Against the backdrop of muddled results from the botched Iowa caucuses, New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary, always an important bellwether, has done what Iowa failed to do: bring some clarity to the Democratic race. The three winners last night, Senator Bernie Sanders, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar, together accounted for about 70% of the overall vote with five others falling very far behind.
But in New Hampshire the straightforward vote totals are rarely the only story and often the least interesting story. The New Hampshire primary is famous for producing “winners” who don’t actually win but who exceed expectations. And it has done it again. CONT.
William A. Galston & Elaine Kamarck, Brookings Institution