Dan Balz: “Something is missing in New Hampshire. If there is real competition here, few can sense it. On this final weekend before Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation primary election, a time when presidential candidates should be in a frenzied push to persuade voters, the state is unusually quiet.”
“After taking it slowly for days, Nikki Haley, fighting to deny former president Donald Trump a second overwhelming victory after the Iowa caucuses, was on the move, finally, with a series of Saturday stops. Trump’s day called for a single rally in Manchester. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis skipped out to spend the day in South Carolina, where polls show him faring moderately better but whose primary isn’t until late February.”
“Veterans of past New Hampshire primaries are puzzled by what they have seen this week. They are especially curious about Haley’s overall strategy here and her decision not to participate in two scheduled debates, including one on WMUR-TV, the dominant channel in the state. That choice alone upended the traditional rhythm of the final week of campaigning and potentially robbed Haley of the opportunity to reach the unaffiliated voters she needs to win.”
Tom Lobianco: Conflicting signs of Republican enthusiasm in New Hampshire primary.
