Republican Huckabee proves pundits wrong, Voters vote defensivel, Biden and Dodd call it quits after Iowa

I want to take this time to reflect on this process or what some may call a slug fest. It has been a privilege to meet folks like Mike Huckabee the winner of the Iowa Caucus, the Mitt Romney's, the Hillary Clintons, the Mike Gravel's, the Dennis Kucinichs and the John McCains, Ive been lucky! Although I have never met Barack Obama, or John Edwards it seems as if they are credible candidates.

The campaigns of Democratic winner Barak Obama and runner up John Edwards and runner up Hillary Clinton seem ready to go in New Hampshire.

I am an educated voter and thankful to be this educated about the candidates. I realized that no one cares what a naive journalist has to say; but hear me out.

I sat huddled around a television screen today; working. I was talking to the shakers and movers of politics. These folks have dealt with campaigns, have been apart of them, and have lended more than support but astronomical amounts of money and time, criticizing and promoting campaigns.

Watching today made me think about the underdogs. It doesnt take a genious to see that news media gave no respect to Mike Huckabee. Many members of the mainstream media counted out Huckabee a former governor and minister in Arkansas. Huckabee sure proves those pundits wrong, and maybe his campaign slogan should be "respect."

Over the next coming days, and weeks we will see this long journey of the primary season come to an end for many candidates and campaigns. Chris Dodd has called it quits after a long bloodshed, which way will the firefighters vote now that their guy is out? Will Dennis Kucinich or Mike Gravel be next, both posted less than 1% in Iowa. Bill Richardson reached a mere 2% in the democratic Iowa Caucus. Who are Alan Keyes and Joseph Biden? Biden is done and who knows about Keyes.

In the coming days for the New Hampshire republican primary you will see voters voting for Mike Huckabee in mass amounts and his support ratings going up quickly. After talking to New Hampshire residents, it seems that Mitt Romney and his support are falling fast. Romney's numbers are lower and support falling, just look at the latest Franklin Pierce University WBZ Poll that shows John McCain leading Mitt Romney.

Mark my words voters in the New Hampshire primary are going to vote on the defensive; voting for a candidate that has a chance to beat Mitt Romney, and give him a run for his money. Watch for Mike Huckabee and John McCain to finish 1 and 2 in New Hampshire. Voters may not have the same stance as those two candidates. But what the voters are set on is Romney NOT winning.

It might be that Romney has had a bit of change in heart on the issues, it might be that the voters like the personalities of Huckabee and McCain a bit more. One New Hampshire voter told me they liked the "bubbily sincere personality," that Huckabee possesses. Don't forget about Rudy Giuiliani he could take some of the votes away from Huckabee or McCain.

McCain and his electability ratings with numerous endorsements and the rising numbers in all New Hampshire polls including the latest Franklin Pierce poll show he is a favorite. His electability and the momentum of Mike Huckabee with his win in Iowa could prove to be a major campaign killer for Mitt Romney.

No Doubt New Hampshire could be a campaign killer for many; it will prove to be critical state.
Will a loss in New Hampshire for Clinton, or Edwards end their road? Could a loss for Romney in New Hampshire dash hopes for the republican nomination for the former Massachusetts Governor?

Check into your Primary home for all of the news commentary and analysis, www.piercemediagrouponline.com/nhprimary08

Clinton Leads in New Hampshire's Franklin Pierce/WBZ poll: Obama has more support of the younger crowd

RINDGE, NH – As the 2008 New Hampshire Presidential Primary approaches, Senator
Hillary Clinton maintains a narrow lead over her Democratic rivals in the latest Franklin Pierce University/WBZ TV polle, but the margin between her and her closest competitor, Barack Obama, has dwindled to just four points. In March, Clinton (32%) held a 7-point lead over Obama (25%). In June, following the Democratic debate, Clinton commanded a much larger number (38%) of Democratic primary voters than Obama (16%), a lead she maintained in September. But today, Clinton’s lead has dropped to only four points, with Clinton at 32 percent and Obama close behind at 28 percent. Notably, John Edwards support has risen from 12 percent in September to 19 percent in the current poll.

