Iowa is over, and New Hampshire is on deck.
Like their counterparts throughout the country, local supporters of the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates spent yesterday digesting the results of Thursday's caucuses and were looking ahead to Tuesday's primary.
Massachusetts' neighbor to the north will be the center of the political universe for the next few days, and many North Shore residents plan to trek up Interstate 95 to campaign for their candidate.
"I'm moving to New Hampshire - for the weekend," said Beverly Democrat and Hillary Clinton backer Arthur Powell.
His candidate's third-place showing in Iowa hasn't diminished Powell's optimism. He said more people participate in a primary, and he predicted that the increased voter involvement would translate into a different outcome in New Hampshire.
"A primary is a different animal, and New Hampshire has always been very good to the Clintons," Powell said. "Iowa is nice, but New Hampshire will matter."
It's an outlook not likely to be shared by supporters of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee, the winners in Iowa.
"I'm very pleased with the outcome," Laura Dietz, chairwoman of Ipswich's Democratic Town Committee, said about Iowa. "The win by Barack Obama flies in the face of the cynicism that surrounds politics, and that is extremely refreshing."
Christina Bain of Manchester is stumping for former Gov. Mitt Romney in New Hampshire today and tomorrow.
"Every door has to be knocked on," she said.
Iowa, she said, is not representative of what will happen elsewhere in the presidential race.
"Iowa is kind of its own nucleus," Bain said, and cited the state's evangelical Christian population that turned out Thursday to support Huckabee.
"I think that Huckabee gave the voters of Iowa a message that hit home to them," said Nancy Luther of Topsfield, a Republican State Committee member from the 2nd Essex District.
Luther is in Rudy Giuliani's corner because of his straightforward, realistic message and his broad appeal in a general election. But yesterday, she wouldn't predict his fate in New Hampshire. She left it up to the voters.
"The only poll that counts is the one that occurs on Election Day," she said.
Like their counterparts throughout the country, local supporters of the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates spent yesterday digesting the results of Thursday's caucuses and were looking ahead to Tuesday's primary.
Massachusetts' neighbor to the north will be the center of the political universe for the next few days, and many North Shore residents plan to trek up Interstate 95 to campaign for their candidate.
"I'm moving to New Hampshire - for the weekend," said Beverly Democrat and Hillary Clinton backer Arthur Powell.
His candidate's third-place showing in Iowa hasn't diminished Powell's optimism. He said more people participate in a primary, and he predicted that the increased voter involvement would translate into a different outcome in New Hampshire.
"A primary is a different animal, and New Hampshire has always been very good to the Clintons," Powell said. "Iowa is nice, but New Hampshire will matter."
It's an outlook not likely to be shared by supporters of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee, the winners in Iowa.
"I'm very pleased with the outcome," Laura Dietz, chairwoman of Ipswich's Democratic Town Committee, said about Iowa. "The win by Barack Obama flies in the face of the cynicism that surrounds politics, and that is extremely refreshing."
Christina Bain of Manchester is stumping for former Gov. Mitt Romney in New Hampshire today and tomorrow.
"Every door has to be knocked on," she said.
Iowa, she said, is not representative of what will happen elsewhere in the presidential race.
"Iowa is kind of its own nucleus," Bain said, and cited the state's evangelical Christian population that turned out Thursday to support Huckabee.
"I think that Huckabee gave the voters of Iowa a message that hit home to them," said Nancy Luther of Topsfield, a Republican State Committee member from the 2nd Essex District.
Luther is in Rudy Giuliani's corner because of his straightforward, realistic message and his broad appeal in a general election. But yesterday, she wouldn't predict his fate in New Hampshire. She left it up to the voters.
"The only poll that counts is the one that occurs on Election Day," she said.
State Rep. John Keenan, D-Salem, sees Democrat John Edwards as the most "electable" candidate in a national race.
"Edwards came in where he needed to to remain viable," Keenan said, referring to Edwards' second-place finish in Iowa. "Now, he has to prove himself in New Hampshire."
So does Hillary Clinton. Like her husband, she'll need a strong showing there to generate momentum for her campaign, Keenan said.
"She's going to have to be the comeback kid in New Hampshire," he said.
Iowa proved that voters can turn the conventional wisdom formed and discussed by the media on its head, according to Daniel Marien, assistant professor of political science at Salem State College.
"The first thing that's obvious is that the favorites in both parties were brought down a notch, at minimum," Marien said about Clinton and Romney.
Marien speculated that the outcome could foreshadow hard times ahead for the Clinton candidacy. Obama's message seems to resonate more with Democrats, he said.
For the candidates and their supporters, there's a lot riding on Tuesday's primary.
"It's going to be an interesting weekend," said Keenan, who planned on working for Edwards in New Hampshire.
"It's going to be so exciting to watch," Bain said.
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