Today In New Hampshire: Economic Populism

First Santorum, now Newt. The rise of venture capitalist and market believer Mitt Romney is turning everyone into Pat Buchanan.

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire -- New Hampshire has long been a place where Republicans responded to a strain of economic policy -- protectionism, in particular -- that's more typically had a home in the Democratic Party. It's an approach that got Pat Buchanan nearly 40% of the vote here in 1992.

A more pure belief in free markets seemed to have taken over the GOP in recent years, but now a symbol and representative of the market, former venture capital executive Mitt Romney, leads the field; and his dominance seems to have awakened that old impulse in some of his rivals.

I believe in fair trade," Rick Santorum said on a panel …I didn’t think NAFTA was a particularly good deal for America."

Said Gingrich tonight: "I’m not nearly as enamored of the Wall Street Model."

Somewhere Pat Buchanan is smiling.

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