The Other McCain

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NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY HQ UPDATE: Romney Wins; Ron Paul Second; Huntsman Third; Gingrich, Santorum Fight for Fourth Place

Posted on | January 10, 2012 | 79 Comments

MANCHESTER, N.H.
UPDATE 10:30 p.m. ET: Rick Santorum concluded his speech here by shouting, “On to South Carolina!” Indeed. But first, I’ve got a deadline for The American Spectator, and then there are friends awaiting my arrival at the bar at the Radisson Hotel.

After that, I’ve got a 12:30 p.m. Wednesday flight out of Boston’s Logan Airport, going home for a couple of days to see my wife and kids, rest up and eat home cooking. Hit the freaking tip jar!

UPDATE 9:43 p.m. ET: In a press gaggle just now, Rick Santorum campaign manager said they are prepared to spend $1 million for TV and radio advertising in South Carolina. They are also about to announce the addition of paid staff in Florida.

With 56% of precincts reporting, Santorum just moved ahead of Newt Gingrich for 4th place.

UPDATE 9:35 p.m. ET: Jon Huntsman: “Third place is a ticket to ride! … We got it done!” He talks about doing it “the old-fashioned way,” i.e. spending Daddy’s money. No campaign is going to be more damaged than Huntsman’s by the release this weekend of the FEC reports for the fourth quarter of 2011. And yet he’s going to go on to chew up more TV debate time and collect some percentage of the vote in South Carolina and Florida.

UPDATE 9:30 p.m. ET: We’re going to have to wait for Jon Huntsman to give his third-place “victory” speech before Rick Santorum speaks here. Journalists are finding ways to fill their time:

Reporters compulsively check their Twitter feeds on their 4G phones. The lady in the black-and-white coat is Shushana Walshe of ABC News.

Danny Yadron of the Wall Street Journal interviews Santorum supporters.

UPDATE 9:14 p.m. ET: Results with 39% of precincts reporting:

Mitt Romney ….. 27,980 (37%)
Ron Paul ………… 17,953 (24%)
Jon Huntsman … 12,797 (17%)
Newt Gingrich …. 7,576 (11%)
Rick Santorum …. 7,522 (11%)
Rick Perry ………… 551 (1%)
Buddy Roemer ……… 292 (0%)
Michele Bachmann ….. 105 (0%)
Herman Cain ………. 57 (0%)

The margin between Gingrich and Santorum is less than the vote for Herman Cain, who quit the race more than a month ago.

UPDATE 9:03 p.m. ET: Ron Paul in his speech: “I want to thank the Union Leader for not endorsing me” — a shot at Newt Gingrich.

UPDATE 8:57 p.m. ET: Associated Press headline:

Romney wins in NH,
cements front-runner position

We expect Rick Santorum’s speech here within 10 minutes.

Don Surber is evidently ready to roll over for the RINO.

UPDATE 8:40 p.m. ET: At 8:26 p.m., Romney pre-empted all his rivals’ concession speeches by giving one of the earliest victory speeches I can recall. He took a shot at Gingrich and Perry — unnamed “desperate Republicans” — and slammed Obama repeatedly. We are still awaiting the arrival of Rick Santorum here at his primary night celebration. He’s within 70 votes of Gingrich for fourth place with 23% of precincts reporting.

Santorum supporters sport their $100 sweater vests.

UPDATE 8:10 p.m. ET: Results updating fast and furious now. With 11% of precincts reporting:

Mitt Romney ….. 8,856, (36%)
Ron Paul ………… 6,126 (25%)
Jon Huntsman … 4,207 (17%)
Newt Gingrich …. 2,658 (11%)
Rick Santorum …. 2,419 (10%)
Rick Perry ………… 167 (1%)
Buddy Roemer ……… 108 (0%)

UPDATE 8:25 p.m. ET: Da Tech Guy is here doing his own coverage. CNN just declared Romney the winner — obviously — and is interviewing Jon Huntsman, who’s running a weak third in the state where he’s been campaigning non-stop for six months. Ron Paul is running a strong second. Roxeanne de Luca just showed up to vex me. Bryan Preston of PJ Tatler fame is here, and we’re thinking of making a run to Romneyland later this evening.

** PREVIOUSLY (6:58 p.m. ET) **

Television network satellite trucks parked outside
Rick Santorum primary night party, Manchester, N.H.

