CNN

Don't listen to the folks who flunked statistics and complain about this sample size.

Statistically speaking, you can approximate a normal distribution of an infinitely large population with fewer than 40 randomly sampled data points.

The difference between larger and smaller sample sizes is the +-error percentage. You can see in this poll the error is +-5.5% which is slightly higher than the 3% we are used to but hardly enough to call it a bogus poll. All it means is the folks who are impressed buy 1-2% swings in minor candidates are wasteing their focus.

As a frame of reference national polls usually have a sample size of less than 2000. Thankfully we don't have national elections so don’t waste your time reading national polls either. Go Romney! Let’s see a Romney-Giuliani ticket!

I swear, I feel stupid having to watch CNN/WMUR, and I LIVE IN CONCORD New Hampshire. At the 3rd Debate, I was there at St. Anselm College. We had over 200 Ron Paul supporters. There were maybe 50 each from the "top-tier" NeoCons. Ron Paul's support will only grow, and the sheeple of America will see the light. Will they see it in time? 47%.......wow. 309 people? Yeah, very scientific CNN.

CNN thinks you're stupid.

Of 304 people polled, 57% said they have no idea who they'd vote for.

Forget what CNN says, read the survey for yourself. The real story is that 57% of the voters are up for grabs!

The only thing Romney offers is a presidential "appearance." If anyone closely followed the issues, they would see that Ron Paul is the most conservative and honest candidate. The idea offered by the neocons that we can nation build is derrived from some sort of utopian, liberal view point. We need to return to the republic, and stop trying to nation build.

Mitt,
has the most knowledge and depth of ANY candidate running. He's what our country needs when it comes to resolving the issues facing us today such as terrorism, social security, immigration, healthcare, keeping taxes low. Contrary to what some have said here on this site he is the ONLY one that has accomplished anything outside of DC worth noting. He's not a DC Beltway guy and will surround himself with competent people in his administration that get's things done. He has a track record in his personal life you can verify against.

Warning- Romney was a "no show" Govenour in Massacusetts, he used "fees " instead of "taxes" but that caused a huge deficit in the Massachusetts State budget.

Our roads and infrastructure are a mess, because there was not enough money to pay for repairs.

He is supposed to be "the expert" on business but during his tenure Massachusetts lost a record 250,000 jobs or more. He never knew the states biggest employer, Gillette, was being bought by Proctor and Gamble. Layoffs ensued , causing more job loss.

Education has suffered state wide, There are not enough funds for it. He sphiphoned off money and sent it through the Bush re-election campaign. He hid all the campaign money he has been colecting, through some "loophole".

He was barely in Massachusetts the last year he was Govenour. He never took responsibility for anything bad that happened due to state goverment, but he would run in and do a press conference if something positive happened, even if he had nothing to do with it.

If Al Gore was the "annoying know it all" in 2000, then Romney is the annoying squeeky clean "tattletale" who Brown noses his way through life.

Remember people- "Good hair" does not make a good president. He's phony and he hides behind an agenda that would put women back into "the kitchen barefoot and pregnant".

He does not know Constitutional Law, which should be a requirement for all Presidential Candidates.

Do not vote for him. Our State is a mess now and the new Gov elect has a lot of work , just fixing all that Romney , broke, busted and stole.

Romney is an empty suit. He left Massachusetts in shambles by cutting local aid. It currently costs $300/yr per child to ride the school bus, $250/yr/child per activity. My town had money to pay these things before he showed up. He may talk about cutting taxes, but he jacked up the price of living.

Trust me, you don't want the guy running the country.

What has Romney done as a politician that's conservative? The answer is nothing. He's not a conservative in the true sense, he's not trying to stop the IRS or stop illegal immigration as it should be stopped. You are watching a more polished Bush pt. II. Don't be fooled again. Vote for a candidate who is against nation building over-seas, wants to protect our borders, and actually cares about catching Osama Bin Laden.

You're right it is old. I suspect my point was showing how different media outlets "hooks up" their own people with the power of wording.

Cheers

Why does a survey of 304 New Hampshire residents even warrent a story on CNN. How was the list of callers generated? What database of callers was used? I'm sure I could call 304 voters to reflect any number of possible winners. Next time if you are going to write a story give the details. How were the callers chosen for the survey/poll? Another CNN story handpicked to reflect CNN's bias.

The only thing Romney believes in concretely is that a feller by the name of Joseph Smith found golden plates with the word of god that only he could read and be shown, and that also magically dissappeared. That's what Romney believes. And come on CNN, publishing results from a poll of 304 people, are you guys for real? Please review the basics of scientific methodology. How stupid do you think we are?

For those Mitt fans who failed to watch the debate...Mitt has an itchy finger for the nuke button against Iran.

In the 2nd debate (that was in South Carolina on FoxNews, for the uninformed), he endorsed torture of prisoners.

In the 1st debate (Simi, California on MSNBC), he told us how he was for abortion, but miraculously in time for his run for the Republican nomination, it was explained to him so that he 'saw the light'.

BTW, Ron Paul won the first and third denate polls by wide margins and came in second in the SC debate. He's the only Repub candidate who was 'outreaged' (his words) at the public consensus amongst the other candidates to leave nuclear attack against Iran (a third world country) on the table and to continue the Iraq war.

Dave

304 people polled? Thats is not indicative of much at all.

