Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* As the Republican race in Iowa gets closer, the same cannot be said about New Hampshire. A Suffolk University poll released yesterday shows Mitt Romney with more than double the support of his next closest rival. The former Massachusetts governor, who owns a mansion in the Granite State, leads with 41%, followed by Ron Paul at 15%, and Newt Gingrich at 11%.
* Once the Iowa caucuses are finished, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann have said they’ll head to South Carolina, giving up on New Hampshire since it doesn’t appear competitive.
* Jon Huntsman promised voters months ago he wouldn’t use his personal wealth to finance his presidential campaign. He continues to break that promise and told supporters yesterday he’ll match, dollar-for-dollar, all donations made over the next three days.
* Kept from the state’s presidential primary ballot, Perry is suing Virginia, challenging the existing process and eligibility standards. Over the weekend, Gingrich, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Huntsman announced they’ll join the suit.
* Romney’s team is beginning to flex its fundraising muscles, and his Super PAC has begun spending another $1 million on campaign ads in Florida and South Carolina.
* Speaking of money, after struggling to raise any money at all for most of the year, Gingrich claims to have raised nearly $9 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.
* In Wisconsin, Democrats have reportedly collected over 500,000 petition signatures, making a recall race against Gov. Scott Walker (R) practically inevitable.
* Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has officially given up on the GOP process and will seek the Libertarian Party’s nomination for president.
* And it now appears unlikely that Gingrich will be the Republican nominee, but if he somehow manages a comeback, he’ll “certainly” consider former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin as a possible running mate.
