New Hampshire

I was really hoping Obama would win the New Hampshire primaries. With Clinton and McCain's victories though, I think the doors are swung wide open for an expensive, unproductive race that achieves little and delays the actual debate between the Republicans and Democrats. Clinton seems to me to be unelectable. Her negatives are historically high, she supports the war, and she's just generally unpopular. Her candidacy might be the democrats best chance at losing the general election. If she could achieve the health care packages she's proposed, her presidency wouldn't be all bad, but I don't think it will happen.

McCain's victory is more interesting, because I didn't see it coming at all. I haven't been following the races that closely, but it seems that the republicans have an extremely open race. My understanding is that Giuliani is building support in the upcoming states, and I think that it will remain a four or five main race for some time. The fact that Paul again got 10% of the vote shows that he has gained some support and that there are anti-war contingents within the main stream of republicans. However, with as much money as he has raised and spent, I would think that he should have been able to get higher totals.

The record turn outs in New Hampshire seem to me at least to be somewhat indicative of the widespread interest in the primaries and in national politics. This is the first time me or my friends have ever paid attention to primaries. After having drunken 5-8 beers a piece, we were playing Rock Star. Zach read off the results from New Hampshire and everyone was interested. This may seem a small thing, but for a group normally devoted to talking about video games, sports, and beer, the interest in politics was startling.