Candidates and voters prepare for New Hampshire primary
By Wolf Blitzer
CNN
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Judy Dean, left, and Howard Dean.
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From CNN's Wolf Blitzer in Manchester, New Hampshire:
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) -- Howard and Judy Dean seemed pumped when I caught up with them here in New Hampshire. You wouldn't have known that he had suffered a third-place finish in Iowa the week before. He had just come from a town hall rally in Nashua where he answered all sorts of questions for well over an hour. His voice was raspy, and he had to drink lots of water. But he whipped up the crowd when he flatly predicted: "I think we can go over the top tomorrow. I think we can win."
Going into the primary contest, the final tracking polls around the state showed lots of possible outcomes. Dean and John Kerry were clearly on top, with a fierce battle underway for third place between John Edwards, Joe Lieberman and Wesley Clark. We could be in for a long night Tuesday once the polls close in New Hampshire.
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By the way, they close in much of the state at 7 p.m. ET and in all of the state at 8 p.m. ET. It won't take long for official results to start pouring in. Once the polls open, of course, you can throw all the surveys out the door. They represent an accurate snapshot of what was happening when those people were questioned, but many people in this state have a tendency to change their mind, and many people still remain undecided.
Also remember this: Independents can vote Tuesday in New Hampshire. Lieberman, in particular, is counting on these independent voters -- especially those who voted for his colleague and friend, Republican Sen. John McCain four years ago against then-Gov. George W. Bush. McCain won New Hampshire then, though it didn't help down the road.
From New Hampshire, the candidates will immediately fan out to South Carolina, Missouri, Delaware, Arizona, Oklahoma and beyond. The contests on February 3 will further narrow the field of candidates. Speaking for this reporter, whatever happens, it will be exciting and fun.
