PUNDIT MELTDOWN

So the pundits and pollsters who claimed a couple days ago that Hillary Clinton was experiencing meltdown and would lose New Hampshire big have began to fabricate various reasons why their polls were wrong (short of actually saying they were wrong). MSNBC's big, fat head Chris Matthews claimed on primary night that New Hampshire residents, and Bostonians in particular, are racists and thus did not vote for Barack Obama. They're not racists (I lived in New Hampshire for four years). Rather than admit he was wrong, Matthews chose instead to play the race card. Classy.

But the post New Hampshire contests look to be especially exciting. Clinton and Obama look like they will be slugging it out for awhile, with Obama having an edge for now in South Carolina. Bill Richardson will end his bid later today. Will he or Joe Biden or Chris Dodd endorse? Will it make a difference? And, while John Edwards vows to continue all the way to the convention, unless he wins South Carolina, it seems difficult to imagine that he can (and not embarass himself).

So Hillary Clinton is the true comeback kid. Those polls killed Obama. A two-point loss to Clinton should have been a huge victory. But after being ahead in some polls by fifteen points (!), this is a major blow to his campaign. But, perhaps he can pull out a win in South Carolina to keep things interesting.

And Clinton pulled it out due to undecided women and her show of emotion. Arnie Arnesen, host of New Hampshire's Political Chowder, described it best when she said that women went into the voting booth and voted, with their middle fingers pointed at right-wing media (and maybe the Obama-Edwards pile on from Saturday's debate?).

The best line from Clinton's victory speech (which I think sums up the surprise victory):

"Thank you. Thank you so much. I come tonight with a very, very full heart. And I want especially to thank New Hampshire. Over the last week, I listened to you and in the process, I found my own voice."

So John McCain won in New Hampshire, but his speech was certainly a loser. He read the entire thing, and the wild applause that interrupted him at several points just seemed silly and out of place. But, nevertheless, McCain pulled off an impressive win. Now, on to Michigan where he also won in 2000. He needs to win in Michigan again, and this time, win in South Carolina.

For the Republicans, Mitt Romney continues his medal count (1 Gold, 2 Silver). But so far Mike Huckabee's win in Iowa and John McCain's come-from-behind win in New Hampshire seem to be propelling them into subsequent victories. Will Romney even carry Michigan, where his dad was governor for three terms? He pulled all his ads from Florida and South Carolina, seemingly suggesting that Michigan is do-or-die. And Rudy Giuliani, hang in there, I guess.

Quick Clips

In Harlem, a Tough Choice Between Clinton and Obama
Shift to Softer Approach Seemed to Boost Clinton
Clinton's Primary Win Resonates With Women
Debate Was Key to Win, Clinton Says
Clinton’s Message, and Moment, Won the Day
Primary Win Gives Clinton a Cash Infusion
Clinton Cash Machine Keeps on Churning
Why Feb. 5 looks super to Clinton
Clinton camp goes from glum to giddy
Obama Swipes at Clinton, but Takes Aim at Bush
Obama Looks Ahead
Obama has new rallying cry: Yes, we can!
Obama wins backing from key unions
Richardson Drops Out of Democratic Race
Richardson drops out of race
McCain's victory opens up the GOP race
Bomb Scare Derails Giuliani Event
McCain's Back, But Immigration Reform Isn't
McCain's wife ready for trials of trail
2nd Finish in Fifth Fails to Dim Paul’s Hopes
Bloomberg starts nationwide effort to gauge support
Polls Missed Late Voter Shift, Key Absence
How the Polls Were Off
Analyzing the New Hampshire Surprise
Polls Were Right About McCain but Missed the Call on Clinton's Primary Win
Media Blow It Again
Tight Democratic Race, McCain Bid Spur Record Turnout
Fresh starts for Clinton, McCain in New Hampshire primary
Pollsters struggle to explain Clinton win
No rest for candidates in tight contest
Campaigns Refocus on Upcoming Battles
Race Is Fluid As Vote Shifts To Big States
Nevada Savors Its Place as Maker of Momentum
Michigan Next, G.O.P. Rivals Turn to the Economy
As Clinton and McCain rebound in N.H., races are wide open
Exhausted candidates scramble for votes
Democrats press on toward Nevada and South Carolina
Michigan group campaigns for — no one
Athletes and the Primaries
Are Congressional Endorsements 'Overrated'?
Justices Indicate They May Uphold Voter ID Rules
Justices wary of voter ID critics
Ashcroft Deal Brings Scrutiny in Justice Dept.

