Mike Boudo
New Hampshire primary voters will voice their choice in less than a month. And after a big week of campaigning, a new 7News Suffolk University poll shows who is leading the pack.
7NEWS/SUFFOLK UNIV. POLL
REPUBLICANS:
ROMNEY 31% (-3% in 2 weeks)
MCCAIN 19% (+6% in 2 weeks)
GUILIANI 17% (-3%)
HUCKABEE 10% (+3%)
UNDECIDED 12%
DEMOCRATS:
CLINTON 33% (-1% in 2 weeks)
OBAMA 26% (+4% in 2 weeks)
EDWARDS 15% (unchanged)
UNDECIDED 19% (+7% in 2 weeks)
MARGIN OF ERROR - +/- 5.7%
Political editor Andy Hiller puts the numbers in perspective in tonight's Hiller Instinct.
Barack Obama has Oprah, and Hillary Clinton has her husband. But, the most effective pitch in New Hampshire may have been by Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling for John McCain.
"We are at a time and place where we need someone with impeccable integrity, honor," Shilling said.
Mccain has surged into second place in the republican race, gaining 6 points in two weeks.
"Two dynamics--people like John McCain, and they believe he tells it like it is more than any other candidate," Suffolk University Professor and Pollster, David Paleologos said.
"What does that mean for Romney?" Andy Hiller asked.
"It means Mitt Romney should look over his shoulder," said Paleologos.
Romney was already looking over his shoulder at Mike Huckabee in Iowa when he delivered his recent speech on faith.
"Freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom," Romney said in his speech.
But our poll shows not in New Hampshire:
Asked if they agree freedom requires religion, 55 percent said no, 34 percent yes.
And asked whether there should be complete separation of church and state, 53 percent said yes, 35 percent no.
"I believe we need Barack Obama," Oprah Winfrey said.
Oprah's endorsement got big crowds and big coverage, but it didn't change many minds.
Asked if it made them support Obama, 88 percent said no, while 7 percent said yes
And when we asked likely Democratic Primary voters to compare Bill Clinton's endorsement of his wife with Oprah's for Obama, 56 percent told us Clinton's is worth more, 9 percent said Oprah's.
"Voters are telling us that Oprah Winfrey's endorsement didn't matter," said Paleologos.
Nothing is set in granite anymore in the granite state.
Hillary Clinton could win, and still lose because a strong second place finish by Obama may create momentum for him.
And John McCain could come back to life. He'll never be the comeback kid, but he could be the comeback adult.
I'm Andy Hiller and that's my instinct.