In the latest Franklin Pierce poll, it appears that Barack Obama continues to hold onto the teen vote, with 15% of his supporters coming from the 18-34 year old category the most compared to the top three democratic candidates-Clinton and Edwards with 4% of their support coming from that agre bracket.

The findings outlined in this report are based on the latest Franklin Pierce
University / WBZ Poll, conducted by RKM Research and Communication in collaboration
with faculty and student interviewers at Franklin Pierce University. The Franklin Pierce
University / WBZ Poll is sponsored by Franklin Pierce University and WBZ.

Obama and Oprah on the trail

Barack Obama and Oprah will be at the Verizon Wireless Arena on December 9th. Obama and Oprah will be speaking at 6:00pm at The Verizon Wireless Arena at 555 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101

The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are required. Capacity is limited, and seating is available on a first come, first serve basis.

For tickets and for more information, please visit nh.barackobama.com or call Obama for America’s Manchester office at (603) 668-2008.

Barack Obama on SNL, Video Here

Who has filed for the Primary?

Candidates for the upcoming New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election.

Filing period- October 15, 2007 to November 2, 2007.

No date for the Primary has been announced it should be announced no later than the 10th of November.

Monday, October 15, 2007
Robert E. Haines, republican
Jack Shepard, republican

Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Thomas G. Tancredo, r

Thursday, October 18, 2007
Michael Skok, d
Mark Klein, r
Mike Huckabee, r

Friday, October 19, 2007
Sal Mohamed, d
Chris Dodd, d

Monday, October 22, 2007
H. Neal Fendig, Jr., r
Tom Koos, d
Barack Obama, d

Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Randy Crow, d
John McCain, r
Albert Howard, r
Rudolph W. Giuliani, r
Henry Hewes, d
Ron Paul, r

Wednesday, October 24,2007
Kenneth A. Capalbo, d
William C. Hughes, d

Thursday, October 25, 2007
Vern Wuensche, r
Daniel Gilbert, r

Friday, October 26, 2007
Alan Keyes, r
Dennis J. Kucinich, d

Monday, October 29, 2007
John Edwards, d
Dal LaMagna, d
Mitt Romney, r
Fred Thompson, r

Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Bill Richardson, d,
Hugh Cort, r

Deval Patrick to Endorse Obama

Governor Deval Patrick To Endorse Barack Obama
by Todd Beeton, Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 08:02:44 PM EST
From The Boston Globe:

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick will endorse Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, giving the Illinois senator a much needed boost in New Hampshire and help blunt Hillary Clinton's courting of African-American leaders.

Senior administration officials confirmed that Patrick called Obama today to confirm his plans to endorse his presidential candidacy. The two talked briefly and aides began working out details for a large public rally in Boston next week.

Interesting Collections of the Day

Though they may spar across the political aisle, Vice President Dick Cheney is close enough to Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama to call him "cousin." Boston Herald Article

Democrat and presidential candidate Joe Biden says he only needs a fourth-place finish in the Iowa Caucuses to stay in the race. That's different from what he said more than a month ago. Back then, he would need to at least tie for third.
WHO TV.com Story

Tom Tancredo Tuesday became the first major presidential candidate to get his name on the primary ballot in New Hampshire. CNN Political Ticker Story

Senator John Edwards begins the second day of his two-day, nine-county "Barnstorm for Rural America" in Rock Rapids, Iowa; where he will discuss his plan to support rural firefighters. JohnEdwards.com

Someone in Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign mistakenly e-mailed a copy of working draft of a campaign document which isn't earth-shattering but still an interesting read. So onto The Swamp it goes. Featured on the SWAMP, a blog at baltimoresun.com


