Romney Relishes Obama-Clinton Spat

While visiting New Hampshire today, Mitt Romney said he was enjoying the Clinton v. Obama grudge-match. "It's great, isn't it? I love to see it when it happens on the other side."

Meanwhile, Romney obeyed Reagan's 11th Commandment with respect to his main Republican rivals, describing them as "friends" and saying "I respect them. I'm sure we'll disagree on issues from time to time, but I doubt you'll see the rancor that apparently may exist elsewhere."

I have serious doubts about whether the Republican primaries will stay very amicable, especially in the South, but we can hope.

News from the Campaign Trail

A few campaign tidbits:

• Mitt Romney will be headlining a GOP Banquet in Spartanburg, South Carolina on February 22nd. "It’s a political event for Romney, a chance to build his base, shake hands, recruit team members and smile for the cameras — and there will be lots of those."
  

• John McCain adds to his Florida team, while Romney beefs up his Arizona lineup
  

• As if you haven't already heard, Rudy Giuliani has officially chartered an exploratory committee.
  

• Romney v. Obama the dream election? Columnist Tim Myers seems to think so, "Two good men of strong religious faith - I don't care what - possessing strong backgrounds of achievement, and with a vision for the future of the nation. Then, and finally, Americans would again have a clear choice, and a cogent and collegial campaign for making the decision."
  

• Apparently Mitt Romney "is the first potential 2008 Republican presidential candidate to have a Facebook profile."

New Romney Polls

A new Princeton Suvery of 1003 adults conducted last week that pitted Romney against McCain and Giuliani in a Primary Match-Up and then several of the Democratic candidates in the General Election Match-Up:

WH '08 Primary Election Match-Ups
(RVs and GOP leaners)
R. Giuliani               48%                      
J. McCain               44                      
Other/undec            8        
             
J. McCain               69% 
M. Romney             19
Other/undec            12

R. Giuliani               72%                      
M. Romney             19                        
Other/undec            12

Generic WH '08 Ballot 
1/18                        All    Dem  GOP  Ind
Democrat                49%   90%  4%    42%
Republican              28      3       78      19

WH '08 General Election Match-Ups
Romney/DEM      All    Dem  GOP  Ind               
H. Clinton               56%   92%  16%  49%
M. Romney             37      6       76      40
Other/undec            7        2       8        11   

J. Edwards              60%   87%  19%  64%     
M. Romney             26      3       67      22
Other/undec            14      10     14      14

B. Obama               56%   83%  18%  56%       
M. Romney             30      7       68      26        
Other/undec            14      10     14      18   

McCain/DEM       All    Dem  GOP  Ind  1/18
H. Clinton               50%   86%  9%    43% 48%   
J. McCain               44      12     87      47    47    
Other/undec            6        2       4        10    5

B. Obama               48%   78%  9%    47%  46%   
J. McCain               42      4       86      40     44    
Other/undec            10      8       5        13     10    

J. Edwards              48%   82%  10%  44%  48%   
J. McCain               44      13     86      45     43    
Other/undec            8        5       4        11     9    

Giuliani/DEM       All    Dem GOP   Ind   1/18                   
H. Clinton               49      85     9        42     47
R. Giuliani               46      12     88      50     48
Other/undec            5        3       3        8       5

B. Obama               47%   78%  7%    45%  45%
R. Giuliani               44      15     87      43     47
Other/undec            9        7       6        12     8

R. Giuliani               47%   20%  86%  46%  45%   
J. Edwards              46      75     10      44    48    
Other/undec            7        5       4        10     7