Campaigning is entering its final day in the US state of New Hampshire, where Democrat and Republican voters will be heading to the polls on Tuesday to decide who THEY think would be their party's best fit for the White House.
With Donald Trump riding high on one side, and 74 year old Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders on the other, Lorna Shaddick takes a look at the importance of the so-called Granite State.
IN: UPSOT Hi this is...
OUT: SOC
DUR: 01.40
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0208NHampshire-generic-LS.mp3
Script:
UPSOT - Hi, this is Susan, I'm calling from the Bernie Sanders campaign…
At this campaign office in Manchester, volunteers hit the phones, keen to get out support for the man currently beating Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire polls - Bernie Sanders.
UPSOT - We're hoping that we can plan on your vote...
And getting those New Hampshire voters out is easier than in Iowa, where the complicated caucus system can put them off. Here, you don't have to be registered with either party to vote in its primary. In fact, 40% of people aren't. Here's Patrick Griffin, a fellow of the New Hampshire institute of politics:
SOT - Super: Patrick Griffin
New Hampshire is a state that's made up of slightly more Republicans than Democrats, but the largest category of voters here are independent voters. That means that people can pull either ballot, and vote in either primary. Independents and same-day registrants, that means people who just register to vote the day of, nobody knows what these folks are going to do.
New Hampshire is notoriously unpredictable. But win here, and you can get enough momentum to carry you right through to the nomination- ask John McCain, who won the state in 2008.
UPSOT Rubio…
"We are going to re-embrace all of the principles that made us a great nation and we have the chance to be great again."
One man hoping a strong finish in New Hampshire will secure his place in the top tier of the Republican pack - Marco Rubio at a Superbowl-watching party on Sunday night… But a victory here doesn't always guarantee success - Hillary Clinton's win back in 2008's proof of that.
Nonetheless, convincing the notoriously hard-to-impress New Hampshirites you've got what it takes is no easy feat - that's why in these parts, they say the people of Iowa pick corn, the people of New Hampshire pick presidents. Lorna Shaddick, Manchester, New Hampshire.