An Independent State of Mind
EmailSALEM, N.H. — Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., rolled up to the Woodbridge Middle School this afternoon with the Granite State’s independent voters on his mind.
(WATCH THE VIDEO OF THIS WORLD NEWS STORY HERE.)
Independent voters are a huge force in New Hampshire. Republicans comprise 30 percent of the voters, Democrats 26 percent … and those "undeclared" voters constitute 44 percent of the electorate.
Is there a reason why undeclared voters can’t seem to choose which party to go with?
Said Robert Dennis of Hampstead, “I can pick a party, but I don’t want to. I want the option to go back and forth.”
Said Robert Abbott of Derry, N.H., another undeclared voter, “I think it gives us more choice. We get listened to by everybody, and we get to see everybody.”
McCain’s campaign says that McCain and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney are basically tied among Republican voters in New Hampshire, and that McCain is relying upon the big pool of independent voters to deliver his margin of victory.
The problem for McCain is … Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who seems to have captured the imagination of many independent voters in this election cycle.
“I am told there’s a lot of voters wavering between me and Sen. Obama,” McCain said today, per ABC News’ Ron Claiborne, who covers McCain for ABC News. “I’m kind of pleased the independents have narrowed it down to a choice of two.”
McCain beat George Bush here with the support of independents, such as Gary Boutin, of Salem, N.H., who stuck an "8" sticker on his old 2000 campaign sign from 8 years ago.
“I would lead towards Obama if McCain were not in the race," Boutin told me today.
But some previous supporters have turned on McCain, such as Robert Abbott and his wife Priscilla, who now like Obama.
“It’s time for a change, things are different,” said Priscilla.
“He has changed too much,” echoed her husband Robert.
McCain’s events today were crowded, but the lines for Obama events are like those for a Hannah Montana concert — a sign he may have a very good Tuesday, with the help of independents.
– jpt
USS Gabrielle Giffords Honors Courage 
Mitt Romney's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
2000 McCain supporter – but he’s been lickin’ Bush’s boots ever since.
Posted by: Anthony | January 6, 2008, 6:54 pm 6:54 pm
Credibility is THE issue; The Change we want is to believe our political leaders.
What confounds the solution to most of America’s toughest problems is the US governments’ utter loss of credibility. When anyone in power speaks you just can’t believe them because again and again we have been tricked. The reason everyone is turning on Mitt is not just the Flipping, it’s because he lacks credibility. If somehow he could beat any Democrat, I simply can stand the idea or another 4 years of dishonesty. America can’t stand this. Our world wide prestige took a huge hit from this when with the events of 911 we should have had a bank of goodwill. Mitt simply is not authentic. He is fabricated. Last night he even said he never claimed that McCain wanted Amnesty. Does he think we are suckers? John McCain and the other are authentic. What separates McCain from the others is experience and a demonstration of courage under fire.
NH won’t be bought. Return credibility to our government. Vote McCain with me on January 8th.
Posted by: Peter from NH | January 6, 2008, 7:04 pm 7:04 pm
“Our world wide prestige took a huge hit from this when with the events of 911 we should have had a bank of goodwill.” –Peter, NH
Get bombed on 911, then exhibit good will? What a nut. Can’t wait to move on the SC and the other states….
Posted by: Michael Johnston | January 6, 2008, 7:25 pm 7:25 pm
Obama has also opened up a 13-point lead in the new USA Today/Gallop Poll:
Obama 41%, Clinton 28%, Edwards 19%
This is the 4th new poll in 3 days to show Obama opening up a double-digit lead.
USA Today/Gallop Poll: Obama +13
CNN/WMUR: Obama +10
ARG: Obama + 12
Rasmussen: Obama +12
OMG. Obama’s going to wup Hillary in NH!
Posted by: ava | January 6, 2008, 7:33 pm 7:33 pm
IF Obama does win handily in NH, what excuses will Billary come up with this time (like Iowa a few days ago) to explain this tidal wave of real support for change and not a continuation of the Clinton-Bush two decades of deception (“I did not have sex with that woman”…”Iraq has weapons of mass destruction.” Enough already with the lies. Give a new voice a chance.
