From USA Today:
NASHUA, N.H. – Iowa: Won by a whisker. New Hampshire: Won in a walk.
Can Mitt Romney be stopped for the Republican presidential nomination? There is time, his opponents say, although perhaps not much. To be precise, another 10 days to unleash a barrage against the front-runner and persuade conservatives to coalesce around an alternative who then could carry the South Carolina primary.
On Tuesday night, though, the confetti cannons were being fired at Romney’s victory party. He achieved what no non-incumbent Republican has ever done: win both the Iowa caucuses, dominated by evangelical Christians, and the New Hampshire primary, with its live-free-or-die independents.
“Thank you, New Hampshire,” Romney told an exuberant victory party. “You know, tonight we celebrate. Tomorrow, we go back to work.”
After watching one rival after another soar and then crash, the slow and steady candidate prevailed in this year’s opening contests — and succeeded in the state where his presidential ambitions crumbled four years ago as Arizona Sen. John McCain surged from behind to defeat him.
If he also manages to win the Palmetto State on Jan. 21 — scoring what South Carolina GOP strategist Chip Felkel admiringly calls “the trifecta” — supporters and opponents say the former Massachusetts governor credibly could claim to be the presumptive Republican presidential nomination.
. . . .
The Romney camp is braced for what one top strategist called “a war” in South Carolina, a state known for its bruising primary politics. The TV ads and two debates are likely to be the harshest to date
A majority of voters in New Hampshire said Romney would be the strongest general-election candidate, and he was seen as broadly acceptable.
. . . .
Nationally, he is showing growing strength. In the daily Gallup Poll, he has ticked up to 30% for the first time; Gingrich is second at 18%. That puts history on Romney’s side: Since 1976, the candidate who led nationally after the New Hampshire primary has won the nomination.
What’s more, Romney is the only candidate whom a majority of both conservative and moderate Republicans see as an “acceptable” nominee, according to a Gallup Poll taken Thursday through Sunday.
. . . .
The next goal for Team Romney: a Trifecta.
Fasten the seat belts for South Carolina. There are other candidates that really want to win. Governor Romney referred to them in his speech last night as “desperate Republicans.”
Desperate people will employ extraordinarily unconventional tactics just to get ahead.
Get ready for the rough and tumble.
I was glad to see that Sean Hannity on Fox has been criticizing the anti capitalist attacks on Bain. He doesn’t believe it’s good for the Republican Party. Rick Perry was on Sean Hannity last night. Hannity let Perry know what he thought of his tactics. Both Perry and Gingrich have a real problem with the truth. They only care about what serves their political interests. Gingrich argued against Republican ideology with his “right wing social engineering” comment and he’s doing again with his anti-Bain attacks.
I don’t trust Hannity one bit. You could tell last night that Hannity was off his game and deflated. Why? He does not want Romney to be the nominee. You could tell in his face and posture that all the wind was taken from his sails. Romney’s win in NH, especially in light of the extraordinarily historic event that it was, was amazing on all accounts!
Hannity should have been busting at the seams to tell the world how amazing the GOP was doing in support of such a strong candidate. And how was Hannity? He was entirely deflated. He looked like somebody told him that his grandmother just died and he had to stay on the set to work
I don’t know what his angle is entirely, but he definitely does not prefer Romney. He may make some attempts to defend him now and then to make everybody think he is a journalist, but it is COMPLETELY transparent.
I think his man is Santorum all the way. You can just tell. When he talks to Santorum, you would think it was his first girlfriend in high school and that he just discovered infatuation.
I honestly believe Mitt should bring out some kind of defense against these Bain attacks. Come out and tell the true story. What happened with these clients. Was 30 percent really unsuccessful. Why not trot out some happy customers to counter attack Newt unhappy people.
@Vic Lundquist
Great analogy Vic! I think you are probably dead on with Hannity. I do wonder deep down inside if Hannity really likes Mitt but has been “Given the Slant” that he is “Supposed to Use” My sense is that his core audience is neo conservative and he feels he has to “Preach to the Choir” I have seen Hannity on occasion come out of his shell and show strong support for Mitt. I truly believe that he is about ratings first…I think he knows that Mitt will be the eventual nominee and that he doesn’t have to be enthusistic now. By showing his lack of enthusiasm, he perpetuates the “Contest” which inevidebly impacts his ratings. His type of program is about “Conflict” and he wants his neo-cons to feel like he is “The Conservative Voice”. I think he wants to take Rush’s mantle at some point as the “Leading Conservative Voice” and to do that, he will need to show a lack of enthusiasm. Do I like it…NO. Do I understand it….yes. Rest assured that he will be a huge backer of Mitt when he wins the nomination. Just one more note…isn’t it interesting that when these Fox comentators share any back and forth between Mitt and Newt, they always refer to the confrontation as ‘NEWT” vrs. “Romney”….not Newt vrs. “Mitt”. Just a point I wanted to make!
Paul: I agree with your assessment almost 100%. I have always believed that everybody in TV has a vested stake in elongating the process. It is far more interesting to have Perry and Huntsman still in it even when they have no chance. They still talk. But I believe that Hannity has allowed his bias show, especially that night I referenced. Based on interviews I have seen him do with that QB (TT), etc., it is clear he is Evangelical and devout. Which is great. In this case though, I think he is allowing his Evangelical side to show. Put another way, if Romney were Evangelical, Hannity would have been ecstatic right after NH win. Just a hunch though. Just a hunch.