Jon Huntsman's New Hampshire Primary Finish Means Tough Road Ahead

Jon Huntsman's New Hampshire Primary Finish Means Tough Road Ahead.MANCHESTER, NH - A third place finish in New Hampshire was much better than Jon Huntsman, was scheduled for a few days ago, but it may still be far short of what it needs to continue his campaign.

The former governor of Utah is facing an additional set of problems which confronted him as he campaigned almost non-stop in the state where he staked his campaign. Here, we had to convince voters to ignore the national polls that have been ignoring it and pursue their own tendencies Maverick. South Carolina - where he hopes to capitalize on a split among conservatives and make the environment as the new alternative anti-Mitt Romney - and beyond, we have to do without the latest retail or land use.
It will also have to do while trying to reclaim the momentum of a good return for the third place winner.

It's not like Huntsman described the situation to his raucous party here.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I think we're in the hunt," Huntsman said, hundreds of supporters in a rousing "Join the Hunt" song.

In his speech, Huntsman has sought to contrast with the rest of the Republican field for the tribute he paid to the old party politics and New Hampshire voters by giving the individual attention they demand.

"We've proven the point that the state wants its candidates to win it the old way, which is the handshake of the soil by handshake, conversation by conversation, vote by vote. We succeeded, ladies and gentlemen, "he said.

Take more than 170 public events here; as it entered the race, Huntsman relies on his long and intense slog on the ground presence to deliver a strong performance primary for him. His showing here also hinged to the large number of independent voters in the state - the exit polling showed 4 of 10 unaffiliated voters were a record number - to give a critical boost.

But the factors that Huntsman was in third place here will not be on the other hand, if he continues to South Carolina - where he is scheduled for Wednesday for a series of events - and later in Florida.

While the former Governor and Ambassador has worked tirelessly in New Hampshire, ahead of all his Republican rivals, he spent time just focused on the rest of the state map at the beginning, and has little infrastructure in place in South Carolina. And in September, lagging in the polls and low on money - Huntsman moved its headquarters from Florida presidential campaign to New Hampshire, staking his entire campaign on finishing upset in the first-in-the nation -primary.

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Mitt Romney Celebrates New Hampshire Primary Victory

Mitt Romney Celebrates New Hampshire Primary Victory.On Tuesday, Romney win gave a sweep first and second in the leadoff voting campaign 2012, for the first time any Republican besides a president, as the race moved to South Carolina Florida.

Conservative candidates who stand the best chance to stop there - former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Governor Rick Perry - were dragged back and it seemed unlikely that a major survey of its performances here.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was a second solid, but the expansion will have difficulty in showing in the states that are less favorable to the libertarian view on social issues and foreign policy.

Jon Huntsman Jr. was third weak, with only about half of Romney's share of the vote. The former governor of Utah, which concentrates most of his campaign in this state, insisted on moving forward.

Romney, who lost the state four years ago, tried to convey an air of inevitability to his nomination with a speech on Tuesday night celebration that focused more on the fall elections.

Speaking to a boisterous crowd of supporters in Manchester less than half an hour after the polls closed, the former governor of Massachusetts complained that President Obama "wants to put on a free trial." But it also had a hard blow to what he described as "desperate" Republican rivals, who have intensified their attacks on his record in private enterprise - a group that includes Perry, Gingrich and Huntsman.

"This is a mistake for us and for our nation," Romney said. "The country already has a leader that divides us the bitter politics of envy."

Romney, who flies to South Carolina Wednesday, he went directly to the voters of that state, urging them to make 2012 the year that Obama's presidency "run out of time."

Interviews of voters leaving their polling places showed a broad victory, sweeping the Republican Party favorite. He led most age groups, income and population, as well as voters across almost the entire political and ideological spectrum, including conservative supporters of the Tea Party. Among self-identified independents, however, Paul won the majority.

Romney leaders started there too, but the challenge promises to be much more formidable than New Hampshire, who was the former governor of Massachusetts to lose from the beginning. Unlike Iowa, where leaders come and gone over the polls, no poll showed Romney never less than a substantial double-digit lead in New Hampshire.

