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Jan 8, 2008 7:50 pm US/Central
Pat Kessler's Blog On New Hampshire Primary '08
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
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Pat Kessler keeps us up-to-date on the 2008 New Hampshire Primary with insightful and educated blogs. (File)
CBS
7:33 p.m. Does the New Hampshire Primary Solve Anything for Republicans?
John McCain is projected to win the NH primary, completing a stunning turnaround from just a few months ago… when many thought he might give up his campaign.
Instead, McCain won the vote from famously independent New Hampshire voters, casting a stunning defeat for Mitt Romney -- who spent a tremendous amount of time and money in this state.
Huckabee, who won Iowa, is projected in third.
So, consider this:
Huckabee wins Iowa.
McCain wins NH.
Romney makes a last stand in Michigan… possible win?
Giuliani stakes a claim in Florida.
Is it possible that by the February 5 "Super Duper" Tuesday primaries there are no Republican front-runner?
And already, some are speculating it could last into the spring and summer, possibly to the Republican Convention this summer in St. Paul.
John McCain rode a wave of support from independent voters to defeat former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, a showing that reprised his victory in the traditional first-in-the-nation primary in 2000.
The outcome is a bitter blow for Romney. He spent millions of dollars of his own money in hopes of winning in Iowa and New Hampshire, but now he's finished second in both.
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6:22 p.m. Exit Polls
The Associated Press and National television networks are conducting exit polls of voters in New Hampshire.
We do not have candidate results, but a demographic picture of WHO is voting is becoming clear.
Among the most interesting highlights I've seen:
--Women voters are dominating the Democratic race.
--Men voters predominate the Republican contest.
--Both Democrats and Republican voters say the economy is the most important issue.
--Half of New Hampshire voters (this is a very big number!) say they decided only in the last week whom they would support.
--More Independent voters are voting in the Democratic primary than in the Republican primary.
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5:50 p.m. - The Waterfall Backdrop
If you are watching the CBS Evening News tonight, or when you
Watch the CBS coverage of the New Hampshire primary later…
Note the beautiful waterfall backdrop.
A quintessential New England scene, and a beautiful one it is.
Here is what you don't see.
The waterfall is part of an on-site hotel, visible from a semi-circle of motel rooms, and it is the workplace backdrop for many local stations from around the country working in New Hamsphire for the election.
Covering the primary as a CBS station, we were assigned work rooms for our 'live' shots at 5pm, 6pm and 10pm.
It's essentially a hotel room with all the furniture removed and replaced with cameras, lights and cables.
The sliding glass door overlooking the waterfall is open, and station reporters and photographers line up all night long to file their reports, and live shots.
Clever, don't you think?
And it also looks great.
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5:34 p.m. - A Primary Of Surprises
This year, we're staying home for the election.
However, I've covered many New Hampshire primaries, and almost every one was a surprise.
The Granite State is home to flinty New Englanders, fiercely independent voters who are neither Democrat nor Republican.
On the New Hampshire license plate is their state motto: Live Free or Die.
So it's no surprise to me that voter turnout could be record setting, and
that early exit poll numbers show that 40% of New Hampshire voters
call themselves independent.
More than 30% of voters today said they made up their minds in the last week.
All ingredients for a very, very interesting story when the polls close at 7:00pm central time.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
