US News

Voters are looking for just the ‘right’ guy

MANCHESTER, NH — Many conservative voters who backed Mitt Romney in New Hampshire’s Republican primary four years ago won’t be there for him in the voting booth tomorrow.

The biggest issue, they said, are questions about his chops as a true conservative.

Construction contractor Paul Smith, who voted for Romney in 2008, said that four years ago Romney looked more conservative compared to John McCain.

Smith, 54, this time plans to vote for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, whom he also is volunteering for because “Newt is more conservative than Romney by a wide margin.”

Romney, who is touting his ties to the Granite State as former governor of neighboring Massachusetts, is leading in the polls but garnering only slightly more support than he captured in 2008.

That Massachusetts record doesn’t impress Granite State conservatives. “We call it Taxachusetts!” declared Smith.

In 2008, Romney was all but knocked out of the race after finishing second in New Hampshire with 32 percent behind McCain with 37 percent.

Another voter, who gave her name only as Dawn, 40, said she won’t vote for Romney again because she’s concerned about the health-care plan he implemented in Massachusetts that President Obama said was a model for ObamaCare.

She also picked Romney in 2008 because he was more conservative than McCain. Now she doesn’t know who will get her vote — but she promises it won’t be Romney.

Most of the other contenders — Gingrich, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas Gov. Rick Perry — are fighting to become the conservative alternative to Romney.

McCain, who is still popular in New Hampshire, endorsed his former foe Romney last week, which the Romney campaign touted as a major coup.