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Patriot Games
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http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/mccain_new_hampshire/2008/01/08/62790.html
McCain, Hillary Win in New Hampshire
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won New Hampshire's Democratic
primary Tuesday night in a startling upset, defeating Sen. Barack Obama and
resurrecting her bid for the White House. Sen. John McCain powered past his
Republican rivals and back into contention for the GOP nomination.
"I felt like we all spoke from our hearts and I am so gratified that you
responded," Clinton said in victory remarks before cheering supporters. "Now
together, let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has
just given me."
Her victory capped a revival from last week's third-place finish in the Iowa
caucuses. It also raised the possibility of a long battle for the party
nomination between the most viable black candidate in history and the former
first lady, who is seeking to become the first woman to occupy the Oval
Office.
"I am still fired up add ready to go," a defeated Obama told his own
backers, repeating the line that forms a part of virtually every campaign
appearance he makes.
McCain's triumph scrambled the Republican race as well.
"We showed this country what a real comeback looks like," the Arizona
senator told The Associated Press in an interview as he savored his triumph.
"We're going to move on to Michigan and South Carolina and win the
nomination."
Later, he told cheering supporters that together, "we have taken a step, but
only a first step toward repairing the broken politics of the past and
restoring the trust of the American people in their government."
McCain rode a wave of support from independent voters to defeat former Gov.
Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, a showing that reprised the senator's victory
in the traditional first-in-the-nation primary in 2000.
It was a bitter blow for Romney, who spent millions of dollars of his own
money in hopes of winning the kickoff Iowa caucuses and the first primary -
and finished second in both. Even so, the businessman-turned politician said
he would meet McCain next week in the Michigan primary, and he cast himself
as just what the country needed to fix Washington. "I don't care who gets
the credit, Republican or Democrat. I've got no scores to settle," he told
supporters.
After Iowa, Clinton and her aides seemed resigned to a second straight
setback. But polling place interviews showed that female voters - who
deserted her last week - were solidly in her New Hampshire column.
She also was winning handily among registered Democrats. Obama led her by an
even larger margin among independents, but he suffered from a falloff in
turnout among young voters compared with Iowa.
Word of Clinton's triumph set off a raucous celebration among supporters at
a hotel in Nashua - gathered there to celebrate a first-in-the-nation
primary every bit as surprising as the one 16 years ago that allowed a young
Bill Clinton to proclaim himself "the comeback kid."
She had 39 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary to 37 percent for
Obama, who is seeking to become the nation's first black president. Former
Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina trailed with 17 percent. New Mexico Gov.
Bill Richardson was fourth, polling less than 5 percent of the vote.
Despite running a distant third to his better-funded rivals, Edwards had no
plans to step aside. He pointed toward the South Carolina primary on Jan.
26, hoping to prevail in the state where he was born - and where he claimed
his only victory in the presidential primaries four years ago.
Among Republicans, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the leadoff
Iowa GOP caucuses last week, was running third in New Hampshire.
McCain was winning 37 percent of the Republican vote, Romney had 32 and
Huckabee 11. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani had 9 percent, Texas Rep.
Ron Paul 8.
Clinton's triumph was unexpected - and unpredicted.
Obama drew huge crowds as he swept into the state after winning Iowa.
Confident of victory, he stuck to his pledge to deliver "change we can
believe in," while the former first lady was forced to retool her appeal to
voters on the run. She lessened her emphasis on experience, and sought
instead to raise questions about Obama's ability to bring about the change
he promised.
The grind took a toll on both of them.
Obama suffered from a sore throat, while Clinton's voice quavered at one
point when asked how she coped with the rigors of the campaign. That
unexpected moment of emotion became the talk of the final 24 hours of a
campaign that was unlike any other in history.
Clinton's performance came as a surprise even to her own inner circle.
In the hours leading up to the poll closing, her closest advisers had
appeared to be bracing for a second defeat at the hands of Obama.
Officials said her aides were considering whether to effectively concede the
next two contests - caucuses in Nevada on Jan. 19 and a South Carolina
primary a week later - and instead try to regroup in time for a 22-state
round of Democratic contests on Feb. 5.
These officials also said a campaign shake-up was in the works, with
longtime Clinton confidante Maggie Williams poised to come aboard to help
sharpen the former first lady's message. Other personnel additions are
expected, according to these officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity
while discussing strategy.
Obama, who won the leadoff Iowa caucuses last week, looked for an
endorsement from the powerful Culinary Workers union in Nevada in the days
ahead. South Carolina's Democratic electorate is heavily black and likely to
go for the most viable black presidential candidate in history.
The Republican race turns next to Michigan, where McCain and Romney already
are advertising on television, and where both men planned appearances on
Wednesday. Huckabee also was expected to campaign in the state.
According to preliminary results of a survey of voters as they left their
polling places, more independents cast ballots in the Democratic race than
in the Republican contest. They accounted for four of every 10 Democratic
votes and about a third of Republican ballots. The survey was conducted for
The Associated Press and the television networks.
Republicans were split roughly evenly in naming the nation's top issues: the
economy, Iraq, illegal immigration and terrorism. Romney had a big lead
among those naming immigration, while McCain led on the other issues.
Half of Republicans said illegal immigrants should be deported, and this
group leaned toward Romney. Those saying illegal immigrants should be
allowed to apply for citizenship leaned toward McCain, while the two
candidates split those saying those here illegally should be allowed to stay
as temporary workers.
Among Democrats, about one-third each named the economy and Iraq as the top
issues facing the country, followed by health care. Voters naming the
economy were split about evenly between Obama and Clinton, while Obama had
an advantage among those naming the other two issues. Clinton has made
health care a signature issue for years.
About one-third said if Bill Clinton were running, they would have voted for
him on Tuesday.
It was hard to tell who needed a Republican victory more - McCain or Romney.
McCain was the long-ago front-runner who survived a near-death political
experience when his fundraising dried up and his support collapsed. He shed
much of his staff and regrouped. An unflinching supporter of the Iraq war,
he benefited when U.S. casualties declined in the wake of a controversial
building in U.S. troops. By the final days of the New Hampshire race, he
held a celebration of sorts to mark his 100th town hall meeting in the state
he won eight years ago.
"It has all the earmarks of a landslide with the Dixville Notch vote," an
upbeat McCain quipped - he got four votes there to Romney's two and one for
Giuliani - as his campaign bus headed to a polling place in Nashua. The
crowd of supporters was so big, that voters complained and a poll worker
pleaded with McCain to leave. Seconds later, the bus pulled away.
McCain, Hillary Win in New Hampshire
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won New Hampshire's Democratic
primary Tuesday night in a startling upset, defeating Sen. Barack Obama and
resurrecting her bid for the White House. Sen. John McCain powered past his
Republican rivals and back into contention for the GOP nomination.
"I felt like we all spoke from our hearts and I am so gratified that you
responded," Clinton said in victory remarks before cheering supporters. "Now
together, let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has
just given me."
Her victory capped a revival from last week's third-place finish in the Iowa
caucuses. It also raised the possibility of a long battle for the party
nomination between the most viable black candidate in history and the former
first lady, who is seeking to become the first woman to occupy the Oval
Office.
"I am still fired up add ready to go," a defeated Obama told his own
backers, repeating the line that forms a part of virtually every campaign
appearance he makes.
McCain's triumph scrambled the Republican race as well.
"We showed this country what a real comeback looks like," the Arizona
senator told The Associated Press in an interview as he savored his triumph.
"We're going to move on to Michigan and South Carolina and win the
nomination."
Later, he told cheering supporters that together, "we have taken a step, but
only a first step toward repairing the broken politics of the past and
restoring the trust of the American people in their government."
McCain rode a wave of support from independent voters to defeat former Gov.
Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, a showing that reprised the senator's victory
in the traditional first-in-the-nation primary in 2000.
It was a bitter blow for Romney, who spent millions of dollars of his own
money in hopes of winning the kickoff Iowa caucuses and the first primary -
and finished second in both. Even so, the businessman-turned politician said
he would meet McCain next week in the Michigan primary, and he cast himself
as just what the country needed to fix Washington. "I don't care who gets
the credit, Republican or Democrat. I've got no scores to settle," he told
supporters.
After Iowa, Clinton and her aides seemed resigned to a second straight
setback. But polling place interviews showed that female voters - who
deserted her last week - were solidly in her New Hampshire column.
She also was winning handily among registered Democrats. Obama led her by an
even larger margin among independents, but he suffered from a falloff in
turnout among young voters compared with Iowa.
Word of Clinton's triumph set off a raucous celebration among supporters at
a hotel in Nashua - gathered there to celebrate a first-in-the-nation
primary every bit as surprising as the one 16 years ago that allowed a young
Bill Clinton to proclaim himself "the comeback kid."
She had 39 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary to 37 percent for
Obama, who is seeking to become the nation's first black president. Former
Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina trailed with 17 percent. New Mexico Gov.
Bill Richardson was fourth, polling less than 5 percent of the vote.
Despite running a distant third to his better-funded rivals, Edwards had no
plans to step aside. He pointed toward the South Carolina primary on Jan.
26, hoping to prevail in the state where he was born - and where he claimed
his only victory in the presidential primaries four years ago.
Among Republicans, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the leadoff
Iowa GOP caucuses last week, was running third in New Hampshire.
McCain was winning 37 percent of the Republican vote, Romney had 32 and
Huckabee 11. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani had 9 percent, Texas Rep.
Ron Paul 8.
Clinton's triumph was unexpected - and unpredicted.
Obama drew huge crowds as he swept into the state after winning Iowa.
Confident of victory, he stuck to his pledge to deliver "change we can
believe in," while the former first lady was forced to retool her appeal to
voters on the run. She lessened her emphasis on experience, and sought
instead to raise questions about Obama's ability to bring about the change
he promised.
The grind took a toll on both of them.
Obama suffered from a sore throat, while Clinton's voice quavered at one
point when asked how she coped with the rigors of the campaign. That
unexpected moment of emotion became the talk of the final 24 hours of a
campaign that was unlike any other in history.
Clinton's performance came as a surprise even to her own inner circle.
In the hours leading up to the poll closing, her closest advisers had
appeared to be bracing for a second defeat at the hands of Obama.
Officials said her aides were considering whether to effectively concede the
next two contests - caucuses in Nevada on Jan. 19 and a South Carolina
primary a week later - and instead try to regroup in time for a 22-state
round of Democratic contests on Feb. 5.
These officials also said a campaign shake-up was in the works, with
longtime Clinton confidante Maggie Williams poised to come aboard to help
sharpen the former first lady's message. Other personnel additions are
expected, according to these officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity
while discussing strategy.
Obama, who won the leadoff Iowa caucuses last week, looked for an
endorsement from the powerful Culinary Workers union in Nevada in the days
ahead. South Carolina's Democratic electorate is heavily black and likely to
go for the most viable black presidential candidate in history.
The Republican race turns next to Michigan, where McCain and Romney already
are advertising on television, and where both men planned appearances on
Wednesday. Huckabee also was expected to campaign in the state.
According to preliminary results of a survey of voters as they left their
polling places, more independents cast ballots in the Democratic race than
in the Republican contest. They accounted for four of every 10 Democratic
votes and about a third of Republican ballots. The survey was conducted for
The Associated Press and the television networks.
Republicans were split roughly evenly in naming the nation's top issues: the
economy, Iraq, illegal immigration and terrorism. Romney had a big lead
among those naming immigration, while McCain led on the other issues.
Half of Republicans said illegal immigrants should be deported, and this
group leaned toward Romney. Those saying illegal immigrants should be
allowed to apply for citizenship leaned toward McCain, while the two
candidates split those saying those here illegally should be allowed to stay
as temporary workers.
Among Democrats, about one-third each named the economy and Iraq as the top
issues facing the country, followed by health care. Voters naming the
economy were split about evenly between Obama and Clinton, while Obama had
an advantage among those naming the other two issues. Clinton has made
health care a signature issue for years.
About one-third said if Bill Clinton were running, they would have voted for
him on Tuesday.
It was hard to tell who needed a Republican victory more - McCain or Romney.
McCain was the long-ago front-runner who survived a near-death political
experience when his fundraising dried up and his support collapsed. He shed
much of his staff and regrouped. An unflinching supporter of the Iraq war,
he benefited when U.S. casualties declined in the wake of a controversial
building in U.S. troops. By the final days of the New Hampshire race, he
held a celebration of sorts to mark his 100th town hall meeting in the state
he won eight years ago.
"It has all the earmarks of a landslide with the Dixville Notch vote," an
upbeat McCain quipped - he got four votes there to Romney's two and one for
Giuliani - as his campaign bus headed to a polling place in Nashua. The
crowd of supporters was so big, that voters complained and a poll worker
pleaded with McCain to leave. Seconds later, the bus pulled away.
