT & Santorum falter ... freeRepublic cannot allow this to become a Mitt vs. RonPaul race with paulie getting the 30% of the delegates to the convention. Somebody has to stay in to keep the delegates from paulie.

the fact that ronPaul has taken over the teaparty and grassroots is appalling. HE needs to be blocked from the delegates.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Nothing I can do about it. I’m disgusted by this sideshow of a primary campaign. This could very well be the first time in my adult life I don’t vote for the “Republican” nominee for President (absent Palin, I would’ve voted against McCain in 2008). But I’m not voting for a pathological liar and Socialist Democrat pretending to be a Republican (Slick Willard) or a senile crackpot Libertarian with the foreign policy positions of Dennis Kucinich and Cynthia McKinney (Dr. Demento).

[Antoninus]

I am not a Mitt supporter, but should he win the nomination, I will send money and support him. We simply can't have another 4 years with Obama in our White House.

Enjoy giving your support, money, and vote to a liberal.

I am done doing that.

I have to say it: Guys like you are the reason we never get a good candidate. The GOP establishment does not have the fear of us that they should. If enough of us went walk-about in the general election, they would never even attempt to put a Mitt Romney up there.

[campaignPete R-CT]

even if mittster clinches, I am campaigning straight through til June 5th for whoever is the last man standing vs. Mitt and Demento. Somebody needs to stay in the race or Demento will accumulate delegates and gain supporters by getting the anti-Mitt vote. We cannot allow any primaries to be MITT vs. Paul even after it is clinched. No forfeits.

It is disgusting what Demento is doing to the grassroots.

[Impy]

Santorum is the only one with the potential to rise. Newt was the frontrunner and collapsed, he’s not coming back from that. Especially now after the silly Bain attacks that handed Mitt the moral high ground.