Donald Trump will likely win the New Hampshire primary, but low-polling John Kasich will resonate with voters to capture second place by a whisker, followed Ted Cruz with a distant third, veteran pollster John Zogby tells
Newsmax TV.
"We don't know which way independents are going to go. They can go in the Democratic primary as well as the Republican primary. Kasich seems to be steady and seems to be increasing a little bit," Zogby, founder of Zogby Analytics, said Monday on "Newsmax Prime," with guest host Ric Blackwell.
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"This is not Ted Cruz's state under any circumstances. Far right conservatives, with the exception of Pat Buchanan, have not won the state.
"I think this is a battle for Donald Trump and his own expectations. He underperformed versus the polls in Iowa and the mark now is John Kasich. Can John Kasich get into the 20s? If he does, he's the man to watch."
Zogby believes that Trump's popularity is beginning to wear thin.
"There's fluidity here among voters particularly independent voters who may be a little bit tired of the boastfulness. New Hampshire [voters] are noted for their independence," he said.
"[Former Florida Gov.] Jeb Bush had a wonderful night the other night, but it could very well mark his valedictory. He's not moving in the polls. This might be a nice way of saying good bye.
Same with [New Jersey Gov.] Chris Christie — knock out punches. One thing we do know, if Christie survives New Hampshire, we do know that he can grill up a mean Carolina barbecue, especially if Marco Rubio is the brisket."
Zogby said Christie's roughing up of Rubio at last Saturday's GOP debate — seeming to unmask the Florida senator as somebody who has to stick to a well-rehearsed script — could have "neutralized" him.
"There's a back story here too because everything that Chris Christie said about Marco Rubio being young, being inexperienced, being on talking points, being a first-term senator and never having really accomplished anything before, it was also true of Ted Cruz," Zogby said.
"I think you're seeing Cruz's numbers go down also because perhaps he's not ready for prime time yet as well."
As for New Hampshire, Zogby concluded, "Trump wins, he is neck and neck with Kasich. Cruz comes in third, but distantly so."
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