Poll: Romney Holds Strong NH Lead

With the official start of the primary season just days away, Mitt Romney appears to hold a strong position in one of the first battlegrounds of 2012.

According to a new Boston Globe/University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll, the former Massachusetts Governor leads the GOP field in the Granite state with 39 percent support among likely Republican voters. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Congressman Ron Paul trail far behind with 17 percent each. Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, whose campaign has failed to gain steam nationally, follows with 11 percent. No other candidate breaks double digits.

The poll also shows that Romney’s often-questioned Conservative credentials may do little to slow down his campaign. Among those in New Hampshire who identify themselves as members of the Tea Party, Romney leads Gingrich 44 to 24 percent and among indepdents.

The poll was conducted among 543 likely voters between December 12th and 19th.

The full report can be read here.

Gingrich Won't Be On Virginia Ballot

GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich has failed to turn in the 10,000 signatures necessary to have his name appear on the Virginia GOP primary ballot.

The state’s Republican Party tweeted on Friday evening, “After verification, RPV has determined that Newt Gingrich did not submit required 10k signatures and has not qualified for the VA primary.”

Gingrich’s campaign director, Michael Krull, reacted to the news.

“Only a failed system excludes four out of the six major candidates seeking access to the ballot. Voters deserve the right to vote for any top contender, especially leading candidates. We will work with the Republican Party of Virginia to pursue an aggressive write-in campaign to make sure that all the voters of Virginia are able to vote for the candidate of their choice.”

Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House, made a last-ditch effort to drum up support amongst Commonwealth voters this week, holding a couple campaign events in various parts of the state.

Texas Governor Rick Perry also failed to land on the ballot, the state party announced. Republican voters in Virginia will head to the polls on March 6, also known as ‘Super Tuesday.’

Gingrich visited South Carolina yesterday, but will take a break this weekend to celebrate the Christmas holiday before heading back out on the trail on Tuesday.

Poll: Americans Cast Doubt On Entire Presidential Field

Many Americans doubt that any candidate currently running would make a good president, according to a new Gallup poll.

The survey shows that only 48 percent of Americans believe there is a candidate who would do well in the Oval Office while 46 percent replied that there are none.

The results stand in stark contrast to the previous two election cycles. 84 percent of respondents in 2008 and 75 percent in 2000 told Gallup that there was at least one candidate who would be a good President.

The apparent pessimism among the American electorate is comparable to the 1992 race, wherein only 40 percent said that there was a candidate they believed would do well in office.

In addition, there was a significant drop in those who said candidates were addressing issues they cared about compared to 2008, down from 72 percent to 57 percent.

Overall, Americans have appeared to sour over the election process as a whole. Just 39 percent said the process was “working as it should” as opposed to 58 percent who said it was not. In 2008, 67 percent agreed with how the race unfolded.

The poll was conducted among 1,019 adults between December 15th and 18th. It was released on Wednesday.

Gingrich To Visit Voters In Obama's Backyard

GOP heavyweight Newt Gingrich will hold a rally with supporters this evening just a few miles from the White House.

The “Virginians With Newt” rally will be held at the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel in nearby Arlington, Va. The event is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.

Gingrich, who swiftly rose to the top of the Republican charts last month, has since seen his grip on the lead decline. A new national CNN poll shows him tied with Mitt Romney at 28 percent among Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents. Gingrich led Romney by four points in a similar survey taken back in November.

Moreover, Gingrich finished third in a new Public Policy Polling survey conducted with Iowa Republicans last week — behind both Romney and Texas Congressman Ron Paul.

The news, however, is much sunnier for Gingrich in Virginia, where a new Quinnipiac poll shows him leading Romney and the rest of the field among primary voters in the Commonwealth.

With the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses set to take place in less than two weeks, Gingrich will take all the perceived momentum he can get.

Obama's Approval Rating Up

President Barack Obama’s approval rating is nearing 50 percent, according to a new CNN/ORC International poll.

At 49 percent, the rating indicates a 5 percent increase from November. In addition, those who say they disapprove of the job that President Barack Obama is doing has declined by 6 points.

Of those polled, 26 percent said they strongly approve of the President’s performance while 33 percent stated that they strongly disapprove.

The President’s approval rating spiked to above 50 percent surrounding the killing of Osama bin Laden in May. Prior to that, the last time the President polled as well as the latest survey was in March.

Obama also places well ahead of Congressional Republicans. When asked whom they hold more confidence in, 50 percent replied the President while 31 percent said Republican lawmakers.

In addition, a clear majority of respondents appeared to indicate that they find Obama likable on a personal level. When asked to rate Obama “as a person,” 76 percent said that they approve as opposed to 19 percent who said they disapprove. 5 percent replied that they had no opinion.

The poll was conducted among 1,015 Americans between December 16th and 18th.

Full results can be seen here.