MANCHESTER--Bucking polls that show John McCain with a double-digit deficit to Barack Obama, former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said that he thinks the race in New Hampshire is "very, very close."

"I'm seeing other polls, of course we all rely on the polls we like best, I'm seeing polls that our done by our campaigns that show this is a very, very close race," Romney told reporters  after visiting Oven Poppers. "I don't think it's very easy for pollsters this time to judge just whose going to vote, how they're going to vote."

Romney added, "You know last time the New Hampshire polls said that Barack Obama was going to beat Hillary Clinton that didn't happen so I'm counting on Senator McCain to win nationally. I can't tell you state-by-state where the surprises are going to be but I think he's going to be the winning candidate."

An Associated Press showed Obama with an 18 point lead over McCain and yesterday a UNH tracking poll had Obama with a 25 point lead over his Republican opponent.

Also on PolitickerNH.com:

Romney stumps for N.H. GOP candidates