NH Tea Party Leader Leaning Toward Ron Paul

Like the rest of the Republican Party this primary season, New Hampshire’s liberty groups have been slow to settle on a candidate.

But with just over a month before the first votes are cast, time is running out. And almost by process of elimination, it appears that Ron Paul could wind up receiving a lot of Tea Party support.

“I think Paul’s got a lot of support in liberty groups,” said Jerry DeLemus, chairman of the Granite State Patriots Liberty PAC, which he said will endorse a candidate either this week or next. “Every time he opens his mouth, he tells you what’s wrong, and he’s right.”

DeLemus and his wife, state Rep. Susan DeLemus, were initially very impressed with Michele Bachmann, especially after her strong debate performance here in June. But her subsequent vanishing act led them and a lot of other potential supporters to jump ship.

“I was leaning Bachmann, but I’ve got to tell you, as it’s looking, I’m really taking a look at Ron Paul,” Jerry DeLemus said. “He’s the only one speaking on the Constitution.”

Herman Cain is also seeing a lot of support from New Hampshire Tea Party members, he said, including former state GOP Chairman Jack Kimball. But Cain has taken a lot of hits in recent weeks between the sexual harassment allegations and his odd Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board interview.

Newt Gingrich, who attended a recent debate hosted by DeLemus’ group, would seem a prime candidate to receive Tea Party support as well, given the fact that his New Hampshire State Director Andrew Hemingway is the former chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. But DeLemus said Gingrich’s stance on immigration – including his comments in last week’s debate – have upset many in the liberty movement.

“A lot of things he’s had his hands in over the years will probably prove to be a problem with him,” he said.

DeLemus has long said that he expects the state’s Tea Party groups to coalesce behind a single candidate prior to the New Hampshire Primary. And though he thinks Paul will get his share of support, he’s no longer sure that all of the liberty groups will be able to combine their efforts behind one person.

“Some are going to go for candidate A and some are going to go for candidate B,” he said.

University of New Hampshire political science professor Dante Scala echoed DeLemus’ sentiments, saying he hasn’t seen any signs that the state’s 50 or so liberty groups will be able to rally around a single candidate.

“I don’t get the sense that they’re quite there yet,” Scala said. “Honestly, you look at them, and they’re not a highly organized group, and there’s all sorts of reasons why they might go their separate ways. I don’t think it’s there yet. I don’t think we’re at the tipping point.”

Paul is one of five Republican candidates scheduled to be in New Hampshire this week.

Jon Huntsman, who has practically made New Hampshire his second home, has a number of stops scheduled. He hosted a town hall meeting in Merrimack on Monday night, and will hold a town hall in Nashua on Tuesday morning and attend a house party in Concord later that night. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to address the New Hampshire Legislature in Concord, and on Thursday he will attend a house party in Bedford.

Rick Santorum also had some events in state this week. He held a meet and greet at Good & Plenty in Barrington on Monday morning, and a town hall meeting at the Franklin home of Karen Testerman on Monday night.

Rick Perry arrives in the Granite State today, with stops planned in Amherst, Manchester and Derry. He'll speak to the Nashua chamber on Wednesday morning, and is also scheduled to address the New Hampshire Legislature in Concord.

Ron Paul will be here on Wednesday night for a town hall meeting at the Sheraton Harborside in Portsmouth.

Buddy Roemer will speak to Amherst Republicans on Saturday at Joey's Diner, and Fred Karger has stops planned in Derry, Gilsum, Durham and Keene.

Tim Pawlenty is also expected to arrive in New Hampshire this weekend to campaign for Mitt Romney, but his itinerary has not been announced yet.

Last week was a busy one as well, with appearances by Gingrich, Romney, Huntsman, Paul, Santorum and Karger, not to mention a pre-Thanksgiving visit by President Barack Obama himself.

Gingrich made a stop at Monday morning, before making a speech on his vision for the future of Social Security at Saint Anselm College in Manchester later in the day.

Romney was also in state that day, in Nashua.

Huntsman attended a on Monday night, and held an employee town hall at CCA Global Partners in Manchester on Tuesday morning.

Ron Paul met with students at Keene State and attended , and then and stopped by our in Concord on Tuesday.

Obama drew big crowds, and some boos from Occupy Wall Street protesters, during , where he appeared to promote his jobs bill.

Santorum arrived in New Hampshire after the holiday, holding a series of events in Meredith, Wolfeboro, Candia, Milford, Hudson, Nashua, Richmond, Jefferson and Newport over the weekend.

For a full list of this week's candidate appearances, click .