The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee today announced Lee County Sheriff Michael Scott and Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson have endorsed Mayor Giuliani for President. From Team Rudy

State workers in New Mexico continue to pump money into Gov. Bill Richardson's presidential bid, giving his campaign about $78,000 during the past three months. From the Las Cruces Sun

Former US vice president Al Gore said Wednesday that his Nobel Peace Prize triumph had not altered his intention to stay out of the 2008 presidential race. From the AFP

New Hampshire Fundraising Numbers

Thanks to our buddy Cosmo over at the New Hampshire Presidential Watch... www.nh2008.blogspot.com

During the third quarter, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama raised the most money in New Hampshire. In an interesting tidbit, Obama, Romney, Paul, McCain and Giuliani were all able to raise more money than Hillary Clinton.

Below are the totals:

Republicans:

Romney $85,400
Paul $46,146
McCain $33,167
Giuliani $31,706
Huckabee $10,825
Thompson $9,450
Brownback $2,762
Tancredo $555
Hunter $60

Democrats:

Obama $125,538
Clinton $28,170
Richardson $24,745
Biden $19,500
Edwards $13,555
Dodd $3,200
Kucinich $3,035

Globe Article on Iraq, Democratic Candidate Stance on Iraq

In the article, "Veterans take their war views to the trail" featured today in the Boston Globe, written by Irene Sege a great set of stories are written. I think it does a wonderful job of laying out the campaigns feelings. This article gives people an opportunity to quickly see who believes what they believe. This little clip below, I found very interesting.

"The campaigns of Democrats Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Edwards, Bill Richardson, and Dennis Kucinich all have at least one Iraq veteran lending a hand in New Hampshire. Former senator Mike Gravel, an afterthought in the polls who would immediately withdraw from Iraq, travels with the outspoken antiwar veteran he hired as head of security. On the Republican side, McCain - Vietnam veteran, former prisoner of war, father of two sons in the military - counts more Iraq vets among his New Hampshire volunteers than do his rivals. "His family's not too good to fight this war," says Newbery."

The story can be found by clicking here.

Presidential Candidate Spending, Summer Quarter

REPUBLICANS

John McCain- $6 million in the past three months, with $3.6 million cash on hand.

Fred Thompson-9.3 million dollars in the past three months in his first full quarter in the Republican presidential contest.

Rudy Giuliani raised 11 million dollars

Mitt Romney raised 10 million dollars lending his campaign $8.5 million in the past three months from his personal account.

DEMOCRATS

Hillary Clinton reported raising 27 million dollars from July through September, Her total includes 22 million set aside specifically for the rimary race.

Barack Obama brought in 20 million dollars for the period, including 19 million dollars for the primary.

John Edwards- brings in 7 million dollars during the summer quarter, announcing last week he would accept public financing of his campaign during the primaries, a move that would give him an infusion of several million dollars but also would limit his spending to about 50 million during the entire primary season.

Bill Richardson- more than 5 million dollars during the last three months. That brings the total for the New Mexico governor for the year to more than 18 million dollars.

Associated Press Poll-Clinton Ahead

A new national poll suggests Hillary RodhamClinton is moving even farther ahead of her ahead of her rivals forthe Democratic presidential nomination. The AP-Ipsos numbers put her ahead of Barack Obama by more than20 points. The poll gives Clinton 46 percent support, compared to25 percent for Obama. The rest of the Democratic field is down in the single digits. John Edwards pulls in 9 percent, while New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Delaware Senator Joe Biden each have 2 percent.Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd has 1 percent. The race appears much closer in Iowa. There, Clinton, Obama andEdwards are in a tight three-way contest.

James "Primary Source" Pindell on NECN

James Pindell, the Primary Source for voters appeared this morning on NECN. Talking largely about Obama's new television ad and about the latest political happenings in New Hampshire.

