Former Vermont GOP Chairman has a great weekend in New Hampshire

Jim Barnett, one of the young guns of Jim Douglas’ campaign and a former National Republican Party opposition researcher has always been able to keep his opponents on the defensive.  Last year, Barnett left Vermont to take a position with John McCain’s campaign.  Originally, Barnett was to act as the Regional Political Director for the Northeast.  He was a natural fit for the position having come from being a well liked and respected Party Chairman.   He is one of the Governor’s guys.   And with few Republicans of any stature left in the northeast following the ’06 elections, Barnett’s value rose. 

But shortly after being sent to Boston to set up the regional operation, things began to unwind for McCain.  The front runner and Mr. Evitable began to crack as fundraising failed to reach expected levels.  Then the original New Hampshire Campaign Manager was fired and the campaign slid Barnett into the important position of trying to hold on in New Hampshire.   New Hampshire was a McCain strong hold and the campaign knew that nothing short of a win would keep them in the game.   But then things went from bad to worse.   The campaign fired 100 staffers in one day in the summer of ’07 and the national Campaign Manager and Chief Strategist quit or, were fired depending on the report.  And the candidate had lost support among conservatives with his position on immigration and with independence on his support for the war in Iraq.  All the polls out of New Hampshire had the neighboring former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney rolling to a victory.  McCain had slid to fourth place in some polls. 

But this weekend, seems like a great weekend for Barnett.   McCain has won the endorsement of the Manchester Union Leader and the Boston Globe, the two most important endorsements for both conservatives and independence respectively.   And with Romney starting to fade in Iowa, were he once stood strong, this may be the opening Barnett needs to push his man to the top of the pile in New Hampshire.   Rarely does Iowa’s result impact New Hampshire, but we all remember our Governor Howard Dean’s melt down.  So we will see if Douglas’ man in New Hampshire will be able on one great weekend.