Poll Indicates Independents Could Stall Romney's Campaign

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s slim lead among independent voters two weeks before the New Hampshire primary could be detrimental to his campaign, reports the Boston Globe.

The former Massachusetts governor leads his rivals by 7 percent among independents, according to a poll by the UNH Survey Center/Boston Globe released Sunday. That compares with his 22 percent lead among all voters.

The disparity could be crucial for Romney, who has painted himself as the likely winner of the general election owing to his favor among moderates and independents. Independents account for 40 percent of New Hampshire voters.

“Part of the logic of Romney’s campaign is that he’s best able to appeal to independents who will be decisive in the general election,’’ Dartmouth College government professor Linda Fowler told the Globe. “If he can’t pull the votes of independents in New Hampshire, then that assumption becomes questionable.’’

The poll shows that Romney maintains a 32 percent lead among declared Republican voters. The 51 percent of undecided voters could take away Romney’s edge if their votes are divided among the other candidates, the Globe reported.