Posted by: sophillyfatz | January 6, 2008, 8:08 pm 8:08 pm
I am a McCain supporter but last night I was extremely disappointed in McCain’s behavior towards Mitt Romney! He was like a Father bullying his adult son and he was really enjoying bullying him. I now see that he (McCain), is a part of the problem with our government also! It was very ungentlemanly! I am not a Romney fan but McCain’s treatment of Romney made me sympathetic towards Romney. I observed Romney staying focused and on the subject that was being discussed in a gentlemanly fashion and the rest seemed to be playing a part in a virtual Saturday Night Live episode. They were unruly and unsophisticated. Is this the GOP today? It reeked of the “good ole boy” attitude! I will be looking more closely at Romney as a candidate I may vote for now!
Posted by: cindy | January 6, 2008, 8:12 pm 8:12 pm
Romney “my ads don’t say AMNESTY” oh really Mitt, are you sure? This guy deserves more from the others not less. Romney is a USED CAR SALESMAN (NO OFFENSE TO USED CAR SALESMEN) Ted Kennedy whipped him in 94, and the Demorats would win if against Romney hands-down
Posted by: RickeyMikey | January 6, 2008, 8:52 pm 8:52 pm
Bomb bomb Iran. Yeah that’s just what we need in the WH.
NOT.
Posted by: Langx | January 6, 2008, 9:03 pm 9:03 pm
McCain, I will give him credit on the “surge” ideal in Iraq but the issue remains we still have troops in Iraq for false pretense.
The surge was only needed because they never put enough troops in Iraq, wrongly of course, to accomplishe their mission.
Bush should have listened to Colin P.
This Independent is going for a new face…OBAMA!!!
Posted by: j7 | January 6, 2008, 9:32 pm 9:32 pm
Why does this article completely overlook the republican that received the most independent votes in Iowa? Ron Paul took 29% of the republican-independent vote in Iowa, and yet… he doesn’t even receive a footnote?
Posted by: Mike | January 6, 2008, 9:36 pm 9:36 pm
McCain’s poll #’s are inflated. His ONLY support is from the media. He has been and will always be an AIPAC hand puppet. When the lies about his #’s are proven as so his run will cease. He is GWB but only shorter, they both get their orders from AIPAC. Americans DESERVE better!
Posted by: TBT | January 6, 2008, 9:47 pm 9:47 pm
Like most Americans the cost of my health insurance premiums are killing me. We have a health care crisis and I am tired of the same old Republicans like (McCain etc.) that have blocked health care reforms in the past. I am also tired of paying for the education and health care of illegal immigrants.
Posted by: alpine873 | January 6, 2008, 9:49 pm 9:49 pm
I’m asian -american but i’m sorry to all americans but I’m not ready to elect= a black president in the most powerful country in the world .
Posted by: JACKIE | January 6, 2008, 9:49 pm 9:49 pm
Romney’s ego and self-absorbtion is ‘inflated’ and McCain’s polls are much like everyone in MASS. who voted for Ted Kennedy in 94 & for anyone but Romney in 2008. Boston Globe and Herald out to “get him” too like all their readers… and the polls too. nonsense
Posted by: RickeyMikey | January 6, 2008, 10:02 pm 10:02 pm
I’m so glad that this country is finally moving past the racial divide. Iowa showed that we are now able to pick the BEST candidate, no matter his color. Thank you, Senator Obama, for showing that America can still be a place of hope…and change for the better.
Posted by: Proud to be an American | January 6, 2008, 10:59 pm 10:59 pm
cindy didn’t like the McCain-Romney interplay. Well, let me explain that to you.
In 2000, McCain didn’t participate in Iowa, but beat Bush soundly in New Hampshire. That was followed by the notorious push-poll in South Carolina implying McCain had an illegitimate black daughter (truth: he and his wife had adopted a girl from Mother Teresa’s orphanage in Bangladesh – Bridget). On PBS NOW this week (Dirty Politics 2008), Will Folks said Republican operative Warren Tompkins was responsible for that. Tompkins wasn’t technically on the Bush staff of course, but raise your hand if you think he did it as some sort of pro bono public service. Today, Tompkins is a senior advisor to the Romney campaign (still not paid staff, so still plenty of ‘deniability’ of connection). Now do you get it?
