NASHUA, N.H. ? Jon Huntsman is enjoying what might just be his last best day as a presidential candidate.
Supporters and the curious suddenly flock to his events in New Hampshire. Previously scarce reporters and cameramen now jam his events. Now that he?s rising in the polls, the questions are forward-looking ? about his South Carolina plans ? rather than about what went wrong.
Continue ReadingWith Mitt Romney?s lead gradually eroding and Rick Santorum unable to capture his Iowa mojo, Huntsman?s the one candidate riding what counts as New Hampshire?s version of momentum.
No one, not even the former Utah governor himself, expects he?ll win the first-in-the-nation primary Tuesday. But if Huntsman can finish strong, and claim second place or a strong third, there?s at least some justification for him to take his campaign to South Carolina ? a state that once figured prominently in his plans before he was forced to scale them back.
The recent polling is promising. A Suffolk University-7News daily tracking poll released Monday showed Huntsman in third place, just seven points behind Ron Paul. A WMUR New Hampshire poll released Sunday night showed Huntsman tied with Rick Santorum for third place.
Huntsman is optimistic, if nothing else: His campaign has two events scheduled for Wednesday in South Carolina, the launch of his ?Country First? tour.
?The headline [will be] New Hampshire upends conventional wisdom,? Huntsman predicted at a Nashua bakery Monday.
Huntsman?s late surge might have been aided by a strong performance in Sunday?s NBC/Facebook debate ? perhaps his best so far ? in which he pushed back against Romney?s criticism about his service to the Obama administration as U.S. ambassador to China. ?I was criticized last night by Gov. Romney for putting my country first,? Huntsman said Sunday, referring to a Romney comment the evening before at the first of their two weekend debates. ?I want to be very clear with the people in this country. I will always put my country first.?
Huntsman is using the exchange with Romney in a new TV ad running in New Hampshire and his campaign is hitting harder at Romney, with Huntsman dinging him Monday for his line about ?firing? insurance companies.
Huntsman?s primary-eve push took him across New Hampshire through seven cities Monday, stopping for several events that he billed as photo opportunities.
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