State of the Race

Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are effectively tied in Iowa right now. Much buzz has been spent on Huckabee's rise in the polls. However, beneath the radar has been John McCain's steady rise in New Hampshire, where he is now just a few points behind Mitt Romney, according to Rasmussen.

The McCain Comeback never lost momentum, though it did lose some attention on the national stage. The team in New Hampshire is top notch, and John is campaigning as only he can. Between Huckabee's rise and this latest poll, the Romney team must be having a very bleak holiday season indeed.

P.S. Here are some important aspects of that poll, other than just the straight support numbers:

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Romney’s supporters say they are “certain” to vote for him on January 8. That’s little changed from the previous poll. However, 61% of McCain’s supporters say they are certain, an increase from 46%. That increase is especially impressive given the dramatic growth in support for McCain.

Romney's solid support is stagnant, while John's is growing. That, plus the following information is good news indeed.

Among New Hampshire’s Likely Republican Primary Voters, National Security Issues are deemed Very Important by 78%. Government ethics and corruption is seen as Very Important by 68%, immigration and Iraq by 66% each. Fifty-nine percent (59%) say the economy is Very Important in determining how they will vote.

There is no doubt that when it comes to National Security Issues, John McCain is the clear leader of the field in the Presidential field. No other candidate comes close. Given John's record on fighting on behalf of Earmark reform and against Pork Barrel Spending in Congress, along with the recent success of strategy he has long supported in Iraq thanks to General Petraeus, John McCain is the clear leader of the field on the issues that matter to the people of New Hampshire.