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REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL frontrunner Mitt Romney has come under heavy fire from his rivals as voters head to the polls in the first primary of the Republican campaign in New Hampshire.
The New Hampshire event – along with last week’s vote in Iowa, a more informal caucus – is seen as crucial in shaping the course of the campaign to come.
Romney, a relatively moderate former governor of neighbouring Massachusetts, is considered the heavy favourite after narrowly winning the vote in much more conservative Iowa.
But his rivals, including Iowa second-placer Rick Santorum, libertarian Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman, Texas governor Rick Perry and former House speaker Newt Gingrich, have been doing their best to narrow his lead.
Yesterday they seized on a comment in which Romney said “I like being able to fire people,” saying it showed the wealthy businessman was out of touch with everyday Americans, the LA Times reports.
Romney made the comment in the context of the right of individuals to choose their own health services and reject ones they did not like.
There was mixed news for Romney in the tiny village of Dixville Notch – famed for successfully predicted the Republican candidate in every election since 1960.
Nine voters there cast their ballots in the traditional vote just after midnight – polls open from 12.00 to 12.01am, for reasons explained by WNYC here.
Romney and Huntsman received two votes each. Coming in second with one vote apiece were Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.
This AP video shows the first ballots being cast (AssociatedPress via YouTube):
The primary is taking place as a record number of Americans rejected both Democrats and Republicans to officially identify themselves as independents.
According to a Gallup poll, 40 per cent of people now say they are independent, against 31 per cent Democrat and 27 per cent Republican.
In some primaries, only registered Democrats or Republicans can vote for their party’s presidential candidate. However, it is sometimes possible to register on the day of the ballot.
- Additional reporting from AP
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Ron Paul must surely be thinking an Independant or libertarian if this fails
He’s certainly uncompromising enough to stick with the campaign for the Republican nomination to the bitter end. While most candidates will drop out before the Convention if it looks certain they won’t win, I think Paul will stay in there no matter what. And, yes, I can certainly see him even going as far as running as an Independent if he doesn’t get the Republican nomination.
Which would, in my view, be a very good thing. If only because a split of the right wing conservative vote can only aid the Democrats.
Yes but his libertarian veiws, drug policy, his highlighting of 50,000 us troops in Germany and the need to bring them and all other us army based around the world home, will appeal to democrats republican and independants
Actually, a lot of libertarians want Obama to get re-elected to have sh*t really hit the fan so people would once again recognize personal liberty which made the U.S. to be the richest country in the world
Why? His drug policies are pretty unconscionable: I mean, he’s not some Ming type ‘legalize hash; character. He’s in favour of *complete* deregulation. He’s a guy who thinks taking heroin and crack cocaine is a personal choice! How many voters do you think that will fly with?
And I think there’s very few voters who will share his extreme isolationist position where he even favours bizarre things like – as you say – withdrawing US troops from support roles in other Nato countries.
Let’s face it – the thing that marks Paul out more than anything is how isolated he is in his voting record — frequently the only (or practically only) one to vote a particular way. If his policies were such vote winners there’d be more like him elected. And there aren’t.
Ron Paul says that non-violent drug users should be treated as patients, and his voting record stands to him, because if everything he ever voted on was passed the US wouldn’t be in the mess it is now with it’s debt.
Romney is Obama, there is no difference.
Santorum is a fascist.
Ron Paul all the way!
The most interesting thing from this is the media play it gives Huntsman. Particularly if he can do well in the state overall. Huntsman’s actually the best Republican candidate in a couple of ways (he’s the most electable, with the best chance for them of beating Obama, and also the one who – though I don’t agree with him politically on major issues – could be somewhat relied upon to govern in a sane and rational way).
Up until now, he’s been pretty much ignored by everyone and his non-position in the national polls reflects that. But a good showing in New Hampshire *could* turn him into a serious contender.
Huntsman is libertarianish so of course you don’t agree with him. I guess you prefer a nanny state where everyone’s life sucks equally. :-)
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