How New Hampshire Voted

To a first approximation, I agree with this tweet from New Yorker writer Ryan Lizza: But one irony is that the Republican Party finally did seem to be doing a bit of deciding — Rubio received 10 endorsements, including quite a few high-profile ones, between the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. The failures more came earlier in the election cycle, when the party didn’t do a good job of clearing the field or vetting its candidates. It’s like when you leave for the airport with exactly enough time to get to your gate. Maybe you’ll make it, but you have no one to blame but yourself if you encounter a long security line and miss your flight instead.

If you’re wondering who is going to come in third on the Republican side, you’re not alone. I have no idea, to be honest. Right now, Bush, Cruz and Rubio are all within 1.2 percentage points of one another, with many votes to be counted. It should be noted that none of them is above 12 percent right now, though Cruz leads, with Rubio in fifth.

Sanders, having won New Hampshire, seemed to be trying to address one of his core weaknesses in his (extended) victory speech: electability. Early on in his speech, he argued that the type of voter enthusiasm that drove his win in New Hampshire is what Democrats need in November, saying that Democrats win when voter turnout is high and Republicans win when voter turnout is low. Otherwise it was a fairly standard Sanders speech. He hit, among other issues: income inequality, campaign finance, veterans’ issues and mass incarceration. Sanders also spoke directly to his young supporters, who polls show prefer him to Clinton, addressing social justice issues, jobs and criticizing the costs associated with obtaining a college education.