Latest poll shows a very tight race in the New Hampshire Republican Presidential primary

 The latest New Hampshire poll is out and it shows there is no clear front-runner in the early going and I think this is good news because it means the state is not committed as of yet to the establishment candidate–Jeb Bush.

  Here is more:

The poll also shows that Senator Marco Rubio is rising while support for his fellow Floridian, former Governor Jeb Bush, has fallen off. Rubio and Bush both were the first choice of 11 percent of likely Republican primary voters in the poll, while Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky each scored 12 percent.

  It is clearly a tight race at this point with four Republicans locked in a dead heat while on the Democratic side Hillary Clinton is running away with it:

Clinton is the first choice of 62 percent of likely Democratic primary voters roughly nine months before the primary. That’s her best showing since November and suggests a recent wave of influence-peddling allegations about her family’s foundation as well as the controversy over her use of a private e-mail server while she was secretary of state haven’t tarnished her with the party’s base.

  As you can see, the article claims her popularity has not dwindled in light of the scandals but I believe the truth is the base at this point has no real alternative even if they are upset with her. Sure, Bernie Sanders is fairly well-known but he poses no real threat, and Martin O’Malley has no real name recognition. If someone like Elizabeth Warren enters the race it will be interesting to see who the base rallies around.

  I think the best indication of where Hillary Clinton stands at this point in the minds of New Hampshire voters is best summed up in this statement from the article:

There are warning signs for Clinton in New Hampshire. Since the last poll in February, three of the top-polling Republican candidates—Bush, Paul, and Rubio—have moved into striking distance and are now within the poll’s margin of error of tying her in hypothetical match-ups.

  And another recent New Hampshire poll showed Hillary Clinton either tied with or trailing five Republican candidates in the general election. This is coming from a state which has voted for the Democratic candidate in the last three Presidential general elections.

  I believe this is directly attributable to the scandals and Hillary Clinton’s dwindling trustworthiness with the voters. Of course it is still very early and anything can happen…

Malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium