Folks, there is a clear cut difference between Ovide Lamontagne and Kelly Ayotte in the Republican Senate primary in New Hampshire. And a few weeks ago, Ayotte was polling at 38% to Lamontagne’s 9%. That is no longer the case. A few days ago, poll numbers showed Ayotte at 34% and Lamontagne at 21%. A lot can happen over the next few days before the Sept. 14th primary.

Below are 10 reasons why Lamontagne must beat Ayotte this next Tuesday.

1. On judges. Ayotte said she would have voted yes on Sotomayor. Ovide called for a no vote on Sotomayor, and wrote a compelling piece in Human Events on judges.

2. On stimulus. Ayotte publicly encouraged people to apply for stimulus money, and publicly touted a cold case unit that stimulus funds created in her office, something the Union Leader attacked as a waste because it created no new jobs. Ovide was - and is - opposed to the stimulus. In the 90s Ovide was Chairman of the State Board of Education and was one of two leaders in the country to refuse federal stimulus money, citing the strings attached. In other words, he has a record of rejecting stimulus, not merely rhetoric.

3. On earmarks. Ayotte said in November that she was in favor of earmarks so long as they were “transparent”. She reversed course four months later and said she changed her mind and opposed all earmarks…only after Ovide campaigned for months for no earmarks. Ovide also issued a statement in favor of DeMint’s effort to institute an earmark moratorium.

4. On life. It was learned this week that Ayotte paid Planned Parenthood of New England $300,000 in NH taxpayer money for PP’s legal fees in a case she claimed to have won. This was done secretly with no public notice. When the Supreme Court remanded the law to NH, Ayotte refused to testify before the legislature to try and save it. She claims to be pro-life with exceptions, including health, although several sources indicate that she was pro-choice as recently as a few years ago. Ovide is pro-life period. He is the father of two adopted daughters and supports a Human Life amendment to the Constitution.

5. On private property rights. Ayotte authored NH’s “JUA” opinion, which gave the Governor the legal green right to attempt a theft of 110 million dollars in private funds to balance the state budget, a Kelo style taking. The NH Supreme Court ruled a few months ago that this attempted theft was unconstitutional. No conservative attorney could have rightly believed this was proper. Ovide is a constitutional conservative who strongly believes in and promotes private property rights.

6. On guns. Kelly actively lobbied Governor Lynch to veto an expansion of the Castle Doctrine, allowing people to protect themselves in their homes. Ovide has been a member of the NRA since 1992 and has earned A ratings from them.

7. On carbon emissions. As AG Kelly signed a letter with people like Eliot Spitzer and Richard Blumenthal citing her opposition to a clean air bill because it DIDN’T contain caps on carbon emissions, which she believed would help create jobs. Ovide is opposed to carbon capping/cap and trade schemes.

8. On immigration. Kelly stopped local police chiefs from attempting to prosecute illegal aliens for trespassing when ICE wouldn’t detain them. She had an opportunity to make a stand and fight like Arizona has. She did not. Ovide is tough on immigration and supports the Arizona law.

9. Health care. As AG, Ayotte signed a letter saying she was opposed to allowing small businesses to pool for insurance purposes, a staple of conservative reforms. She has since flipped and allegedly changed her mind as a candidate. Ovide has consistently opposed Obamacare and would seek its repeal.

10. Politically. Ayotte was appointed AG. She was never elected. She was a member of Democrat Gov. John Lynch’s Administration for 4 years, who used her as proof of his “bi-partisanship” to knock out GOP incumbents in 06 and 08. When asked if she voted for the GOP nominee for Governor in 06 and 08, she refused to say. Ovide is a proven conservative leader who has led the charge as a conservative reformer and change agent. His positions are not convenient - they are honest, having been derived from his past as a candidate. He has never wavered.

It is not often that we get to see clear battlelines drawn in American politics. Members, many of whom are in the Blue Dog Democrat camp, had to put all their cards on the table Sunday night. There was no wiggle room and many of them cast the wrong vote-of that I am convinced.

So what is the battle plan going forward? Full repeal. Nothing else. Some would be pacifiers, like Mitch McConnell, refuse to say “Repeal and start over.” Others are waffling, but hats off to those Members and outside groups who are saying, “Let’s repeal this thing and start over.” I count myself amongst them.

I hear talk of impeachment, recalls and Constitutinal Conventions. Let’s dismiss with that right now. That’s crazy talk and the ultimate waste of time. Winning in the political trenches in 2010 and 2012 is all that matters now. Period.

So instead of raging against what has happened and letting the rhetoric get out of hand, look around yourself. Do you have a Blue Dog representing you? A vulnerable Democrat who cast the wrong vote on Sunday night? You are the lucky ones because the destiny of our nation is in your hands. As a guy who has been around politics and campaigns a long time, one thing is certain in 2010: a lot of races are going to be on the table. A lot. Incumbents are going to lose and we’re going to see a lot of fresh faces in Washington, DC in January of 2011. Make sure they are folks that represent you. Make sure they pledge to repeal this travesty.

But most of all, get to work today. Start working your precincts. Start engaging in the process. We still have time, but the path to victory starts today.

Folks, the system is broken and is in serious danger of being broken beyond repair. This healthcare bill, if passed, will intrinsically change who we are as a nation. Our way of life, how we operate, the role of government.

For those of you who have never read this blog, trust me, I have a dog in this fight. With a daughter who was born with a major heart defect 18 months ago, who has gone through two open heart surgeries and is looking at a third on in five weeks, I know all about the current healthcare system. I especially know the way it treats children/people with pre-existing conditions. But socializing our healthcare system is not the way to fix it.

Again, it is not going to be good enough to elect a new crop of good conservatives and send them to Washington, DC to be co-opted by the system. We as a movement must demand that the folks we help get elected throw out the old leadership in Washington, DC. At the top of the list is Mitch McConnell.

This is one that rises to the top of that category. It’s time for fresh faces and fresh blood in Washington, DC.

Marlin has a proven track record in the Indiana state House and state Senate. There is no better proving ground that seeing an elected official in action and Marlin has passed that test.

Great to see conservative stalwarts like Erick Erickson at RedState have already endorsed Marlin. I am sure there will be more.