The Hill News

You might have read that Sarah Palin's popularity continues to fade, and a new Bloomberg poll finds her with a 60 percent unfavorable rating. No matter, says former Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) in our paper today. Gregg writes in his weekly column that the primary process in 2012, which currently lacks a front-runner or even two, could last longer than the extended Democratic primary battle in 2008 between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and potentially favor someone like Palin.
 
Traditionally, explains Gregg, New Hampshire's first GOP primary quickly follows the Iowa caucuses and narrows the field to two contenders, who battle from then on in South Carolina, Florida and elsewhere for the n! omination. Next year, he said, it is likely that even candidates who do well in Iowa with social conservatives but not in New Hampshire could be revived later in, and thereby lengthen, the process. Gregg argues it is plausible that in the 2012 GOP convention, no one will know who the nominee is as they arrive in Tampa, Fla. This means a candidate who ran in second or third place in the primaries could arrive at the convention with a substantial number of delegates and pull off a win.

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