Sunday, July 15, 2007

Cow Hampshire hates carpetbaggers...or people named Mitt.
Probably both.MittMansion on Lake Mittisuckee

The real estate adage "location, location, location" applies to politics as well, and Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is playing that for all it's worth.

The former Massachusetts governor has an 11-acre estate valued at more than $10 million on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, allowing him to portray himself to New Hampshire voters as one of them as he seeks to win the state's first-in-the-nation primary.

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Romney, who is worth an estimated $190 million to $250 million, rarely passes up a chance to mention his New Hampshire vacation home. His references to his other residences a colonial main residence in the comfortable Boston suburb of Belmont and a lodge near the ski resort community of Park City, Utah are few.

The abodes of most New Hampshire voters, however, have little in common with the candidate's residence.

Set back a half-mile from the road and up a long and narrow driveway, the Romneys' three-story estate is shielded from would-be gawkers. Romney bought most of the property in 1997 for less than $3 million from hotel executive and fellow Brigham Young University alumnus Butch Cash. Romney later bought another lot for about $85,000 to get a little extra room.

The main house a 5,400-square-foot contemporary has six bedrooms. A 2,700-square-foot boathouse sits on the 760 feet of lake frontage. Its 2,600-square-foot stable has been converted into a guest house.

The poll also found challenges on the general election horizon for Romney and Clinton. Neither is the strongest in head-to-head matches with candidates from the other party. And the voter pool as a whole likes each less than they do the runner-up in each race.

For Romney, 35 percent of voters see him favorably, but 41 percent see him unfavorably, giving him a net favorability rating of negative six. Giuliani's net favorability is plus 14. On the Democratic side, Clinton's net rating is plus 7; Obama's is plus 17.

In head-to-head match-ups with each of the top Democrats, Giuliani does best; Romney fares poorest in every case, never cracking 40 percent.

"That's interesting, because he spent a lot of money in the state on advertising," said Linda Fowler, a Dartmouth government professor. "He's basically been saying that he's the guy who can win because he can both appeal to the conservative base and also appeal to moderates. And you'd think in New Hampshire - which was his backyard when he was governor - that doesn't look too convincing, does it?"

Ali, the pollster, said Romney appears to lack support outside the Republican base.

"I think outside the constituency of Republican Primary voters, there's just no appeal for Romney," Ali said. "It's a combination of: They know him and they don't like him."

Romney spokesman Craig Stevens said that the former Massachusetts governor doesn't walk into the race with broad name recognition, unlike Giuliani or McCain, and that he hasn't had much chance to make his case to groups beyond Republican primary voters. "The more people hear Mitt Romney the more people like Mitt Romney," he said.