Arguing Their Case

The lowdown on tonight's GOP showdown, aka the sorta-kinda Lincoln-Douglas Debate in New Hampshire:  Jon Huntsman should thank Newt Gingrich for all this attention.

It's not charity, of course. It's a foreign policy debate, and Gingrich will try to show he's the smartest guy in the room against a former U.S. ambassador. Insert additional Apollo Creed boxing references below.

Huntsman remains confident. He predicts a strong showing in New Hampshire and says people don't really start paying attention until a week to 10 days before the polls open.

Primary Countdown: Twenty-nine days to go to the New Hampshire Primary.

Declaration of Independents:

 "I'm undeclared. That's the yuppy version of the independent."   –Mike Kinsella, an undecided voter from Windham

Jobs-Willing Policies: The state of New Hampshire releases November's statewide unemployment rate Tuesday, Dec. 13. The October jobless rate was 5.3 percent and 39,650 Granite Staters were unemployed. The U.S. jobless rate fell from 9 percent to 8.6 percent last month. Will New Hampshire see a similar drop?

Who's up, Who's down: Mitt Romney rolls out another big name. Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas, a successful businessman and former state Senate president before he became mayor of New Hampshire's largest city, will endorse Romney at Chez Vachon in Manchester. In a press release, Gatsas said he saw a kindred spirit in Romney.

"Mitt is running the type of traditional grassroots campaign that Granite Staters expect from presidential candidates and he is working hard to earn the support needed to win the primary," Gatsas said.

Romney, meanwhile, continues to be a presidential pinata for Democrats. Former New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathy Sullivan and Lebanon City Councilor Karen Liot Hill join forces for a teleconference today to discuss Romney's list of delegates to the Republican National Convention–what they say shows Romney's "anti-women policy positions." 

A list of presidential delegates filed with the NH Secretary of State can be. It's unclear the Democrats' focus on the subject, but we'll soon learn the full barrage.

Romney's list of delegates, it appears, has just two women: Beverly Bruce of Tuftonboro and former New Hampshire House Speaker Donna Sytek of Salem. Romney's list of alternate delegates includes Juliana Bergeron of Keene, Kathleen Gregg of Rye Beach, Lisa Hansen of Amherst, Pamela Price of Nashua, Stella Scamman of Stratham, and Nancy Sununu of Hampton Falls. 

And the hits keep coming. New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley joined the hit parade, zeroing in on in Saturday's presidential debate. Buckley says it shows Romney, a millionaire, is out-of-touch with everyday Americans. For $10,000, one could commute daily through the Hooksett toll on I-93 for more than 19 years, Buckley merrily notes.

Old-fashioned campaign literature? The dearth of snail mail from the campaigns in New Hampshire is remarkable this presidential primary season, as the candidates surf the web for just about everything. Now it appears the old-fashioned "lit drops" are starting to appear, in Concord, at least. 

The Secret Life of Tom Griffith: The New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College will co-host a National Security Forum on Friday, Dec. 16, with the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Retired Gen. Anthony Zinni is scheduled to give a keynote address and WMUR's Tom Griffith will moderate a panel of presidential campaign surrogates. It's a breakfast event, with the program set to begin at 8:30 a.m.

You may know them better as Fringe Candidates: The NHIOP and Political Library are hosting a forum for "lesser-known" presidential candidates on Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. Invites went out to 35 candidates. No word on whether Vermin Supreme will make it.

A Come to Obama Moment? There are signs that rank-and-file Democrats are more optimistic for President Obama's re-election hopes.

ICYMI: Mitt Romney in Hudson last night said he did not know why the polls have fluctuated in recent weeks. But he did say: I can't tell you exactly which order I'll be able to pick up states."

As Romney surrogate John H. Sununu made the Sunday talk shows to bash Newt Gingrich, Union Leader Publisher Joseph W. McQuaid attacked the former New Hampshire governor and former White House Chief of Staff for President George H.W. Bush's "no new taxes" tiger pit. Calling Romney "desperate," McQuaid wrote, "What a way to remind voters, already highly skeptical of his reliability, that Mitt Romney is aligned with the Bush-Sununu gang that broke the pledge and raised our taxes."

Romney is not alone in vilifying the former Speaker of the House. In fact, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul has consistently been firing away at Gingrich, from the stump to web videos.

Speaking of Doctor Paul: The congressman from Congress has two stops in Amherst this Wednesday–at Joey's Diner and the Homestead Grocery & Deli–among other stops on a swing across the state.

What we'd like to see: The Jon2012Girls in a bowl-off with Patch editors. No $10,000 wagers, just spares and strikes and groovy shoes.

Have you Primary tips or quips? Send 'em to dan.tuohy@patch.com Follow him on Twitter.