Page 18 - Mark Haleprin News Today

>> and of course, the reason why is, mika, as we get past iowa. you spend two years focused on iowa and an intense week focused on new hampshire, but then you move south. and guess which states are going to decide this nomination or at least the outline of it as you move south. youre going to have south carolina. and then florida and then youve got super tuesday with alabama, mississippi, georgia, louisiana, texas, oklahoma, all of these states that are custom made for a southern candidate. so t...

Its almost a guarantee hes going to see a huge bump in the polls and then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. so yes, its happening. its happening. >> well -- >> you know -- >> go ahead, mark. >> sorry, i was going to say, you showed santorum before saying it was a tie, whats the big deal whether i won or not? i totally disagree. if he wouldve won by a single vote, more of that earned media would have been a bigger slingshot out of iowa. there is a bit of an unfairness in the sense of we dont...

No be close behind on that endorsement. >> i think to marks point, i do think its important how big electability is. even those social conservatives who think wed like to see a strong alternative or something. theres a question of they want to beat president obama and ultimately do they think mitt romneys the one to do that? even moike huckabee appeared stronger at this point. if you thought he would be the alternative. hes going to be hit. everybody thinks its being too conservative. thats not ...

Correct? >> oh, yeah. i think anybody who would really give romney a hard time. and at one point when white house officials i talked to actually feared perry because of his immigration stance and the potential to do well among minority voters particularly in the southwest. that was a long time ago. >> let me go to mark haleprin. theres news up in new hampshire that mitt romney has been endorsed by buchanan. >> go, bay, go. youve got to pick through the endorsements, weve had a lot and therell be...

Better rally around one of their strongest candidates or face the very real prospect of having barack obama walk all over former massachusetts governor romney. the last squishy moderate republican to come to new hampshire claiming to have momentum from iowa was george h.w. bush. he and his mainstream supporters made fun of ronald reagan as too old and too conservative. reagan beat bush, but he might have lost had new hampshire conservatives not coalesced around him instead of splitting their sup...

But if they attacked me, i would hold them up on the campaign trail. new hampshire is different. new hampshire is a state that where you had, mark, one editorial page after another endorse john mccain back in 2008. and it mattered. huntsman is getting all of those endorsements right now. hes going up on tv now, the super pacs are going up, do you see a late huntsman charge? >> he had a pretty big crowd last night at an event i was at in newport and proved as a candidate. but right now, i still d...

So huntsman can go after romney. i think for all of these reasons, mitt romneys going to have a difficult time at these debates. and the question is, will he get testy as hes known to do. >> mark haleprin, in the end, it all comes down to math and these moderates are going to vote for mitt romney. and if you want to get from 8% to 11% or 11% to 15%, you are fighting for the same conservative votes in the same pot. thats -- people havent been avoiding mitt romney because theyre scared of him or b...

Is still with us along with richard haas, also mark haleprin in manchester, new hampshire. and joining us from washington, columnist from the "washington post," ezra klein joining the conversation. good to see you. >> good morning. >> good to have all i dont have you guys here. voters in new hampshire are not voters in iowa, but rick santorum is going to -- hes going to say what he believes. hes not poll tested, hes not market driven. and i just wonder whether that actually -- lets just say rowi...

Give romney a hard time. and at one point when white house officials i talked to actually feared perry because of his immigration stance and the potential to do well among minority voters particularly in the southwest. that was a long time ago. >> let me go to mark haleprin. theres news up in new hampshire that mitt romney has been endorsed by buchanan. >> go, bay, go. youve got to pick through the endorsements, weve had a lot and therell be a lot more. find the ones of importance. bay buchanan ...

No be close behind on that endorsement. >> i think to marks point, i do think its important how big electability is. even those social conservatives who think wed like to see a strong alternative or something. theres a question of they want to beat president obama and ultimately do they think mitt romneys the one to do that? even moike huckabee appeared stronger at this point. if you thought he would be the alternative. hes going to be hit. everybody thinks its being too conservative. thats not ...