<><>DEM<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

THE FIELD

In Harlem, a Tough Choice Between Clinton and Obama

New York Times
January 10, 2008

Five Democrats in Harlem weigh in on the choice between Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton…

CLINTON

Shift to Softer Approach Seemed to Boost Clinton
Less-Scripted Speeches, A Display of Emotion And Weather Credited

By Amy Chozick
Wall Street Journal
January 10, 2008

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Early this week, when polls showed Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton trailing Sen. Barack Obama by a double-digit margin, her campaign braced for another big loss. So how did a bruised Sen. Clinton walk away with a victory in New Hampshire Tuesday night?

Clinton's Primary Win Resonates With Women
Support for CandidateVaries With the Level Of Income, Education

By Carol Hymowitz, Katherine Rosman and Amy Merrick
Wall Street Journal
January 10, 2008

Anne Skinner, a 58-year old waitress in Tuxedo Park, N.Y., felt a whiff of solidarity with Hillary Clinton yesterday…

Debate Was Key to Win, Clinton Says

By Patrick Healy and Anahad O'connor
New York Times
January 10, 2008

In interviews on the morning after her primary victory in New Hampshire, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton cited Saturday’s debate as a turning point…

Clinton’s Message, and Moment, Won the Day

By Patrick Healy
New York Times
January 10, 2008

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s teary-eyed exchange with a voter and her sharpened argument on experience were among the turning points in New Hampshire…

Primary Win Gives Clinton a Cash Infusion

By Christopher Cooper
Wall Street Journal
January 10, 2008

How much is a two-point victory in New Hampshire worth? For Hillary Clinton, more than $1.1 million a day…

Clinton Cash Machine Keeps on Churning

By Chris Cillizza
Washington Post
January 9, 2008

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) collected $24 million for her primary campaign over the last three months of 2007 and ended the year with "tens of millions" of dollars in the bank, according to campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe…

Why Feb. 5 looks super to Clinton

By Peter Wallsten
Los Angeles Times
January 9, 2008

Her core supporters will have a major say on the most important day of the primary season…

Clinton camp goes from glum to giddy

By Peter Nicholas
Los Angeles Times
January 9, 2008

The mood lifts among supporters as the results start to come in…

OBAMA

Obama Swipes at Clinton, but Takes Aim at Bush

By Diane Cardwell
New York Times
January 10, 2008

A day after his surprise defeat in New Hampshire, Senator Barack Obama, addressed a largely enthusiastic audience in Jersey City…

Obama Looks Ahead

By Chris Cillizza
Washington Post
January 9, 2008

Less than 24 hours after a stunning defeat at the hands of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) in New Hampshire, Sen. Barack Obama's campaign sought to turn the focus to Nevada, South Carolina and the slew of states set to vote on Feb. 5…

Obama has new rallying cry: Yes, we can!

By Maria L. La Ganga
Los Angeles Times
January 9, 2008

His supporters are disappointed by second-place finish in New Hampshire, but they are fired up by his new slogan…

Obama wins backing from key unions

By Michael Martinez and John McCormick
Chicago Tribune
January 9, 2008

Receiving a much-needed campaign boost, Sen. Barack Obama won endorsements Wednesday from several major unions, including the most-coveted one in the state where the nomination battle next plays out…

RICHARDSON

Richardson Drops Out of Democratic Race

By Leslie Wayne
New York Times
January 10, 2007

It is unclear whether Gov. Bill Richardson’s supporters will gravitate to Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton…

