I enjoy watching Republicans fight. Watching the Republican debate last night I got the feeling that Mitt Romney is one of those thin-skinned people that lacks self-confidence and can’t take a punch. So, it was amusing to see this:
If you think things got a bit testy between John McCain and Mitt Romney during the ABC News debate here at St. Anselm College Saturday night, you didn’t see the half of it. After the debate, when top campaign aides and surrogates came to the Spin Room to tout their candidates’ performances, members of the Romney and McCain camps said the things their bosses might have been thinking but did not dare utter onstage.
McCain delivered “cheap shots,” said one Romney adviser. Another called McCain’s criticisms of Romney “snide remarks” and “name calling.” Yet another said they were “unbecoming.” All of which caused Mark Salter, McCain’s closest aide, to go off.
“Come on, Mitt, tighten up your chin strap,” Salter, standing just a few feet away from the Romney team, told reporters. “Of all the ludicrous suggestions – Mitt Romney whining about being attacked, when he has predicated an entire campaign plan on whoever serially looks like the biggest challenger gets, whatever, $20 million dropped on his head and gets his positions distorted. Give me a break. It’s nothing more than a guy who dishes it out from 30,000 feet altitude and then gets down in the arena and somebody says, O.K. Mitt, gives him a little pop back, and he starts whining. That’s unbecoming.”
Ouch. Romney is polling behind McCain and his only hope is that people that are undecided between Obama and McCain break overwhelmingly for Obama. He should be a little concerned about his support among Republican voters, too. He looks soft in comparison to Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani. Fred and Rudy aren’t going to do very well in the primary, but they could see their numbers go up modestly at Mitt’s expense.
One thing I disagree with the national pundits about…
I don’t think Romney is finished if he loses in New Hampshire because McCain and Huckabee have very little money to compete in February 5th’s twenty-plus contests. Giuliani is hording his money to try to win in Florida and make a big ad buy on Super Duper Tuesday. But, let’s face it, Giuliani is too marred in scandal to realistically win the nomination…especially after badly losing the first five contests. If I’m Romney, I compete in Michigan, where his father was a fairly successful governor, and then outspend the rest on ad buys in the Feb. 5th national primary.
If Romney sticks around, he might find he’s still the candidate acceptable to biggest percentage of Republican voters. Lord knows, McCain has his problems with the Republican base and Huckabee has his problems with the Republican Establishment.
Meanwhile, the New Hampshire polls show Obama moving out to a 7 or 8 point lead. Even the Zogby tracking poll, which still shows Clinton ahead by 1 point, has Obama up large yesterday. Here’s Zogby (via email).
Make no mistake about it, there is movement here. Only 50% of this sample is after the Iowa caucus results were known and there has been a 5-point swing on the Democratic side. Clinton started out leading 32% to 26% over Obama and now she is in a dead heat at 31% to 30%. Obama has won in that part of the sample taken since Iowa and just this past one day alone Obama led by 8 points.
I can’t see anything changing dramatically between now and Tuesday, except a growing wave of independents breaking for Obama. Even David Broder says the nomination is now Obama’s to lose.
