I would rather be right than president. As you well know, the New Hampshire primary is about selecting the Republican and Democratic nominees for president. The twist is that Independent voters are a big factor in both races.
Independent voters are the single largest bloc in the state.
More of the Independents surveyed for the Monitor were inclined to vote in the Republican primary, which is good news for McCain. The poll suggests Bradley's prospects are also linked to Independents. Bradley was trailing Vice President Gore among Democratic voters by 17 points. Here are two points worth considering in assessing those numbers. One is that the pollster screened out Independents who intended to vote but didn't yet know which ballot they would take, Republican or Democratic.