A quick hit on what to watch in New Hampshire tonight before I dash to Concord for New Hampshire Public Radio's live coverage.
On the Democratic side:
Early on, watch the cities of Manchester and Keene.
Manchester still has significant pockets of working-class voters, and is a good bellwether for the Hillary Clinton blue-collar vote. If Clinton carries Manchester by a wide margin, expect the results to be closer than expected. If Obama keeps close in Manchester, expect him to win comfortably statewide.
And if Obama carries Manchester, well, whoa Nelly! The rout is on.
Keene is located in the heart of Cheshire County, one of the most liberal counties in the state. If Clinton can carry Keene, she may pull a shocking upset. If Obama is winning statewide, he should carry this city comfortably.
Another good early bellwether is the town of Bow, just south of Concord. Lots of upscale, well-educated Democrats here. Again, if Clinton carries Bow, maybe it will be a longer night than expected. If Obama takes Bow comfortably, things are going as predicted for him.
Other key towns to watch: Rye and Exeter on the Seacoast; Bedford, Merrimack and Londonderry in the Interstate 93 corridor. All should be part of Obamaland if the polls are right.