In South Carolina, however, Romney does not have what amounts to a home-field advantage - which is the sixth presidential Massachusetts hopes to win the Granite State neighbors - and will face a very different electorate in the South first primary next week.

South Carolina has a large and politically important bloc of evangelical voters. Romney will face resistance among some Christian conservatives who are suspicious, if not outright hostile to his Mormon faith. In New Hampshire, just 14% of those who voted on Tuesday, said to be a "true conservative" was the most important thing for them, far behind the economic interests cited by six in 10 voters, according to interviews election day by the television networks.

Romney also faces a tighter pack of runners.

After great struggle between them for the past few months, came after Romney in New Hampshire with a sudden ferocity, casting him in a debate on Sunday and beat him since most of his work at Bain Capital, the private investment firm was co-founder and the source of his personal wealth.

While citing his business experience as a virtue, especially in contrast to Washington's extensive resume most of his rivals, Romney's opponents have described him as a ruthless corporate raider touches work.

They were given a cane in his campaign on Monday with a comment torn from their original context: ". I like being able to fire people," Though Romney made the comments in relation to health and holding companies insurance, rivals seized on it as evidence of insensitivity.

However, Romney moves with many advantages, at least not a big advantage in money and organization of the campaign, which becomes increasingly important as the choice of shifts statewide races in Iowa and New Hampshire to a large number of state contests across the country.

Wins in South Carolina on January 21 and Florida 10 days later, everyone can, but make sure that Romney is going to the nomination, and sooner rather than later.

Part of its strength derives from the weakness of the opposition.

Each of your opponents has a special appeal for the segments of the Republican base - Paul with independent, Santorum and Perry with the conservatives, and Gingrich with voters looking for intellectual heft and a long view. None, however, offer a complete package, which has driven Romney, with the continued support of at least a quarter of the electorate in almost everywhere.

That could also benefit, as it did rattle victory last week in Iowa, where evangelicals and Tea Party acolytes split their votes among several contenders for the right, which Romney to prevail over a field of people.

Immediately, after Sunday's debate Perry retired to South Carolina, where Romney has been hitting in its action Bain. Paul, a congressman from the Houston area, will compete there too, but has said it will not make a great effort in Florida, which conducted the first major primary state at the end of the month.

Huntsman has also set his sights on South Carolina, but still has much ground to recover. Despite having invested early, has spent little time there lately and relatively centrist position is likely to play as well as they did in more moderate New Hampshire, where he carried the vote of the Democrats who passed on Tuesday. Florida would require a heavy investment in advertising dollars just to be better known to Huntsman.

"I would say the third is a ticket to ride," said Huntsman supporters. "Hello, South Carolina!"

Four years ago, another moderate Republican, former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani was a similar strategy, ignoring Iowa and make a last effort in Florida. He finished third weak and leave the campaign the next day.

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Gop Rivals Go After Romney In New Hampshire Debate

Gop Rivals Go After Romney In New Hampshire Debate.Three days MANCHESTER, NH - The battle between Mitt Romney's competitors took center stage Saturday night, as the candidates a favorite slide switches between career and personal attacks together in a critical debate in New Hampshire.

before the first in the nation primary, the debate and his tone reflected the state of the polls. Romney leads by a wide margin, and four other candidates seem to be in contention for at least the second position.

Candidates who frequently clashed Saturday in the debate - and most of the fighting involved Ron Paul, who is the closest to Romney in the polls and was not shy about reminding the crowd.

"If it does pretty well - Mitt catch up with every day," said Paul in the middle of the debate, outlining his campaign.

On everything from military service for federal spending, Paul went after his opponents and throws them as false conservatives, while his opponents accused the congressman from Texas, to stretch the truth to gain political points.

A heated moment came when Paul, one of the two candidates who have served in the army, Newt Gingrich suggested seeking deferments to avoid military service.

"I'm trying to stop the war - at least I was when they called me," said Paul.

In response, Gingrich said he never asked for a deferment, but was married and had a son and that "was never a question."