Check it out here

http://www.boston.com/partners/worldnow/necn.html?catID=80780&clipid=1780328&autoStart=true&mute=false&continuous=true

Barack Obama in Subway Commercial?

Just prior to the New England Patriots game today, I saw a subway commercial. It appeared to my eyes to be Barack Obama. I am working on trying to confirm this. It looked as if it was Barack and Michelle, maybe it was because I only had a quick glance, but we will see what I find.

Favorability of Bill Clinton helps Hillary in New Hampshire

In a latest Franklin Pierce University Poll, Respondents were asked how favorable or unfavorable they feel toward Bill Clinton. Overall in the poll conducted by Franklin Pierce and WBZ TV, 86 percent of respondents feel favorable toward Bill Clinton, while 11 percent feel unfavorable. Democratic primary voters with a favorable view toward Bill Clinton are much more likely to vote for Hillary Clinton (39%) than voters with an unfavorable view (9%). Thirty percent of voters who feel unfavorable toward Bill Clinton said that they would vote for Obama. Still, 44 percent of those with an unfavorable view toward Bill
Clinton think that Hillary Clinton will win the Democratic nomination. These results suggest that while Bill Clinton does have an effect on his wife’s political fortune, few Democratic primary voters hold an unfavorable view toward the ex-President.

No Obama in spin room?

Barack did not attend tonights spin room event. According to Obama New Hampshire Press Secretary, Reid Cherlain, following the debate instead Obama stopped by an official debate watch party. The Party- Murphy's Tap Room - 494 Elm Street Manchester, NH.

Candidates stand on issues

The post debate buzz is being felt across America, here’s our take…

With the debate cut into two parts, one being the podium format with questions coming from Wolf Blitzer, and the other being town hall style with the candidates being seated, taking questions from NH voters. The majority of the questions from the audience were about the issue that seems to be at the forefront of this election, Iraq. A few of the candidates were given the opportunity to explain their plans and views on the war. Hillary, Obama, and Edwards all seemed to have a tight grasp on the air time and other candidates who had interesting views and ideas were not heard as much as the top tier candidates.

Joe Biden (who, prior to today, was at 1% in the polls) stood out amongst current members of Congress running for president in regards to the Iraq Funding Bill. Biden claimed while the troops are on the ground in Iraq he will never vote to cut their funding. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio disagreed, saying, "In order to end the war the funding must stop, we have enough in the pipeline to pack up close down the bases and bring our brave troops home." Former Senator and 2004 Vice Presidential nominee John Edwards, repeated a campaign theme of his by apologizing for his vote to authorize the war saying he was, "Wrong and lied to by President Bush." Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich both laughed in response to that statement, it seemed they both could not understand how someone could have been fooled by President Bush.

We are now one debate closer to the primary elections, and after tonight things are going to begin to heat up. There may be a clash of ideas as to how it should be done, but it’s obvious that all the candidates in the democratic field want to get out of Iraq and any candidate not named "Edwards, Hillary, and Obama" would like a little bit more air time!

Front Row Ticket to the Candidates

Standing Ovation, continuous clapping by political activists, supporters, family of the candidates and many more is the sign of respect that Democratic Candidates for highest office in our nation received. Frank Blais and I were in the Sullivan Arena when the candidates entered the arena to a standing ovation. Right against the stage with photographers from the Union Leader, South Africa, Reuters, Associated Press and other news outlets.

In order came the big three, Edwards, Clinton, and Obama.

Snapping photos with a film camera, and digital camera, we were rushed in and rushed out, as we captured history. In attendance, political activist Dorris "Granny D" Haddock who was seated in the same row that was reserved for candidate Gravel's supporters, Elizabeth Kucinich the wife of Democratic Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich, and New Hampshire Governor John Lynch.

Guests from Franklin Pierce that Frank and I could see -Franklin Pierce Alum Julianna Spence, and Franklin Pierce staff member Bill Beardslee.


... More to come!