The Hiller Instinct: Romney leads Suffolk Poll

Our poll says Mitt Romney doesn't need anyone to vote twice--he already has all the votes he needs to win the New Hampshire primary.

Romney is on top of our exclusive 7News/Suffolk University poll with 41%. Newt Gingrich has climbed into a second place tie with Ron Paul, at 14 per cent. Then it's Jon Huntsman at 9; a collapsing Herman Cain at 8; Rick Santorum, 3; a collapsed Rick Perry at two, and Michele Bachmann at 1.

"It's close to over, and it's highly improbable that Mitt Romney loses," Suffolk University pollster David Paleologos said.

There are many reasons why.

For example, when we asked likely GOP Primary voters whom they think is "presidential"....83% said yes to Romney, and then the numbers go down: Newt Gingrich, 52%; Ron Paul 41%; Herman Cain, 33%; and Rick Perry 23 per cent.

But Romney polls much better in New Hampshire than he does nationally, and when we asked why, 16% of GOP Primary voters said the Mormon religion, while 10% said either flip flops or healthcare:

"This wasn't a question where we offered choices, it was whatever the person believed. In this question Mormon, the Mormon religion - it's been an unspoken subject. But now, in this poll, it's spoken," Paleologos said.

What our poll says that New Hampshire is no longer about who'll win...but about who'll come in second.

So far, the Republican race has been like a game of Whack-a-Mole: a new Romney challenger pops up, and then is smacked down.

So Newt Gingrich has to hope he's not peaking too soon, while his rivals hope he is.

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