"Dr. Paul has a long history of saying things that are inaccurate and untrue," he said. "I personally resent the kind of comments and slander usually done without accurate information and then people just insults."

Earning brief applause, Paul responded: "When it was written, was married and had two children, and left."

The exchange had little to do with the most important issues in the campaign to date - as the economy, the budget and Iran. However, the personal nature of which was the emblem of a race that has gained a clear advantage as candidates try to avoid being eliminated in the upcoming primaries.

Romney won the Iowa caucuses by just eight votes, and that is about to dominate in New Hampshire, while leading in the polls in South Carolina.

Rick Santorum, who finished second in Iowa, is trying to build on that performance. Gingrich is trying to recover after falling from the front of the pack. Paul has shown little hesitation in attacking either of those two candidates, while former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman has based his campaign strategy around a good showing in New Hampshire.

Santorum went after Romney principles, rejecting the leading candidate as a single manager.

"The experience of business does not necessarily coincide with being commander in chief of this country," he said. "Being president is not a CEO. You have to lead and inspire."

He said Romney's plan is too meek to tax the country's economy moving again.

Huntsman had a rare confusion on stage with Romney at the very end of the debate on the issue of China, where Huntsman recently served as ambassador under President Obama.

After Huntsman criticized Romney for his tough talk with China and said the country needs a president who understands that the relationship, Romney interrupted.

"You were the last two years, the implementation of the policies of this government in China. The rest of us at this time were doing our best to get the Republicans elected all over the country," said Romney.

He went on to criticize China for "hacking into our computers" and manipulate their currency, among other crimes, and pledged to ensure that no "kill jobs in America any longer."

Huntsman gave his reply in Mandarin - translated, Romney said he does not understand the situation.

Gingrich also criticized Romney. He referred to reports in the media describing how some workers were fired after the investment firm Bain Capital Romney invested in their businesses and tried to turn around.

He said that Romney should be judged on the basis that "in general, were people better or worse for this style of management."

He criticized what he described as a "model of Wall Street, where you can browse the companies ... you can basically take all the money leaving the workers."

Romney replied that Bain Capital has created 100,000 jobs in general and the experience of a businessman was much better to fix the economy of a whole life spent in Washington, DC

"I'm very proud of the fact that the two companies was conducted successfully," he said, referring to Bain and another company.

The 90-minute meeting crackled with urgency.

Paul said Santorum was "a big government person" despite campaigning as a conservative, referring to the votes of former Pennsylvania senator cast to raise the debt limit.

Santorum said he had played a key role over 15 years in the legislation that revised the laws of the country club.

"You're a big spender and that's all there is to do," said Paul. "For you are a conservative that I think is a stretch, but that has convinced many people of the same."

Santorum said, "You vote against everything. I do not vote against it."

Rick Perry tried to return to the debate. Following his fifth place in Iowa, the governor of Texas is in last place vote in New Hampshire. In the debate, Perry stressed that he was a stranger "is not damaged by the process."

There was a moment of light, and even then one of six presidential candidates on stage tried to convert back and forth in his favor.

At one point, Paul was interrupted by a campaign to show the time to speak had expired. "There it goes again," he said.

Santorum replied instantly: "We know that not telling the truth."

The discussion was largely at a time when social issues. Romney seemed to struggle a question about whether states should allow the prohibition of contraception if they wish. Romney described the scenario as "silly" and said that states are pursuing this option. "Contraception, which is running fine, just leave it alone," he said.

Santorum stood by his position on social issues. He asked what would happen if an amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman, said same-sex couples are legally married now "not marry" more.

Gingrich suffered a scam in the last question in the debate - what the candidates is done on a Saturday night if not debate.

"I would be watching the championship college basketball game," he said.

After being corrected, added: "I mean, football match."

The ABC News debate at Saint Anselm College was the first in over three weeks and first since Michele Bachmann withdrew from the race after a disappointing finish in Iowa this week. Candidates face a speedy recovery for the second debate, scheduled for Sunday morning in Concord.

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