By once again falling in love with mavericks, New Hampshirites have ensured that Bill Bradley and John McCain will remain competitive through an explosion of primaries in coming weeks and perhaps far beyond. By the time polls close in primaries March 7, voters representing 50 percent of the population will have had a say. By March 14, that number swells to 72 percent. The people, not the Establishment, will thus make the choices. A longer primary season will also strengthen the candidates.
Reporters romanticize New Hampshire for a reason.
In little towns like Nashua and Keene, people have a better chance to look candidates squarely in the eye than anywhere else in the country. They take their responsibilities so seriously that they turn out to vote in the state primary at twice the national average. So, it's wise to pay attention to what New Hampshirites think. This year, as they left voting booths, they told pollsters they were generally happy with the men on the ballot. All of the men in the Final Four created positive impressions.