Richardson drops out of race

By Andrew Malcolm
Los Angeles Times
January 9, 2008

The New Mexico governor drops his bid for the Democratic nomination after a poor showing in New Hampshire…

<><>REP<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>>

THE FIELD

McCain's victory opens up the GOP race

By Doyle McManus and Michael Finnegan
Los Angeles Times
January 9, 2008

Political analysts say the next primary, in Michigan, will probably be a three-way contest among McCain, Romney and Huckabee…

GIULIANI

Bomb Scare Derails Giuliani Event

By Michael Cooper
New York Times
January 9, 2008

Shifting the focus from security to tax matters…

McCAIN

McCain's Back, But Immigration Reform Isn't

Washington Post
January 9, 2008

Remember when Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign was supposedly dead because of his vocal support for comprehensive immigration reform? And remember when the knives came out for Mike Huckabee because he wasn't tough enough on illegal immigration either?

McCain's wife ready for trials of trail

By Richard Ruelas
Arizona Republic
January 9, 2008

PHOENIX — Cindy McCain was the reluctant wife of a presidential candidate during the 2000 campaign, and she wasn't eager to jump in again the second time around…

PAUL

2nd Finish in Fifth Fails to Dim Paul’s Hopes

By Michael Falcone
New York Times
January 9, 2008

Despite coming up short in New Hampshire, a race that many people considered his best opportunity, Ron Paul indicated that his campaign would go on…

<><>THIRD PARTIES<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

BLOOMBERG

Bloomberg starts nationwide effort to gauge support

Associated Press
January 9, 2008

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has quietly been polling and conducting a highly sophisticated voter analysis in all 50 states as he decides whether to launch an independent presidential bid, associates said Wednesday…

<><> NEW HAMPSHIRE<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Polls Missed Late Voter Shift, Key Absence
Women Turned to Clinton After Moment in Diner; The Young Stayed Home

By June Kronholz
Wall Street Journal
January 10, 2008

There could be lots of reasons for Barack Obama's surprise loss in the New Hampshire primary after polls showed him well ahead, but latent racial bias isn't likely to be one of them…

How the Polls Were Off

By Janet Elder
New York Times
January 9, 2008

Pre-primary telephone polls showing a lead by Barack Obama were not wrong, they were slow…

Analyzing the New Hampshire Surprise

By Jacques Steinberg and Janet Elder
New York Times
January 10, 2008

Polls that showed Barack Obama ahead of Hillary Rodham Clinton in New Hampshire may have been unable to keep pace with events…

Polls Were Right About McCain but Missed the Call on Clinton's Primary Win

By Jon Cohen and Jennifer Agiesta
Washington Post
January 9, 2008

While pre-election polls in New Hampshire got Sen. John McCain's margin of victory about right on the Republican side, late polls fundamentally mischaracterized the status of the Democratic race…

Media Blow It Again

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post
January 9, 2008

At the outset, the pundits seemed ticked that their expected story line--an Obama blowout--was failing to materialize…

Tight Democratic Race, McCain Bid Spur Record Turnout

Washington Post
January 9, 2008

The record turnout in yesterday's primary was almost enough to send town clerks in New Hampshire to the photocopiers, with special dispensation to run off copies of ballots if the pre-printed reserves ran too low…

Fresh starts for Clinton, McCain in New Hampshire primary

By Mark Z. Barabak
Los Angeles Times
January 9, 2008

The New York senator beats expectations and Obama for the key state's Democratic nomination; McCain trumps Romney for the Republican nod…

Pollsters struggle to explain Clinton win

By Ken Dilanian
USA Today
January 10, 2008

A day after Hillary Rodham Clinton's surprise victory in the New Hampshire primary, the country's leading political pollsters found themselves trying to explain how and why they got it so spectacularly wrong…

<><> NEVADA, MICHIGAN, SOUTH CAROLINA, ET AL<><><>

No rest for candidates in tight contest
On the heels of surprising victories in New Hampshire, Republicans and Democrats alike step up state appearances.