We are here at the Derryfield Restaurant for the Rick Santorum Victory Maybe Fourth Place Celebration and, conveniently enough, the Media Filing Center is located right next to the bar. It’s gonna take a lot of beverages for me to be able to avoid profound depression — and perhaps an episode of “arctic hysteria” — when the votes come rolling in tonight.

Mitt Romney, the sadistic RINO flipflopper who gets his jollies by firing guys like me, is the overwhelming favorite to win here, with The Ron Paul Survival Newsletter a distant second. According to the liberal media, however, the “Hunstman Surge” might challenge Paul’s hold on second place, which would mean that the best Rick Santorum can do is to beat Newt Gingrich for fifth place.

Polls close at 8 p.m. ET, but I figure I’d better start drinking early, if I hope to withstand my Greenlandic Innuit urge to go running around naked.

The National Affairs Desk, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012

UPDATE: This exit poll data might be significant:

The polling showed undeclared voters made up a significant 44 percent of voters in the Granite State on Tuesday — that’s nearly twice the number of independents that showed up in Iowa last week. In that group, 30 percent said they were supporting Romney, while 29 percent were supporting Ron Paul and 27 percent were supporting Jon Huntsman.
Among late deciders, the line-up was slightly different. The exit polls showed 29 percent breaking for Romney, while 24 percent were backing Huntsman and 20 percent were backing Rick Santorum, who finished second in the Iowa caucuses.

Hmmm. If “late deciders” among independents are breaking slightly toward Santorum, does that mean that he’s locked down fourth place and Newt Gingrich will finish no better than fifth here?

UPDATE II: Linked at Fire Andrew Mitchell and by Bob Belvedere at Camp of the Saints — thanks! Meanwhile, although Ed Morrissey is right here in Santorum HQ, Allahpundit has the big “election results open thread” at Hot Air, this being The Squishy Night of RINO Joy.


Category: Election, Fear and Loathing in New Hampshire, New Hampshire

Comments

79 Responses to “NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY HQ UPDATE: Romney Wins; Ron Paul Second; Huntsman Third; Gingrich, Santorum Fight for Fourth Place”

  1. ThePaganTemple
    January 11th, 2012 @ 7:03 am

    I didn’t say the regulatory system was the only reason businesses fail. Yeah, I know that you could totally do away with every single regulation on the books and you’d still have some failures, for a variety of different reasons. But whatever those reasons might be, they would more likely than not be due to a bad business model, or some other kind of systemic internal problem, or maybe the failed company just couldn’t compete for whatever reasons.

    But the current regulatory system is probably the number one reason for business failure today. Yes, more so even than high taxes. And this was true before Obamacare, Sarbanes-Oxley, and Dodd-Frank. Those things need to be repealed, but we need to go way beyond them.

    My point wasn’t that Bain was a bad company, it was that it is geared to thrive under the current regulatory system, and I can’t see Romney doing anything about it.

    And saying its not his place is a dodge. If that’s true why the hell don’t they all shut the fuck up about reforming regulations?

  2. ThePaganTemple
    January 11th, 2012 @ 7:08 am

    Oh bullshit! He’s a socialist piece of shit and its high time he was called out on it. That motherfucker isn’t some naive idealist who’s in over his head, he knows exactly what the hell he’s doing.

    As for this bullshit about how popular he personally is, that’s a bunch of bullshit media spin as well. Popular with who? With people who are afraid they’ll be lumped in the racist column if they say they don’t like him?

    This kind of answer is precisely the reason I get pissed off with establishment Republicans and why I might just keep my ass home if Romney wins the nomination. I’m so sick of this namby pamby politically correct horseshit I want to run my fist through a god damn wall as I type this.

  3. Anonymous
    January 11th, 2012 @ 7:17 am

    I think that an outfit like Bain would actually do better in a cleaner regulatory environment.  After all, they make money by going in and correcting those internal problems and putting the business on the right course.  And that’s a hell of a lot easier to do when the problem isn’t the government, but the bonehead running the company.  And there’s never a shortage of those.

    I’m not saying it’s not his place to fight against the modern regulatory state.  I think that it would be great if the President put a giant break on the executive usurpation of legislative power.  Sadly, the only candidate that I think would actually do much in that regard as President would be Ron Paul. 

    My point is that, realistically, once a President gets in office, it’s no longer about “the regulatory infrastructure,” but “my regulatory infrastructure.”  It’s simply human nature, not unlike candidate Obama poo-pooing signing statements by other Presidents and embracing his own.  I’d love to be proven wrong.

