A new poll of New Hampshire Republicans show a large surge in her support and a drop in support for Mitt Romney. This comes as a surprise since Romney is considered a heavy favorite in the state.
When PPP polled New Hampshire in April Michele Bachmann was stuck at 4%. She’s gained 14 points over the last three months and now finds herself within single digits of Mitt Romney. Romney continues to lead the way in the state with 25% to 18% for Bachmann, 11% for Sarah Palin, 9% for Ron Paul, 7% for Rick Perry and Herman Cain, 6% for Jon Huntsman and Tim Pawlenty, and 4% for Newt Gingrich.
Bachmann’s surge in New Hampshire is being built on the back of the Tea Party. Among voters identifying themselves as members of that movement she’s leading the way at 25% with Palin and Romney tying for second at 16%, and Cain also placing in double digits at 11%. Only 33% of Republican primary voters in the state identify themselves as Tea Partiers though and with the remaining folks Romney’s way ahead with 33% to 13% for Bachmann, and 10% for Huntsman and Paul.
Romney’s support has dropped 12% since the last poll in April. Pawlenty, Huntsman and Gingrich look pretty bad and non-candidate Rick Perry has an impressive 7%. As of now Bachmann looks to be winning the Tea Party primary and probably only Perry or perhaps Palin can derail her. Pawlenty must be feeling pretty jealous right now because his spokesman said this about Bachmann:
“It’s going to be very hard to beat Michele in Iowa. Period,” Weber said of both the Iowa caucuses and August’s influential straw poll in Ames.
“She’s got hometown appeal, she’s got ideological appeal, and, I hate to say it, but she’s got a little sex appeal too,” he said in a phone interview.
GAG. Also, nice sexism dude.