Romney Running Away In New Hampshire, Huntsman Hanging On

PELHAM, NH — Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney picked up 44-percent of likely New Hampshire voters surveyed in the latest CNN/Time poll.

The poll showed Romney leading Texas Congressman Ron Paul by 27 points. A similar poll conducted back in the first week of December put Romney at 35 percent.

Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich seems to be slipping. The former House Speaker from Georgia saw his approval numbers drop from 26 percent in the earlier poll to 16 percent in this latest one.

Jon Huntsman, who has been spending nearly all of his time campaigning in the Granite State, finished fourth at nine percent. Though the same survey showed him at just one percent in Iowa, the former Utah Governor and American Ambassador to China is hoping to win over a more moderate voting bloc in the New England state.

WBZ-TV political analyst Jon Keller says Huntsman may have a shot in New Hampshire due to all the face time he’s gotten with voters in the state.

“They like a candidate who basically pledges his or her undying affection to that state, by camping out there,” Keller said. “This is true with Santorum, who has had a late surge in Iowa, and Huntsman has essentially been living in New Hampshire for the last two months,” he added.

Keller says that New Hampshire’s open primary could also bode well for the former Utah Governor.

“Huntsman may improve on that nine percent showing come primary day on January 10th because don’t forget, independent voters can walk up and take a Republican ballot on primary day.”

Huntsman made his 129th campaign appearance in New Hampshire at a town hall meeting Wednesday in Pelham. Speaking with reporters after the rally, Huntsman says he likes Keller’s assessment.

“I agree with that analyst. There will be another poll tomorrow and another one the next day. But the only one that matters is the one on the 10th,” he said.

Huntsman’s poll numbers have hovered at around 10-percent in the major polls since December 1st. His highest rating was 13-percent in a Suffolk University poll released last week.

The CNN/Time poll was recorded with 1508 adult likely voters from December 21st to the 24th and again from the 26th and 27th.

Click here to listen to a pair of audio reports on the story from TRNS’s Michael Carl.