    Of course, there’s also the natural discount factor that you have to apply to any campaign rhetoric when considering actual execution of the office.  I was just focused on the difference between what the candidate says (even if he really truly cross his heart means it) and what’s likely to happen after he’s elected.  There are a zillion reasons, of course, some reasonable, some not, but the end result still sucks.

    I’m afraid our best hope now may be that Romney does a Chris Christie like performance once elected (yes, yes, lots of assumptions in that, but focus on the actual point, please…and I did say that I fear it!).  In other words, I don’t think anyone expected Christie to be as effective in pushing back against the status quo as he has been in NJ.  I certainly didn’t.  It’s not a very realistic hope, of course.

  4. Anonymous
    January 11th, 2012 @ 7:21 am

    Sure, it’s open for examination, but if a candidate makes criticisms that rely on assumptions that are contrary to my values (or reality), guess who looks bad?

    Mitt’s Social Security attacks made him look like an idiot.  Perry and Gingrich are currently beclowning themselves with the vulture schtick.

    Anyways, what’s wrong with vultures? Who wants rotting stinking diseased carcasses lying around?

  5. ThePaganTemple
    January 11th, 2012 @ 8:03 am

    Thank you for admitting that Mitt Romney would not be worth a fried-diddly fuck as a leader.

  6. ThePaganTemple
    January 11th, 2012 @ 8:06 am

    If Romney gets the nomination and Paul runs third party I might vote for him out of pure spite. I guess I better get started with my booger-eating practice. Word on the street is if you just pretend their oysters they go down good with hot sauce.

  7. ThePaganTemple
    January 11th, 2012 @ 8:56 am

    You’re just wrong about that. There’s no way they could possibly do as well if there was significant regulatory reform. They could still do well, but the pickings would be slimmer because there wouldn’t be nearly as many companies in distress. And remember, they are not the only company of that type out there, they do have competition.

  8. Anonymous
    January 11th, 2012 @ 9:20 am

    I guess we’ll just have to disagree then.  There’s never a shortage of failing businesses, but a down, over-regulated economy will always make it harder to make a successful business out of one of those troubled firms.

    For one thing, so many regulations are meant to stifle new entrants and competition, so there are simply fewer companies, period.  As the economy goes from growing to shrinking, of course, there will likely be more failing businesses, but that doesn’t mean there will be more turnaround opportunities.

  9. The Bearable Tedium of Mitt Romney « Andrew J. Patrick
    January 11th, 2012 @ 9:27 am

    […] Apparently “Santorum” is Catholic for “Huckabee.” […]

  10. Wednesday’s Wins and Whines « Witch's Will
    January 11th, 2012 @ 9:43 am

    […] shock finish either. There are hardly any supporters here at the moment, but a lot of bloggers – Stacy McCain to one side, Amanda Terkel to the other.  I’ll probably head out shortly to check the mood at […]

  11. Bob Belvedere
    January 11th, 2012 @ 9:59 am

    Exactly.

    Look, I’m still examining Mitt’s work at Bain – haven’t made up my mind yet – but, if you’re going to attack his work there, do it, dammit, from a conservative perspective and not by following the Leftist Playbook.

  12. Bob Belvedere
    January 11th, 2012 @ 10:02 am

    I’ll wait until after South Carolina, to see how Mr. Santorum performs there, to see if your gloom is warranted.

  13. Bob Belvedere
    January 11th, 2012 @ 10:03 am

    Will they be sitting together on a couch???

  14. Bob Belvedere
    January 11th, 2012 @ 10:05 am

    Yeah, a record as a first-class wimp as Governor.

    The Legislature in Mass. laughed at him.

  15. Pathfinder's wife
    January 11th, 2012 @ 10:16 am

    Perry has his own green scam issues.  It probably wouldn’t be smart for him to open that can of worms…but he probably will.

    Romney could turn these attacks around (they are a hazard; the Dems have been preparing that playing field).  If he can form a rebuttal — firing people (the workers that is, he has to play up a little populism here) isn’t fun and is deadly serious stuff, but sometimes it’s necessary in order for other opportunities for workers to open up — and the worst situation of all is a stagnant economy where there are no more opportunities — then he can do good damage control.
    Romney has to get out there with the “I never said I was a man of the people, but I endeavor to always be a man FOR the people”.  Sometimes the best ideas really do come from the simplest of places.  Of course, he’ll have to craft a platform that actually does this…by listening to the people.

