CNN 2011-06-16

Seven candidates line up tonight for a GOP president held by CNN, WMUR, and "The New Hampshire Union Leader." Going into it, something pretty interesting. There seems to have been a shift in what Americans want from their government, their leaders.

Don Lemon is in Manchester, New Hampshire, talking to voters.

So, Don, tell us about the shift.

Well, but, first -- first, I want to know. Do you have your popcorn 1, Kyra? You're going to be watching. You're going to be glued to the television.

I'm waiting for the Twinkies that you offered me up on Friday.

They'll be there. FedEx is going to deliver them to you. If they don't, I'll bring them back to you next week.

You know, since the first time that CNN has been taking these polls since 1993, as you said, there's been a shift in what Americans find important. And I want to preface this by saying, if you don't have money, you can't afford the gas to get to the polls, then probably values aren't going to get you there. What's going to get you there is the money，a candidate who is going to put money in your pocket, a candidate who will get a job for you when unemployment is so high.

Here is what we found. And we can put up the numbers there. Since the first time, people have been.Qe asked people about traditional values.

Here's what they responded. Do you want traditional values? Should these candidates be promoting that? Forty-six percent said yes. But there's the interesting thing, it's falling below 50 percent. Fifty percent said no. And that's even since last summer, it's dropped. Those numbers in the summer were 53 percent and 44 percent. And that's simply because of the economy.

And it's interesting. Since we have been here, before this poll even came out, we had been talking to people in New Hampshire and every time we bring up something like values, because that's what these candidates, especially someone like Rick Santorum, Mitt 2 Romney, they're all talking about traditional values. And when we asked them about it, they said, listen, we don't want to talk about it. We want to know about jobs. Am I going to get a job? I'm out of work right now. Is the economy going to get better? Is government going to get smaller? Are we going to stop all this spending? And, so we were talking to them.

I want you to listen and then you and I will talk about it.

I think people promote the values and the values change and society changes. I mean, if you did traditional values, we'd still be in a segregated 3 society. Think about that.

I don't think it's ,what people do in their homes is any of the government's business. If people want to do something, as long as they're not hurting anybody else, I don't have a problem with that.

And also interesting. You might say where does that number fall when it comes to Republicans? Even, it's down even for Republicans.

Six in 10 Republicans say, you know what, we need to know about job and the economy. We don't really need to know about traditional values. They still think it's important but that number is down. It's down for Republicans, as well, and also for Independents.

So, there you go. When these candidates are up on the stage tonight, people are going to want to hear out of their mouths, how are you going to get me a job, Kyra? How are you going to fix the economy? Stay out of my bedroom, stay out of my personal business. Those are second tier issues and they'll talk about that after they get to work.

OK. So looking at the seven candidates then, that will all be debating tonight. Whose name keeps coming up when you talk to these folks? You're talking to them about the issues.

Who are the folks the most excited about?

Well, I think the name that keeps coming up the most is probably Mitt Romney, because, you know, from these parts. He's from Massachusetts and it's the neighboring state here so his name comes up. So he's got a lot on the line here. They also want to know what Newt Gingrich is going to say, since, you know, his staff, the bulk of it, resigned last week.

And the interesting thing that I've been talking to Mr. Mark Preston who's sitting right here out of.Herman Cain is really coming up in the polls. People are interested in him. And who would've thunk a virtual unknown and now people are interested. He's starting to pull up in the polls. So it's going to be,I want to hear what he has to say and I want to really know what's behind his popularity. What's behind his popularity, Mark Preston?

He's a strong conservative with a great story.

He's a strong conservative with a great story. Mark Preston just summed it up. The voice of reason, we'll say, sitting off to my left.

I don't know if you, Don, remember when he was here in Atlanta, gave that speech. I listened to it.

Yeah.

And he definitely gets the crowd fired up. He has a way of ad-libbing and getting the crowd energized 4. So you never know what he's going to say, which is also very interesting, as well.

That is.That is.And there's a difference, though, between getting a crowd revved 5 up and also drawing people into the polls and having enough power, really, to win and become really the leading candidate. So I think he's sort of trending right now. But in order to hold that, he's going to have to do a lot more than get the crowds fired up.

All right. Don Lemon and our Mark Preston right by his side there in New Hampshire.Thanks, guys.You can watch the Republican candidates debate