Over at HotAir, Ed Morrissey offers his forecast of tonight’s results:
I’ll predict that Romney will hit 40%, with Jon Huntsman coming in second at 17%, Paul at 15%, and Santorum at 13%. If Paul falls to third in New Hampshire, there’s not much in the near future of the primaries — save the binding caucuses in Nevada, perhaps — where he can score a significant finish. Huntsman is a dog that won’t hunt in South Carolina, and with Santorum, Gingrich, and Perry splitting the conservative vote there, Romney could be in position to run the early table. Earlier today on Radio Row, Debbie Wasserman Schultz made an appearance on WBZ’s morning show to try to argue that anything short of a majority for Romney in New Hampshire was a failure. That sounds as though the Democrats are already starting to worry about Romney being the nominee.
Let me offer that while I share his view as to the order in which the candidates with finish (Romney, Huntsman, Paul, Santorum, Gingrich), I don’t think the former Massachusetts governor will top 40%.
Reviewing “the final Suffolk University daily tracking poll released this morning”, the Washington Examiner’s Philip Klein find Mitt Romney extending his lead with “a surging Jon Huntsman” having “a decent shot at a surprise second place finish in tonight’s Republican presidential primary“. Given the latest polling trends, a second place showing for Huntsman wouldn’t be all that surprising.
What are you predictions? We’ll soon see how they stack up agains the actual results.
Romney 35, Huntsman 20, Paul 15, Santorum 12, Gingrich 9
I am going to try to keep bias out of it, but Romney 38. Santorum 18. Paul 17 Huntsman 12. Gingrich 8.
Romney 33
Santorum 20
Gingrich 14
Huntsman 12
Paul 12
and the total non Romney candidates continue to win.
My prediction is “True Conservatives(TM)” will bitch and moan about Romney and continue to make themselves look like anti-free market fools.
Everyone else has had their shot at the top, it’s Huntsman’s turn. He is conservative enough to belong there just as much as Gingrich or Paul. He will score a big surprise tonight, get a small bump in S.C. and then he is in the game when we get to FL. I predict he will pull some votes from Romney. R=33, H-22, P=17, S=10, G=9, P=1
Mittens – No matter how many votes he gets, will be said to underperform.
Internet Meme – Will be said to have peaked in Iowa.
Dr. Personality Cult – Will be called the real winners by his cult, who will allege shenanigans.
Joe Scarborough’s Boy Toy – Will be said to have “broken through,” especially by Joe Scarborough.
Professor Vengeance – his attack ads will be cited as the cause of Mittens’s underperformance.
Flameout – Will be said to have a fork in him.