Are McCain, Obama cutting the herd?

Should Obama win today in N.H., I think it means Hillary is on life support waiting for the plug to be pulled.

It seems like a straightforward situation in the Democratic Party. Since Obama stands for virtually everything Hillary does, I do not think it will be hard to get that support.

In Northern Monmouth, I have noted a lot of "Hillary hatred" even among Democrats. I don't really get it, but there seems to be an "anti-Hillary bloc" she'll need to overcome.

The Republican race is a lot more enigmatic where it involves New Hampshire. Locally, Romney supporters from Middletown have gone so far as to travel to New Hampshire to conduct GOTV for the ailing campaign. There is a lot of energy around Romney at the upper levels of the county GOP, but the grassroots still seems to belong to Giuliani.

Should Romney limp out of New Hampshire with a loss, the expectation is that he will do well in Michigan. But, it just sounds like Romney's strategy is getting thinner and thinner.

If McCain does win in New Hampshire, then he has another life, and Huckabee's mission will be to finish relatively high and begin to significantly pick up whatever support he hasn't received yet from the Religious Right.

Giuliani's strategy is strange: Lots of energy in Florida, not so much in either Iowa or New Hampshire. Does he mean to bypass Michigan too? Can he afford it?

And what about Bloomberg?

Interesting stuff. Click on the headline and go to the AP story.

Do Clinton, McCain, Romney face being 'voted off island' in NH?

It's election eve in New Hampshire and nerves are fraying, hair is getting pulled out, candidates are sweating and Democrats and Republicans alike are trying to avoid elimination by capturing a win in their respective parties.

What's on the line for Hillary? Maybe everything.

It is likely the same for John McCain, who is considered a long-time N.H. favorite.

As for Romney, in the wake of an Iowa defeat, a N.H. win would put him right back on top. Without that win, is he a real contender anymore?

Meanwhile, fighting through the swamps and gators of Florida, all but forgotten by the GOP gladiators, is prodical front-runner Rudy Giuliani, pinning his presidential hopes on snowbirds, football fans and the air-conditioner crowd down South.

Where's this going? No idea. But it's not dull. Click on the headline to go to the AP story.

OBAMA, HUCKABEE WIN IN IOWA!

Well, the wheels are in motion for Decision '08. According to the AP, Rev. Mike Huckabee has garnered an Iowa win for the GOP, while Sen. Barak Obama has won the Democratic vote for that state.

While GOP favorite Rudy Giuliani did not work all that hard in Iowa, and is making his fight in the road ahead, I can't help but believe this is a significant setback for the Romney campaign. Romney put forth a significant effort there.

Meanwhile, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton did seem to lose this one outright to Obama, though I am sure this is only the first round of several to come.

Questions: How is Rudy's campaign going to look in the wake of the Huckabee win? Is this a speed bump for Hillary or the beginning of a back-and-forth fight across the U.S.?

Click on the headline to go to the AP story.

Romney speaks in broad brush about leadership

I looked for something that had more substance than an ad, but I couldn't find it.