Hillary stuns Obama in New Hampshire

Hillary Rodham Clinton won New Hampshire's Democratic primary Tuesday night in a startling upset, defeating Barack Obama and resurrecting her bid for the White House. John McCain won the Republican race, completing a remarkable comeback and climbing back into contention for the US presidential nomination.

Clinton's victory capped a comeback of her own from last week's third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses and raised the possibility of a long battle for the party nomination between Obama, the most viable black candidate in US history, and Clinton, seeking to become the first woman to win the US presidency.

Now together, let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has just given me. Hillary Rodham Clinton

After Iowa, Clinton and her aides seemed resigned to a second consecutive setback. Polling place interviews showed, however, that female voters, who deserted Clinton last week, were solidly in her New Hampshire column.

Word of Clinton's triumph set off a raucous celebration among supporters at a hotel in Nashua, gathered there to celebrate a victory every bit as surprising as Bill Clinton's strong second-place finish in New Hampshire 16 years ago that allowed him to proclaim himself “the comeback kid.”

“I felt like we all spoke from our hearts, and I am so gratified that you responded,” Clinton said in victory remarks before cheering supporters. “Now together, let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has just given me.”

Clinton had 39 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary to 37 per cent for Obama, the first-term senator who won the Iowa caucuses. John Edwards, the 2004 vice presidential candidate, trailed with 17 per cent.

McCain's victory scrambled the Republican race as well. He rode a wave of support from independent voters to defeat Mitt Romney, former governor of the neighboring state of Massachusetts. The victory reprised McCain's victory in the 2000 New Hampshire primary over George W. Bush.

“We showed this country what a real comeback looks like,” the US senator from Arizona told The Associated Press in an interview as he savored his triumph.

McCain, a 71-year-old senator and former prisoner of war in Vietnam, was the long-ago front-runner. But his campaign fell apart last year when his fundraising dried up and his support collapsed. He shed much of his staff and regrouped. An unflinching supporter of the Iraq war, he benefited when US casualties declined in the wake of a controversial buildup of US troops.

The primary was a bitter blow for Romney, who spent millions of dollars of his own money in hopes of winning the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary - and finished second in both. Even so, the businessman-turned politician said he would stay in the race.

McCain was winning 37 per cent of the Republican vote, Romney had 32. Mike Huckabee, the Baptist preacher-turned-politician who won the Iowa caucuses, finished third in New Hampshire with 11 per cent. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani had 9 percent. Giuliani has been a leader in national polls, but campaigned little in New Hampshire and Iowa.

Clinton's triumph was unexpected - and unpredicted. Obama, the son of a Kenyan father, drew huge crowds as he swept into the state after winning Iowa. Confident of victory, he stuck to his pledge to deliver “change we can believe in,” while Clinton was forced to retool her appeal to voters on the run. She lessened her emphasis on experience, and sought instead to raise questions about Obama's ability to bring about the change he promised.

The grind took a toll on both of them. Obama suffered from a sore throat, while Clinton's voice quavered at one point when asked how she coped with the rigors of the campaign. That unexpected moment of emotion became the talk of the final 24 hours of a campaign that was unlike any other in US history.

“I am still fired up and ready to go,” a defeated Obama told cheering supporters, repeating the line that forms a part of virtually every campaign appearance.

Clinton's performance came as a surprise even to her own inner circle. In the hours leading up to the poll closing, her closest advisers had appeared to be bracing for a second defeat at the hands of Obama.

Officials said her aides were considering whether in effect to concede the next two contests - caucuses in Nevada on Jan. 19 and a South Carolina primary a week later - and instead try to regroup in time for a 22-state round of Democratic contests on Feb. 5.

Obama expects the endorsement of a major union in Nevada. South Carolina's Democratic electorate is heavily black and likely to go for the most viable black presidential candidate in history.

The Republican race turns next to Michigan, where McCain and Romney already are advertising on television, and where both men planned appearances on Wednesday. Huckabee, also a leader in national polls, was expected to campaign in the state as well.

According to preliminary results of a survey of voters as they left their polling places, more independents cast ballots in the Democratic race than in the Republican contest. They accounted for four of every 10 Democratic votes and about a third of Republican ballots. The survey was conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks.

Republicans were split roughly evenly in naming the nation's top issues: the economy, Iraq, illegal immigration and terrorism. Romney had a big lead among those naming immigration, while McCain led on the other issues.

Among Democrats, about one-third each named the economy and Iraq as the top issues facing the country, followed by health care. Voters naming the economy were split about evenly between Obama and Clinton, while Obama had an advantage among those naming the other two issues. Clinton has made health care a signature issue for years.

About one-third said if Bill Clinton were running, they would have voted for him on Tuesday.