The Clinton Spin
Make no mistake: even a narrow Bernie Sanders victory in today's New Hampshire primary would be an enormous upset.
If you can’t win New Hampshire, at least you can spin New Hampshire. That’s very clearly the strategy for Hillary Clinton, who came into today’s primary trailing Bernie Sanders by an average of fourteen points in the polls.
Given the size of his lead, it will be tempting for the media to present a smaller Sanders victory as a “virtual win” for Clinton. Here are three reasons to reject that narrative.
1. Sanders’s “home field advantage” in New Hampshire has likely been very modest.
Traditionally, journalists and pundits have assumed New England candidates hold a major regional advantage over other candidates in New Hampshire. In 1992, Bill Clinton successfully depicted himself as the “comeback kid” after losing the state by only 8 percent to Massachusetts senator Paul Tsongas.
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