memeorandum: New Hampshire primary: The land of make-believe (Mike Allenand Jim Vandehei/The Politico)

7:55 AM ET, January 9, 2012

Top Items:

The Boffo Awfulness — In the preceding post I referenced this swift-boat-style ‘documentary’ on Mitt Romney and Bain Capital which the Gingrich-backing SuperPAC (Winning Our Future) has bought and will use as the battering ram against Romney in South Carolina. They've put up a trailer for it now which you can see after the jump.

Discussion: Political Mojo

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Romney holding steady in NH — Mitt Romney continues to be headed for a comfortable win in New Hampshire. PPP's final poll there finds him with 35% to 18% for Ron Paul, 16% for Jon Huntsman, 12% for Newt Gingrich, 11% for Rick Santorum, 3% for Buddy Roemer, and 1% for Rick Perry.

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight and The Politico

New York Times:

Pro-Gingrich PAC Details Ads Against Romney's Bain Role — MANCHESTER, N.H. — Thanks to a $5 million donation from a wealthy casino owner, a group supporting New Gingrich plans to place advertisements in South Carolina this week attacking Mitt Romney as a predatory capitalist who destroyed jobs …

Discussion: The Caucus, New York Post, Talking Points Memo, LewRockwell.com Blog, Taylor Marsh, Hullabaloo, Prairie Weather, ABCNEWS, Mediaite, Hot Air and RedState

Kenneth P. Vogel / The Politico:

Super PAC debate a sign they're here to stay — There's no better evidence that the Republican presidential field has embraced super PACs as a driving force in their campaign than the debate over what to do about them. — Mitt Romney has called for the abolition of super PACs and Newt Gingrich …

Robert Walker / The Huffington Post:
Santorum and the ‘Anti-contraception’ Conservatives

Discussion: Washington Post

WMUR:
Poll Shows Battle For 2nd In Primary; Romney Keeps Lead

Discussion: Ballot Box and GOP 12

Meghashyam Mali / Ballot Box:
Romney tells voters he knows what it's like to fear getting a ‘pink slip’

Discussion: The Politico

Buzzfeed Politics / Politics:
Romney's Inexplicable Debate Fibs

Discussion: Boston Globe, Weekly Standard, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com, Firedoglake, National Review, The Mahablog and Power Line

Matthew Boyle / The Daily Caller:
Stephanopoulos struggles with fairness during NH debate

Discussion: Runnin' Scared, Shot in the Dark, Campaign 2012, bustardblog, Wizbang, Wake up America, RedState, Doug Ross, Los Angeles Times, The Gateway Pundit, The Other McCain, Washington Post, NO QUARTER, Instapundit, Mediaite and The Lonely Conservative

Gautham Nagesh / Ballot Box:
GOP debate: Gingrich, Romney trade barbs over super-PAC ads

Discussion: The Politico, CBS News and ThinkProgress

Alex Spillius / Telegraph:

White House ‘covered up’ Tim Burton-staged Alice in Wonderland Halloween party — The White House covered up an Alice in Wonderland-themed Halloween party staged by film director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp for fear of creating the wrong impression during a recession, a new book on the Obamas has claimed.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and blogs.telegraph.co.uk

New York Post:

White House threw secret ‘Alice in Wonderland’ bash during recession — It was the tea party the Obamas just couldn't resist. — A White House “Alice in Wonderland” costume ball — put on by Johnny Depp and Hollywood director Tim Burton — proved to be a Mad-as-a-Hatter idea that was never …

Discussion: Verum Serum, Big Hollywood, Don Surber, Atlas Shrugs, Weasel Zippers, The Lonely Conservative, Doug Ross and New York Magazine

Carol E. Lee / Washington Wire: New Book Portrays Explosive White House Dynamics

Kevinliptak / CNN:

TRENDING: Christie takes on protesters chanting at Romney rally — Exeter, New Hampshire (CNN) - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie fired back at protesters at a rally Sunday for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in New Hampshire. — The brash Republican governor …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and The Politico

Katrina Trinko / National Review:

Christie Squares Off with Occupiers at Romney Rally — Exeter, N.H. - It was a rally for Mitt Romney, but it was Chris Christie who brought the hundreds of attendees to their loudest cheers in the cavernous high school gym. — “We can no longer put up with the most pessimistic man I've ever seen …

Discussion: Washington Post, Ed Driscoll and Nice Deb

Mike Allenand Jim Vandehei / The Politico:

New Hampshire primary: The land of make-believe — MANCHESTER, N.H. - The trappings are here: debates ... diner stops ... satellite trucks. — But the contest isn't: Mitt Romney is holding onto his apparently huge lead over rivals in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, and is looking so strong …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Ballot Box and CNN

David Eldridge / Washington Times:

Ex-Times Editorial Page Editor Tony Blankley dead at 63 — Tony Blankley, a noted conservative author and commentator and former editorial page editor of The Washington Times, died Sunday morning, according to family sources. He was 63 and had been battling stomach cancer.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, The Daily Caller, The Sundries Shack, The Other McCain, Scared Monkeys and Outside the Beltway

Gschwarzcnn / CNN: Tony Blankley, conservative author, dies at 63

Benjy Sarlin / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:

TPM2012 — Carl Paladino Trash-Talks The Entire GOP Field (Except Newt) — MANCHESTER, NH — Ron Paul's about to “get on the mother-ship and go back to the mother planet,” Rick Perry's going nowhere unless it's to “hang around the shooting range,” and Jon Huntsman clearly loves the Chinese so much he “should move to China.”

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog

CNN:

STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY — Interview with Jon Huntsman; Interview with Bob Walker, John Sununu; Interview with Nancy Pelosi — THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. — CANDY CROWLEY, HOST: Good morning from New Hampshire.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

ABCNEWS:

Mitt Romney Says He Feared Getting ‘Fired’ — ABC News' Russell Goldman and Michael Falcone report: — ROCHESTER, N.H. — Mitt Romney attempted his own version of an “I-feel-your-pain” moment at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Sunday, telling a crowd that like so many Americans he too has worried about getting fired.

Discussion: Riehl World View