double digits , the media will call it a major victory ; if above 40 , he will `` crush . '' Only if he goes below 30 , and that seems unlikely , will be he be seriously hurt . Follow developments on the CNN Political Ticker 's live blog The related question is how others will stack up behind him . If there has been real news so far in New Hampshire , it is the lackluster performance of Rick Santorum . Typically , a candidate who came out of nowhere in Iowa to nearly win -LRB- what a difference those eight votes have made -RRB- would have built on that momentum in the first primary state . But Santorum appears to have plateaued and may even be fading . That means the conservatives still do n't have a darling to rally behind in South Carolina , leaving Romney once again to divide and conquer . Meanwhile , the Jon Huntsman team hopes that he can break through to second in New Hampshire or at least be in a tight cluster with Ron Paul . That would give him a chance to compete elsewhere , especially in Florida
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Visiting New Hampshire , it appears that Mitt Romney is well poised to sweep through the Granite State , and probably South Carolina and Florida , on toward the nomination . But the campaign here suggests that , as he looks toward November , darkish clouds loom on the horizon . New Hampshire voters love to surprise , and perhaps they will again this time . Some 37 % remain undecided -LRB- according to a WMUR/UNH poll released Friday -RRB- , and one can never be certain how many independents will vote nor whom they will support -- especially with Romney making several unforced errors in the past 48 hours . Still , he has been a steady front-runner for months : His Massachusetts background makes him nearly a favorite son for many New Hampshire Republicans , and far more than in Iowa , his message of job creation resonates in this hard-hit state . He is almost cruising to victory . So , the first question the press is asking is not whether he will win but by how much . If his vote total is in the mid-30s or better and he wins by