NH Primary news and the reverse domino effect

Lots of big news coming from tiny New Hampshire. Mitt Romney continues to maintain a commanding lead in opinion polls there, according to the NH Journal. The former Massachusetts governor owns a vacation home in the Granite State and according to a Magellan Strategies survey conducted on behalf of the Journal, Romney is the choice of 41 percent of Republicans there. Herman Cain, who doesn't have much of a staff in New Hampshire, is favored by 20 percent, Ron Paul by 10 percent. All other candidates are in single digits.

Next week there will be a GOP presidential debate in Las Vegas, which Jon Hunstman is boycotting. The former Utah governor and ambassador to China is placing the hopes of his longshot bid on New Hampshire, but Huntsman desperately needs the airtime and Nevada has a large Mormon population.

"While Mitt Romney's campaign has tried to game the system by encouraging Nevada to move to an earlier date," Huntman's campaign said in a statement, "Governor Huntsman is sticking up for the Granite State."

"We call on all other campaigns to join us, avoiding typical hypocritical politics by paying lip service to New Hampshire, while campaigning in Nevada."

Romney of course is also a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints.

Newt Gingrich is also backing New Hampshire's traditional electoral preeminence.

"As a citizen, I have always supported New Hampshire's First in the Nation Primary," the former House speaker said. "Now, as a candidate for president, I am committed to competing in and maintaining the first in the nation status of the New Hampshire Primary. Therefore, I will not compete in a state which holds its contest inside of one week of New Hampshire. I trust Governors Romney and Perry will join me in protecting the New Hampshire primary and campaigning in New Hampshire towards a January 10th primary contest."

This reverse domino effect originated in Florida with its maneuver to move its primary date into January. In an exclusive, The Other McCain writes that a staffer of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) who is also a Romney supporter was the catalyst of the date change.

Children--please put your dominoes back in the box and clean your rooms.

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