YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY
'Inevitable' Mitt Takes A Hit
By Michael Falcone | ABC News – 11 mins ago
By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @michaelpfalcone ) and AMY WALTER ( @amyewalter )
MANCHESTER, N.H. - No one will be surprised if and when Mitt Romney wins New Hampshire tonight, but everyone woke up from the snooze-button primary yesterday to some political fireworks that could help shape the outcome of the nominating contests ahead.
On a day when Romney's opponents on both the right and the left unleashed a barrage of criticism over his work at the investment firm, Bain Capital, Romney didn't do himself any favors.
"I want individuals to have their own insurance," Romney said yesterday in a speech at the Nashua, N.H. Chamber of Commerce. "That means the insurance company will have an incentive to keep you healthy. It also means if you don't like what they do, you can fire them. I like being able to fire people who provide services to me."
http://abcn.ws/woxwfr The "I like being able to fire people" line became an instant hit among his rivals.
Jon Huntsman responded: "It's clear is he likes firing people, I like creating jobs."
Rick Perry's campaign even created a custom-made cell phone ring-tone based on the remark.
With the damage done, the question now is whether to what extent the Bain attacks and Romney's dissonant comments about his business savvy hurt him going forward, especially in the next two states to vote: South Carolina and Florida.
While strategists on both side of the aisle agree that Romney's Bain background is going to give him trouble in a general election, at least two smart GOP strategists said it is unlikely to be all that effective in the primary.
"I do think there is a change in the GOP toward a more blue-collar party and these kind of attacks might have some resonance with this group," one strategist said, "but, I think even with these voters, I suspect this is a stretch"
Another Republican tactician agreed saying that this line of attack has "limited appeal in a Republican primary" since "being successful isn't a problem" for GOP primary voters - even those who come from a working class background.
But, the New York Times' Matt Bai writes that the Bain hit "could prove sticky, for three reasons. First, it takes Mr. Romney's central rationale as a candidate and turns it into a bludgeoning tool. … Second, it casts doubt on Mr. Romney's aura of electability. … And third, the Bain line of attack, more than anything else brandished against Mr. Romney to this point, might bring to the surface an instinctive concern that he's emotively challenged."
http://nyti.ms/A8N9yW The National Journal's Jim Tankersly finds it "surprising that the Republican presidential front-runner is struggling to fend off his rivals' attempt at a hostile takeover of his private-sector resume. …. Romney must reclaim his narrative, and not just by questioning his Republican critics' commitment to free enterprise. He could start by recasting his Bain years in terms of results, not jobs created."
http://bit.ly/AEYWH2 And writing at Slate, John Dickerson notes that the "attacks may help Romney's primary challengers, and they will certainly soften up Mitt Romney for the general election. Importantly, they give credibility to an entire line of Democratic argument about income inequality and the destructive force of commerce."
http://slate.me/wI8QKl We may not know the extent of the immediate damage until we move on to the South Carolina contest, but even though the former Massachusetts governor may wake up tomorrow with the top prize in the Granite State, the "Mitt Romney vs. Gordon Gekko" narrative may lead to some nightmares ahead.
http://abcn.ws/zqz1pj ABC's David Muir previewed the day ahead in New Hampshire on "Good Morning America" today and what to expect when the results pour in tonight. WATCH: http://abcn.ws/ytoskh NEW HAMPSHIRE PREDICITONS. As ABC's George Stephanopoulos and political analyst Matthew Dowd pointed out on "Good Morning America" today, the bigger story out of New Hampshire tonight could be who comes in second. "I actually think what could easily happen today is because of what's happened with Mitt Romney and the surge I think you're seeing in independent voters is Jon Huntsman could finish second," Dowd told George. More predictions from the political duo:
http://abcn.ws/yzChmE WHAT TO WATCH FOR: WMUR-TV political guru James Pindell takes us on a five-minute walk through of the key communities in New Hampshire to watch today for signs of the outcome of today's vote. It originally aired during WMUR's hour-long primary eve special last night. WATCH:
http://bit.ly/Ab0GPt By the way WMUR's election night coverage will be simulcast on CSPAN tonight at 8 p.m. ET.
DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS SPIN PRIMARY DAY. The Republican National Committee released a new web ad today called "Failed Promises: New Hampshire" to "remind voters of President Obama's false hope and failed promises." WATCH:
http://bit.ly/zJvSrQ Meanwhile, Obama for America-New Hampshire plans to hold events across the Granite State on primary night to continue building up our organization in New Hampshire. Vice President Joe Biden will be teleconferenced into events across the state and will discuss the next steps for supporting the President and the Democrats in the coming months, according to an OFA release.
New Hampshire for Dummies: ABC's Chris Good tells us why the first-in-the-nation primary is important: http://abcn.ws/yO8IqW 
