Romney led Newt Gingrich 47 percent to 27 percent, while Rick Santorum got 12 percent and Ron Paul finished fourth with 9 percent. Five percent were undecided.

“It is almost certain that Mitt Romney will top his 39 percent showing in New Hampshire,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center in Boston. “This poll also tells us that Romney could reverse and exceed Newt Gingrich’s percentage and margin in South Carolina – and do it in Gingrich’s backyard.”

Romney led Gingrich 55 percent to 24 percent among those voters who indicated that they had already voted, and he led 56 percent to 23 percent among Hispanic voters.

“If Mitt Romney hits a historic benchmark in this election, he has Hispanic voters to thank,” said Paleologos.

Economy

Romney was seen as the candidate who can fix the economy by 50 percent of respondents, compared to 23 percent who expressed confidence that Gingrich could fulfill that role.

Negativity

Voters disagreed with Gingrich’s claim that Mitt Romney was carpet bombing him with negative TV ads; 37 percent of likely Republican voters said Gingrich ran the most negative campaign, while 31 percent said Romney.

November predictions

Most loyal Republican voters expressed some skepticism about a GOP win in November. Regardless of who they personally support in the primary, 45 percent said they believe Romney will be the next president, while 21 percent said President Barack Obama and 15 percent predicted a Gingrich win.

In a Suffolk University/7NEWS (WSVN-Miami) survey of general election voters fielded before Obama’s state of the union address, Romney led Obama in Florida by 5 points, 47 percent to 42 percent.

A majority of likely Republican primary voters (55 percent) are satisfied with the field of candidates, while 39 percent were dissatisfied. Fifty-four percent don’t want another candidate to jump in at this point.

Bellwethers

Three separate Florida Republican presidential primary bellwether counties also indicate a Romney romp. In both Martin and Volusia counties, Romney topped Gingrich 52 percent to 24 percent, and in Sarasota County, Romney bested Gingrich 45 percent to 21 percent.

The House Committee on Redistricting introduced the map Monday. Hearings on the plan will start Wednesday.

One district each in southwest, central and southeast Kansas would dissolve under the plan. The map creates two new districts in Johnson County and one in Wyandotte County.

The changes reflect shifts in population centers based on the 2010 census.

Republican incumbents Rep. Larry Powell in the southwest and Rep. Tom Arpke (arp-KEE) in the central are running for Senate seats. The southeast district could pit Democrat incumbent Reps. Bob Grant and Jerry Williams in a summer primary if both seek re-election.

At the request of a constituent, State Rep. Ed Trimmer has introduced a bill that would designate the Cairn Terrier as the official state dog of Kansas.

Brenda Moore of Augusta, who works with the South Central Kansas Kennel Club, is pushing the idea. She says the breed was chosen because of its role in the movie, to avoid any conflicts with owners of other dog breeds.

Trimmer told The Wichita Eagle (http://bit.ly/zKspm4) that he knows the state faces serious issues and he hopes the Legislature does not spend a lot of time on the proposal. But he says he introduced it because his constituents thought it was important.

Brownback says Monday that Anthony Schlinsog will be the permanent choice for the position. Schlinsog has been interim chief of information technology since November.

Schlinsog was named to the post on an interim basis after Brownback’s first choice for the post resigned when questions were raised about his academic credentials.

Brownback signed an executive order in November requiring the information technology officers from all executive branch agencies, except the Kansas Board of Regents, to report to one information technology official.

Schlinsog previously had been the IT director for the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Michelle Schroeder, public policy director for the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, also told the House Appropriations Committee that federal rules gave the SRS few options.

An SRS policy enacted Oct. 1 changed how household incomes are calculated for determining eligibility for food stamps. SRS officials have said the change ended a practice that favored families with illegal immigrants.

Majority Republicans on the committee appeared to support the change, despite criticism from some social service advocates.

SRS says about 2,000 children have lost food stamp benefits since Oct. 1.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/25/3398743/primary-is-a-missed-opportunity.html#storylink=cpy

GOP candidate Rick Santorum, looking for other states beyond Florida to make an impression, is preparing to start his Missouri campaign Monday afternoon..

Santorum’s press shop says he will be deliver “a major address focusing on jobs, the economy and American competitiveness”, in suburban St. Louis.

Santorum’s speech is scheduled for 2:30 at the St. Charles County Community College in Cottleville, Missouri.

Santorum is not expected to finish in the top two in the bruising Florida primary. ‘Politco’ reported Sunday (see previous post) Santorum was on the look-out for other states to make a stand.

Missouri’s February 7th GOP primary is non-binding. That means there will be no delegates at stake in what some call “a beauty contest” primary”.

The actual delegate selection process for the Missouri GOP starts with a March 17, with a‘St. Patrick’s Day’, county-by-county presidential caucus.

Another republican candidate, Ron Paul, says he’s beginning to work the GOP states that have caucuses, rather than primaries. Caucuses place an emphasis on organization, not turn-out and can be effectively organized by smaller political operations.,

The Mitt Romney campaign has been working the Show-Me state hard for endorsements.

Former Missouri senator Jim Talent is one of the Romney campaign’s top surrogates. Current Missouri Senator Roy Blunt is helping Romney organize Congressional support on Capitol Hill.

Missouri state GOP leaders, State Auditor Tom Schwiech and House Speaker Steve Tilley are among a long list of Missouri politicos who have endorsed the Romney campaign.

Politico is reporting GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum is looking for greener pastures and Missouri is one of them.
"The campaign is paying special attention to Missouri’s Feb. 7 primary, ‘Politico’s report says. The Missouri primary is a "beauty contest". No delegates are at stake but the reports Missouri remains attractive to Santorum’s forces.
" Gingrich failed to get on the ballot there, so the state offers Santorum a chance to demonstrate that he can do well when matched head-to-head against Romney," according to ‘Politico’.
The report continues, "Even if he finishes in the back of the pack in Florida, Santorum says he will continue to run, hitting Nevada, Missouri, Colorado, and maybe Arizona – cheaper states where delegates are claimed proportionally. And then he says he will go on to super Tuesday on March 6.

"This race is changing every few weeks," Santorum says in his stump speech. "It’s going to change again. And what we need to do is to be out there sounding a very strong, consistent message, compete in every state, and that’s what we’re doing."

"You keep out there, you keep your name out, and lots of things can happen between now and August and we’re going to be in a position to take advantage of that," he says.