DES MOINES – Expectations for Mitt Romney's New Hampshire performance went up exponentially Wednesday after the presumed GOP nominee finished in a virtual tie — just eight votes ahead — of a candidate with less money, recognition and organization.

He is heavily favored to take the Granite State. As of Tuesday, a Suffolk University poll put the former Mass. governor at 43 percent, with his nearest rival, Ron Paul, at 16 percent. Rick Santorum, who placed second to Romney in Iowa after a dramatic surge, took 5 percent.

“The expectations for Romney in New Hampshire are high,” Jamie Burnett, a Concord-based GOP strategist who served as Romney’s 2008 political director in the state told Politico. “I don’t think that there’s really ever been a lot that they could do to lower them.”

Primarily, Romney must take the state decisively, without Santorum or another rival coming too close, or another candidate surging in polls. He cannot appear, pundits tell Politico, to appear weak heading into less firm ground in South Carolina on Jan. 21.

In Iowa, Romney's camp seemed pleased.

“I don’t want to make any overconfident predictions about locking things up or running the table,” said Eric Fehrnstrom, one of Romney’s longest-serving aides. “We’re going to leave here with a strong burst of energy, go into New Hampshire, hopefully win there and then win some of the contests that follow. I don’t think we’ll win every contest. I’ll make a bold prediction: We will lose some contests. But at the end of the day, we’ll have enough delegates to win the nomination.”