WASHINGTON (AP) – Buh bye, scarves and boots. The presidential race is sprinting on from snowy New Hampshire to South Carolina and Nevada – perhaps with a smaller cast of characters.
A guide to what to watch for on Wednesday, the day after New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary:
DEPARTURE LOUNGE: Iowa turned out to be the end of the line for four candidates: Republican Mike Huckabee and Democrat Martin O’Malley had dropped out by midnight on caucus night, and Rand Paul and Rick Santorum weren’t far behind. Additional Republican candidates could well head for the exits after New Hampshire. The state is seen as particularly important for the three current or former governors in the race: Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and John Kasich.
CREATIVE WRITING: Candidate Bill Clinton masterfully framed his second-place finish in New Hampshire in 1992 as a big victory for the “Comeback Kid.” Look for the 2016 runners-up in New Hampshire to use similar creative writing techniques to try to put a happy spin on lesser vote tallies.
NEW HAMPSHIRE HANGOVER? Plenty of Republicans kvetched after Iowa. Ben Carson complained that false rumors that he was quitting the race, spread by Ted Cruz’s campaign, had cost him support. Donald Trump agreed, and claimed he might have beaten Cruz otherwise. Who will harrumph after New Hampshire?