Poll: Romney leads New Hampshire, Huntsman in third, Perry in fourth
By Alexis Levinson - The Daily Caller | The Daily Caller – Thu, Sep 22, 2011


Mitt Romney still holds a commanding lead in New Hampshire, a state where Perry has barely broken through, according to a poll released Thursday.

The Suffolk University/7News poll found Romney leading with 41 percent of the vote from independents and Republicans. His closest competition is Ron Paul, with 14 percent, followed by Jon Huntsman with an uncharacteristically high 10 percent. Perry, who has topped most national polls since announcing his candidacy, does not even break double digits, getting just 8 percent of the primary vote.

Romney continues to have high popularity in the state, with 69 percent saying they hold a favorable opinion of him and just 20 percent saying they hold an unfavorable opinion. Voters are still much more ambiguous when it comes to Huntsman: Twenty-six percent say they have a favorable opinion of him, and 24 percent hold an unfavorable one. Another 24 percent have never heard of him, and 26 percent have yet to form an opinion.

Approximately one-third of New Hampshire primary voters have either not heard of Perry or have yet to decide what they think of him. Among the remaining voters, 36 percent say they have a favorable opinion of him, while 32 percent say they have an unfavorable opinion.

In New Hampshire, Romney is still seen as the favorite to win the election, with 28 percent saying they expect him to be the next president. Twenty-two percent expect Obama to win re-election, and 12 percent say Perry will be the next president. Thirty-two percent are undecided.

In the 400-person sample of likely New Hampshire primary voters, 50 percent say they are Republicans, 42 percent unenrolled or independent, and 6 percent Democrats. Ideologically, 49 percent describe themselves as conservative, 42 percent as moderate, and 7 percent as liberal.

That demographic breakdown has some New Hampshire strategists dismissing the results.

β€œIt’s crap,β€