    I’m not at all thrilled with him as the nominee, and won’t vote him in the primaries — but if he’s going to be it, then he needs to be working on this.

  16. Pathfinder's wife
    January 11th, 2012 @ 10:18 am

    It’s a pity Bachmann stuck her foot in her mouth with that one…she had a very valid attack on Perry with it.  Should have framed it better.

  17. ThePaganTemple
    January 11th, 2012 @ 10:19 am

    Exactly what I’ve been doing. To wit, how can we trust Romney to reform (or to lead in the reform of) an oppressive regulatory system that enables his company and others like it to thrive?

  18. ThePaganTemple
    January 11th, 2012 @ 10:22 am

    Wrong, it wasn’t “Tardasil” that did Bachmann in, it was her appearing on video saying she was submissive to her husband. That made a lot of people wary about her. It made me groan because I knew how it would be taken. She might as well have followed that statement up with “so since I’m nothing but a woman, my Christian faith compels me to forget this sinful folly of trying to be the President of my country.”

  19. Mike Rogers
    January 11th, 2012 @ 10:35 am

    It’s no surprise that we in New England call him “Mittens” – Bob, sounds like you are in NE, too.

  20. ThePaganTemple
    January 11th, 2012 @ 10:47 am

    Mitt Romney says-

    “Obama is a nice little colored feller, but he’s just in over his nappy little head”.

  21. Bob Belvedere
    January 11th, 2012 @ 11:13 am

    I am. Sadly, I live in one of the blue parts and not New Hampshire – a situation the wife and I are hoping to rectify within a few years.

  22. Pathfinder's wife
    January 11th, 2012 @ 11:25 am

    I’m waiting to see what happens in SC and FL — it will determine a lot of things…primarily whether or not I ask a favor of somebody not banned at AOSHQ to deliver a message for me, re: Perry —
    “I told you so!  Before the first debate I told you this idiot would be nothing but trouble, but no…I was an idiotic crank, concern troll, and obvious nutter for having suspicions regarding Darling Ricky — and you banned my ass.  Vengeance is sweet.”

    I should probably go ahead and ask somebody to do this, as nothing will likely change, but I’m patient….as well as a vindictive sh*t.
    Oh, and if Perry keeps it up with these desperate, populist attacks — I don’t care how much money he has left, somebody needs to persuade him to get out of the race.  He’s a liablity to the party.

  23. Departing from Logan: Live Free or … : The Other McCain
    January 11th, 2012 @ 12:02 pm

    […] couple of days of rest, before it drives me nuts. Hit the freaking tip jar! RECENTLY:Jan. 10: NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY HQ UPDATE: Romney Wins; Ron Paul Second; Huntsman Third; Gingrich, Santorum Fi…Jan. 10: Maybe This Explains My ProblemJan. 10: Ron Paul and the ‘Not Romneys’Jan. 10: Rick […]

  24. AngelaTC
    January 11th, 2012 @ 1:03 pm

     Hee.  They freaked out because they were afraid that Goldwater might start a nuclear war, now they’re panicked that Paul won’t.

    Because not starting a war is totally dangerous.

  25. AngelaTC
    January 11th, 2012 @ 1:06 pm

    We need a GOP that is significantly different than the Democrats.  Until we start cleaning our own house,  crabbing about the liberals is pretty pointless.

  26. Anonymous
    January 11th, 2012 @ 1:10 pm

    Uh, what?  It’s good to “crab about” liberals and progressives regardless of party affiliation.

  27. Anonymous
    January 11th, 2012 @ 3:34 pm

    Starting the nuclear war doesn’t worry me; not realizing / caring that our presence overseas helps avoid the other side doing it worries me a lot.

  28. Anonymous
    January 11th, 2012 @ 3:36 pm

    scary, Obama could improve the regulatory climate tomorrow by issuing an executive order to the EPA to knock off the extra regulations (not laws) it’s issued. The Executive has plenty of power to throw around.

  29. Anonymous
    January 11th, 2012 @ 4:27 pm

    I totally agree with you, and I’ve imagined a scarymatt presidency doing that and a lot more.  I’m just saying that it’s unlikely an actual President will ever do anything like that.

    The executive was supposed to be a check on legislative power, not a part of it.  But now that he is, it’s just against normal human nature to voluntarily give up power, so until we get a properly jealous Congress and a weak enough President…but the Congress likes farming out its dirty work to anonymous (as far as the people are concerned) bureaucrats, so I’m not sure there is a likely way out of this mess.