Monday, January 07, 2008

Novak: Obama, Romney will win in New Hampshire

Syndicated columnist Robert Novak predicts Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will come out on top in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday.
Novak thought Romney was in trouble following a poor performance in Saturday night's ABC debate, but the former Massachusetts governor bounced back in Sunday night's debate:

He capitalized on McCain's weaknesses on tax and immigration policy. We attended a focus group of mainly undecided Republican voters arranged for Fox by pollster Frank Luntz. They entered the room before the debate widely divided and left it after the debate heavily for Romney -- because of the immigration issue.


As for Obama, Novak notes the rising tide of support for the Illinois senator, but also credits poor campaigning by Hillary Clinton to helping aid Obama's rise:

She was supposed to come out swinging against Obama in New Hampshire, but her boring, pedantic campaign style had not really changed from Iowa. At one rally where we were present, Clinton never mentioned Obama by name and criticized him only once (on healthcare) as "one of my opponents." Former President Bill Clinton, campaigning separately, is sprightlier but no more effective.


The first New Hampshire votes are scheduled to be cast in less than a half hour in Dixville Notch.

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