Trying to make someone look like a winner sometimes works but not for me.

Why is this surprising at all? NH is right next to MA. These kind of results make me appreciate the way Florida is moving its primary up so that NH and Iowa aren't so important. Unfortunately, posting results from smaller states still does influence other states' perceptions.

Re: Chris Pensacola's comment:

The MSNBC article you reference is from three months ago! The point is Romney was small then and he's big now in New Hampshire.

47% of the people polled formed their opinion based on a 15 second sound byte. That's what passes these days as an educated voter.

I watched both debates. I would not vote for Mitt Romney. He waffles on many issues. After a while I get the impression he has no real opinion about anything. He only says what he thinks voters want to hear.

Mitt Romney – our next Warren Harding?

Romney will win the election!!

Governors win elections not Senators.

I will not be voting for anyone who wants to double the size of a prison is to hold people ilegally without charging them. Like Mitt says "some people say we oughta get rid of Guantanamo, I say we oughta double Guantanamo". If that doesn't scream Neocon what does?

It's unfortunate the media is driving this election. Neither of the 'front runners' in either party currently present the best vision for our country. Unfortunately the candidates with the best plans (Ron Paul in particular) get little press. And lets face it, unless the sheep see their faces often, they will not get the votes.

Mitt Romney was running for president the moment he became governor of Massachusetts. He hit the campaign trail less than a year in office, and left behind him a deteriorated infrastructure, a broken education system, and higher taxes than ever before. In four years, how many jobs did the self-proclaimed magnet for business growth draw to the state? 5200. 5200 jobs in 4 years! Just imagine what he'll do for the country.

I'd like a candidate who would get rid of the IRS, end the drug war, get us out of Iraq immediately (like 80% of americans want) and cut the federal government waaaaay back. There's only one Republican and 0 democrats who will do any of these things.

Whoever doing the polling is as corrupted as the TV stations that are doing the debates. If anyone cared to watch the debate, it was clear who won. How can someone vote for Thompson if you have no fricken idea what the man stands for. This whole polling thing is a sham.

I'd like to hear from the Romney supporters what their favorite policy is of their chosen candidate. What's most important that causes you to say, "Romney is clearly the best candidate"?

Also, what is your opinion on the eradication of personal freedoms in the Patriot Act, and what is your opinion of preventive nuclear strikes?

I want a candidate that will turn back the Patriot Act and swear off preventive nuclear attacks.

"I’d sooner live under Saddam Hussein's rule than have Mitt Romney as president. Posted By Patrick, Cincinnati,OH"

Why, Patrick?

Mitt Romney is clear, concise, and oozes competence. I wouldn't care if he was a Druid and was raised on Mars, I'll support him. Imagine what he could do for Social Security and the deficit after he rescued the 2002 Olympics!

President Mitt Romney has a nice ring to it!

I'd sooner live under Saddam Husseins rule than have Mitt Romney as president.

Keep up the good work, Mitt.
Mr. Romney is extremely clever to keep focused on the early primary states, which are crucial to the nomination. Seeking higher national numbers is tempting, but ultimately irrelevant to the primary process in which nominees are decided. This is the problem which will face Fred Thompson like a brick wall- high national numbers, but trailing heavily in the primary states (outside the South).
Mitt's playing it just right.

"Romney surges ahead in New Hampshire"
WoW a Whole 304 Peeps, Now That is Science
Thanks CNN
One of the Questions the 304 where asked.
24. (REPUBLICAN PRIMARY VOTERS ONLY:) As you may know, the Republican presidential
candidates debated on TV this past Tuesday night. Did you watch or listen to all of that debate,
most of that debate, some of that debate, only a few minutes of that debate, or did you not watch
or listen to any part of that debate?
June
2007
All of it 13%
Most of it 9%
Some of it 19%
Only a few minutes of it 12%
Did not watch debate 47%
No opinion *
47% of clueless people participated.

The true story here is that Ron Paul is at 3%.

Go Romney!!!

Thompson was a key supporter of McCain-Feingold and he was a heavy McCain supporter.

Ah, New Hampshire residents...The Budge Deficit should be your #1 concern. As the saying goes, "it's the economy stupid". However, I'd seriously doubt that you'll like 15% inflation.

Please don't vote if you don't know or do the research. You're just ruining America by blind voting.

Don't trust polls.. that is unless they are based on a large and widely distributed sample. A restricted sample of 300, or even 1000 is NOT believable. What it is.. is propaganda. Give me a nationwide distributed poll consisting of tens of thousands+, and maybe you will have my attention.

Romney is clearly the best candidate in the race. He will be our next president!

Wow, 309 residents from New Hampshire. Now that's a sampling!!

Isn't New Hampshire a blue state?? So why does this poll matter?
Wait, I just saw this-

Romney losing edge in New Hampshire – Politics – MSNBC.com

We never know the truth anymore.

Anyone read Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death? They all appeared on TV and viewers chose the guy with the most hair. How many bald presidents have we had? How many since the invention of TV?

only 41% of the primary voters polled actually watched the debate, with only 13% watching it in entirety.
voters need to wake up and investigate each of the candidates issues and not rely on the media to sway their opinions!!

ron paul 2008!

Whats most interesting to me is that 47% of the responders didn't even watch the debate, and that Ron Paul has gone from 1% to 3%.