Romney's One-Two Knockout Punch

Reuters: Ann and Mitt Romney Appear Confident Ahead of IA Caucus

by Nick Stone of Drawnlines Politics:

It's full steam ahead for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney after a razor thin margin of victory in the Iowa Caucus Tuesday night.

The former Massachusetts governor originally intended to downplay Iowa and focus on victory in New Hampshire's primary, held next week.  But as other candidates billing themselves as the anti-Romney rose and faltered in Iowa, Romney found himself within striking distance in the Hawkeye State.  Romney's campaign became tempted to seriously compete in Iowa and possibly win both of the first two contests, setting up a delegate lead and reinforcing the impression of his inevitability.

Feeling confident about his standing in the caucuses, Romney predicted victory early this week, causing pundits to recoil or even predict an upset.  But the candidate closed strong, focused on the message that Iowans should pick him as the most likely Republican to beat President Obama in November.  As returns flowed in from caucus sites, a three way tie for first place quickly formed between Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney.  Paul eventually fell behind as his eastern strongholds concluded their tallies.  That left Romney and Santorum jockeying back and forth for a photo finish across the rest of the state.

Looking forward to New Hampshire's first primary next Tuesday, Romney appears strong.  He has improved his lead in state polls and secured nearly every major endorsement in the state.  Today, he is expected to receive the endorsement of local prodigal son John McCain, whose campaign came from behind to win the Republican nomination in 2008.  New Hampshire's significantly less-evangelical makeup could prove problematic for Santorum, who counted on religious conservatives to propel his Iowa victory.  Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman could prove formidable competitors, as NH voters have a history of skewing pragmatic (rather than ideological), libertarian (rather than socially conservative), and rebellious against inevitable candidates.

The Romney campaign has plenty to smile about as they have most surrogates and precinct captains locked up, resources in place, and a strong rapport with Granite State voters.  Indeed, Romney appears poised for back-to-back victories as primary season charges ahead.

Posted by Drawnlines Politics on 11:15 AM. Filed under gop, Mitt Romney, Nation, POTUS . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0