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/401/index.html
Vote for McCain or vote for Obama, but PLEASE don’t vote for Romney and his sleazy “do whatever it takes” to win. That attitude might have made him rich at Bain Capital, but we as a country can’t afford it.
Posted by: Tom J | January 7, 2008, 12:34 am 12:34 am
This is nonsense. McCain will lose the Ind. votes to Obama (for sure) and Ron Paul. The MSM fails to tell you guys but Ron Paul carried 41% of the IND vote in IOWA. I doubt that will change in NH.
Posted by: figa101 | January 7, 2008, 1:24 am 1:24 am
Quit with the Hillary Comeback crap. I just ate.
Posted by: figa101 | January 7, 2008, 1:25 am 1:25 am
INDEPENDENTS VOTE 2008
McCain and Obama
We went to Iraq to save millions of people under tyranny of Sadam. Great Compassion from George W BUSH (Republican President)
Today in America Millions of Undocumented World Citizens live in USA
The Republican Main Platform is to DENY any kind of hearing or close the doors to these human beings. Most of them are Anti-Immigrants and they have No Compassion for their state of life.
Catholic Bishops, Chritian Pastors and Evangelicals preach Christ and many of us Share and understand what means Christian Charity and Compassion. But many would rather here to Lou Dobs, Glen and like-minded who make their living creating discord AGAINST Christian Charity!!!
Senator McCain has this Compassion to these Human Being and wants to cross the party lines. Senator Obama understand what means to live a human being without a country and citizenship….
Many ignorants and some republicans are intollerant and racists. I am a Registered Republican and a CHRISTIAN and in my OPINION, I feel that I am Great American like the rest of Republicans… and I will vote AGAINST those who are Anti-Immigrants. I invite Independents and other Great Americans to Join Me for A Greater Cause tha Iraq War.
Posted by: thom | January 7, 2008, 1:44 am 1:44 am
NH
REPUBLICANS AND INDEPENDENTS VOTE for McCAIN for the NEXT USA PRESIDENT.
McCain= PRO Life, Pro Victory (Iraq Qar), Pro Undocumented Immigrants.
ROMNEY=PRO LIFE/CHOICE …ANTI-Immigrant
Huckabee=Pro Life= Anti-Immigrant Flip-Flopper …
DEMOCRATS=Obama ’08, The NEW KENEDY
Posted by: thom | January 7, 2008, 1:56 am 1:56 am
The Bible I know tells Christians to OBEY the Laws of the Land. So if we have Laws on the BOOKS, then we are supposed to Obey and enforce them. But maybe you do like others and only use the verses that help your cause and ignore the rest. And it’s funny how you can say WE went to WAR to SAVE MILLIONS IN IRAQ, which is a lie. Yet Bush allowed HUNDREDS to die in NEW ORLEANS as he flew above to watch them suffer. Oh and last i checked, This WAR IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. What kind of Christian are you. You could care less about Rules and Laws.
Posted by: figa101 | January 7, 2008, 2:56 am 2:56 am
Here is the order:
1. Romney
2. Ron Paul
3. John “Insane” McCain
4. Huckafool
and who cares about everyone else.
Posted by: figa101 | January 7, 2008, 3:00 am 3:00 am
This is why I stopped and listened to Ron Paul, Dr. Paul- the internet… Oh yes and his message.
Google Trends- Ron Paul Winning the Race!
Posted by: David | January 7, 2008, 4:51 am 4:51 am
To the Asian-American who is “sorry that she is not ready to vote for a black president”, if Obama was Asian-American would you feel the same way? What an insult to any normal person’s intelligence. There are so many hateful and ignorant people who would be very very quick to tell you to “go back where you came from”, yet Obama has embodied the true essence of what it means to be an American who has transcended the hatred of racial differences and will not allow his color to define who he is. As an African-American female physician, I have endured your kind of racism my entire life. I am glad to say that my patient population is very culturally diverese (black, white, Hispanic, Asian), and I haved very blessed by their confidence in me as a doctor who has demonstrated my non-biased attention to their medical needs for over 20 years. Many new patients don’t even know that I am a black woman until they get to my office. But like Obama, they are more interested in how I treat them personally and professionally. They keep coming back and they refer their friends and relatives. There is no place in medicine or in politics for racial discrimination. By the way,were you awake last Thursday?
