Santorum packs them in in New Hampshire
http://dervishcom.blogspot.com/2012/01/santorum-packs-them-in-in-new-hampshire.html
MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Rick Santorum's campaign appears to have mastered one political art: Book a small room so that people will pack in and create the illusion of a big crowd.
The thing is, Santorum doesn't have a pretend at this point.
The fact is that the former Pennsylvania senator has been drawing huge crowds in New Hampshire in the three days since his eight-vote second-place finish to Mitt Romney in Iowa.
Santorum's sudden celebrity is the reason people lined the walls and sat on the floor this afternoon at the Belmont Hall & Restaurant, a small banquet-like facility in a working class neighborhood here in Manchester.
And then the fire marshals arrived -- so campaign officials moved the event to the parking lot.
The crowds may be translating into votes as well. A new Suffolk University tracking poll gives Santorum 11% in New Hampshire, up from 3% earlier in the week -- though that's still only good enough for third place.
Mitt Romney still leads with 40% -- but down from 43% earlier in the week -- according to the Suffolk Poll.
Ron Paul is second at 17% followed by Santorum (11%), Newt Gingrich (9%), Jon Huntsman (8%), and Rick Perry (1%).
Santorum's New Hampshire crowds are drawing attention in what figures to be a battle for second place.
The thing is, Santorum doesn't have a pretend at this point.
The fact is that the former Pennsylvania senator has been drawing huge crowds in New Hampshire in the three days since his eight-vote second-place finish to Mitt Romney in Iowa.
Santorum's sudden celebrity is the reason people lined the walls and sat on the floor this afternoon at the Belmont Hall & Restaurant, a small banquet-like facility in a working class neighborhood here in Manchester.
And then the fire marshals arrived -- so campaign officials moved the event to the parking lot.
The crowds may be translating into votes as well. A new Suffolk University tracking poll gives Santorum 11% in New Hampshire, up from 3% earlier in the week -- though that's still only good enough for third place.
Mitt Romney still leads with 40% -- but down from 43% earlier in the week -- according to the Suffolk Poll.
Ron Paul is second at 17% followed by Santorum (11%), Newt Gingrich (9%), Jon Huntsman (8%), and Rick Perry (1%).
Santorum's New Hampshire crowds are drawing attention in what figures to be a battle for second place.