By Michael Finnegan and Maeve Reston
Los Angeles Times
January 10, 2008

Presidential candidates fanned out west and south from New Hampshire today as the grueling 2008 primary schedule marched on, with contests in both parties up for grabs…

Campaigns Refocus on Upcoming Battles

By William Branigin
Washington Post
January 9, 2008

With their presidential campaigns revitalized by comeback victories in the New Hampshire primaries last night, John McCain and Hillary Rodham Clinton turned their attention today to the races that lie ahead, positioning themselves for an all-important round of contests in less than a month…

Race Is Fluid As Vote Shifts To Big States

By Jackie Calmes
Wall Street Journal
January 10, 2008

WASHINGTON -- Americans frustrated by Iowa and New Hampshire's clout in picking their presidents can take some heart: The two states' electoral verdicts settled little…

Nevada Savors Its Place as Maker of Momentum

By Jennifer Steinhauer
New York Times
January 10, 2008

Nevada was vaulted into the position of tie-breaker after the victory of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in New Hampshire Tuesday…

Michigan Next, G.O.P. Rivals Turn to the Economy

By Marc Santora and Adam Nagourney
New York Times
January 10, 2008

John McCain and Mitt Romney headed toward another showdown, while Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama readied for a nationwide battle…

As Clinton and McCain rebound in N.H., races are wide open

By Linda Feldmann
Christian Science Monitor
January 10, 2008

On the Democratic side, a potentially historic clash lies ahead. For the GOP, Michigan is the next test…

Exhausted candidates scramble for votes

By Naftali Bendavid
Chicago Tribune
January 9, 2008

With the presidential campaign thrown into disarray for the second time in a week, the exhausted candidates rolled out of New Hampshire on Wednesday and began scrambling for victories in the handful of states holding votes before the Feb. 5 super primary day…

Democrats press on toward Nevada and South Carolina

By Charisse Jones and Martha T. Moore
USA Today
January 10, 2008

JERSEY CITY — A day after his surprise defeat by Hillary Rodham Clinton in the New Hampshire primary, Barack Obama received a raucous welcome in a college gym here, declaring that he was a little tired but unbowed…

Michigan group campaigns for — no one

By Kathleen Gray
Detroit Free Press
January 9, 2008

A group of several hundred Michigan voters plan to knock on doors, make calls and hold rallies for a rather unconventional candidate in...

<><>2008/PRESIDENT<><><><><><><><><

Athletes and the Primaries

By Dan Steinberg
Washington Post
January 9, 2008

The previous item discussed how some Democratic presidential operatives were supporting the Redskins. But whom, you ask, are the Redskins supporting? Unclear. Mr. Snyder gave $10k to the National Republican Congressional Committee in October. Mark Brunell gave $1,000 to Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.) in April. Couldn't find any Presidential preferences…

Are Congressional Endorsements 'Overrated'?

Washington Post
January 9, 2008

Sen. Judd Gregg gambled by endorsing former Gov. Mitt Romney in Tuesday's New Hampshire Republican primary, and he lost. Romney finished second to the surging Sen. John McCain. Two other New Hampshire lawmakers, Democratic freshman Reps. Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes, rode the wrong horse by backing Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who finished second to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), the new "Comeback Kid."

<><>OTHER NEWS AND VIEWS<><><><><><><><><><><><>

Justices Indicate They May Uphold Voter ID Rules

By Linda Greenhouse
New York Times
January 10, 2008

The justices’ questioning indicated that a majority did not accept the basic argument brought by challengers to Indiana’s voter-identification law…

Justices wary of voter ID critics

By David G. Savage
Los Angeles Times
January 9, 2008

They indicate they don't agree that an Indiana law will deter voters…

Ashcroft Deal Brings Scrutiny in Justice Dept.

By Philip Shenon
New York Times
January 10, 2008

The Justice Department has launched an internal inquiry into the department’s procedures for selecting outside monitors to police settlements with large companies…