Posted by: Dr. Donna Smith | January 7, 2008, 4:55 am 4:55 am
the whole story is factually incorrect. the event couldn’t have happened as written.
THERE IS NO WOODBRIDGE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL in salem nh.
more lazy reporting from the right wing biased media……
Posted by: e murphy | January 7, 2008, 10:25 am 10:25 am
e murphy – Do you live in the Twilight Zone? Or are you so far Socialist that the media that is Far Left Liberal is to the Right of you? Out of the three main networks ABC is the most moderate, but that aside I am sure they meant to say Woodbury? But where is your attacks against Obama, Edwards and Clinton for their false talk?
As far as Mccain he is not going to win just on his immigration reform.
And if NH really wants Immigration reform they would vote for Fred Thompson!! The only one that has stood the ground!
Posted by: spock | January 7, 2008, 11:10 am 11:10 am
if you are independent the ONLY choice you have is Ron Paul. anyone else you vote for is in the hands of big biz and therefore NOT independent. if you do not vote for RON PAUL…you are guilty of killing fellow Americans in Iraq…where there is no victory…only more mother’s losing children. You vote for anyone else and your hands are stained…
Posted by: Joe | January 7, 2008, 12:11 pm 12:11 pm
Nice article Jake! good lord, I think my nephew could have put together a better piece…
Posted by: Joe | January 7, 2008, 12:12 pm 12:12 pm
I’m for Hillary and am against Obama, and it isn’t based on cowardly and vile feelings.
Hillary ought to win independent votes!
Posted by: Strong79 | January 7, 2008, 1:00 pm 1:00 pm
freakn new hampshire. they can’t fund kindersgarten for Goodness sake, they don’t have a helmet law and about once a week there’s a traffic jam from some idiot who smashed his brains all over the roadways, the LAST in the nation to install hte easy pass in their tolls….hey, don’t rush into that techonological age! Tokens and long lines are just fine with us. Don’t want none of that fancy big brother scanning type stuff…except when it comes to radaring you with a out-of-state licence! Then they don’t mind technology one bit! Hardly the pinacle of thoughtful governing. They are the land of backward living and libertarians. I will TRULY lose ALL respect if they give McCain the nod again especially after living right next door to seeing Romney do such a stellar job without raising taxes. do the right thing NH, elect Romney! have some self respect for God’s sake! Those transplants cant think for EVERYTHING for you guys!
Posted by: jboston | January 7, 2008, 2:04 pm 2:04 pm
Political party primaries arebasically irrelevant. As an independent candidate for President, I am the only candidate who has proposed a solution to the Iraq War. If elected, I will go to Guantanamo, load the “prisoners of war” onto airplanes, explain to them that they are less of a danger to the United States as enemy combatants than as foreign nationals being tortured by mentally ill Americans, and take them back where they came from. Then I would go to Iraq, order Americans to stand down from all offensive military actions, and coordinate the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. The President as Commander in Chief has authority to do this because the last time Congress declared war was in 1941. Undeclared wars are the bread and butter of party politics, as Senator McCain so eloquently reminded us with his proposal to remain in Iraq for 100 years.
I have not copyrighted this plan to end the war. The incumbent President is free to use it. All other candidates for President are free to use it. However, on general election day, I will still be the only candidate with a plan for getting out of the Iraq War.
Posted by: Robert B. Winn | January 7, 2008, 2:08 pm 2:08 pm
how can Mitt, of all people, lack credibility?????? You don’t need to take his word on anything! Look at his RESUME!!! what has he DONE????? He’s a venture capitalist so successful he got himself dripping wet rich. Do y ou know HARD it is to succeed in venture capital when 8 out of ten businesses fail. Then he takes on the overbudget, behind schedule disaster of the OLympics..basically A HUGE multinational corporations and has to build a HUGE facility and gets it done, ON TIME, UNDER BUDGET nad meets all the specs of the many cultures, peoples, languages, translators, security, transportation, infrastructure, judges… a HUGE understaking! THEN he becomes governor of an overtaxes overspent state with one of the worste bond ratings in the US and TURNS I T COMPLETELY AROUND and now we have one of hte best (I’m sure Deval will kill it now though), balances the budgets with NO TAXES and has the state running stellar when he leaves. WHO CARES WHAT he says!!! What can he DO???? and what needs to be done???? everything he’s done before! You’re NUTS not to understand whta HUGE potential for this country that ROmney is. heck, I’m prochoice but his business savy is so impressive I still hope to vote for him.
Posted by: jessboston | January 7, 2008, 2:11 pm 2:11 pm
So, Ron Paul wins the independant vote in Iowa. Now here is an article about independant voters, and Dr Paul is not even mentioned. What is wrong with this picture??
Romney=big business
McCain=war after war after more war
Not what I want in America!!!
Posted by: Bo | January 7, 2008, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
I am a die hard evangelical Republican voter but guess what folks? As much as I like Huckabee, beleive he’s the most honest man in the Republican race and agree with im on all the major socail issues, I’m not naive enough to think he could stand up to the Democrat nominee in the latter Pres. debates. Yes, he represents some cahange and like Obama is trying to reach for votes across the aisle but the fact is, that unlike the latter, he is too much wlike GW when he first ran (as much as I actually still like GW!). The Dems won’t miss that point and will run him to the ground. The sorry fact is that we really don’t ahvea good candidate to rally around. So, incredibly I am drawn to Obama, as liberal as he may be. It just seems like this is his time. I like that he doesn’t demagogue the Repubs like the Clintons ahave thrived on. I like how he seems like a good, and, yes, moral man. He’s remained faithful to Michelle (who, btw, is a brilliant orator too and very likeable) and he represents all of our desires to not see so much acid talk of blue vs. red and vice versa. We need someone who can unite by inspiration and bring people together and that is why I am seriously considering voting for him, depending on the Reup nominee and how he fares. The fact is I think an African American candidate like Obama, adn with his name, would actually be a fantastic new face to the world, would shake things up in that regard, and would be an healing inspiration to minorities, not the least of which African Americans who, through him, will be able to claim there time has come! Rightfully so. IF, however, Dems are naive enough to vote for Hillary, then thousands like me, will be sure to vote for whoever stadns against her (and in turn, her husband). She represents everything wrong with the past and can only succeed with living off diviiding and demonizing the American politic.
Posted by: Repub-ObamSupporter | January 7, 2008, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
McCain is an honorable man, but after 30+ years in Washington he has done next to nothing for change. Why do people think it will be any different in the White House. Also, he still does not approve of the Bush tax cuts which has proven to have dramatically worked for the economy. He is also very weak on immigration. Romney is the clear choice for President. He has had little time in politics, yet he has accomplished more than McCain. He has proven himself in the Private sector and in Government. He sticks to the issues even under the pressure of the personal attacks from the McCain and Huckabee tag team. Yes Romney does attack other canidates, but if you notice it’s always pertaining to thier stance on a certain issue… He is serious and will make a Great President of this Great Country!!!
Posted by: independents for Romney | January 7, 2008, 5:49 pm 5:49 pm
Honorable man? McCain? he senator at the geographic epicenter of the Keating Five, the group that took massive bribes from the savings & loan industry in the late 1980s in return for sponsoring sweetheart legislation loosening regulation? The group that made what would have been a standard periodic downturn in the real estate market into a financial crisis that shook the country? McCain’s face in 2000 showed that even he couldn’t believe that the media gave him a pass on his corrupt lowbrow history. And now they are doing it again, because they would just love to see the Republicans nominate someone soft on border enforcement.
Posted by: dcalfine | January 8, 2008, 1:52 am 1:52 am