For the Clintons, New Hampshire is the state of second chances

Politics

For the Clintons, New Hampshire is the state of second chances

For nearly 25 years, New Hampshire has been the backdrop for some of the most memorable Clinton comebacks, pleas, denials, hustle, glory and drama. Now those ghosts of primaries past are trailing Hillary Clinton as she tries — perhaps, one last time — to pull off another one for the books. As polling in the final days found a possible tightening in Clinton’s contest with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, it was hard not to hear the faint echoes of history.

Comparisons between her efforts now and her husband’s then would be unavoidable. Bill Clinton’s climb in New Hampshire was credited to his ability to connect with white, working-class voters. At the moment, Hillary Clinton’s weakness is with those working-class voters. Her campaign spent the final days in New Hampshire trying to win over middle-income, middle-aged and working parents. But Clinton’s struggle with connection isn’t unique to New Hampshire. Nearly one-third of potential New Hampshire voters were either not old enough to vote or lived in another state in 2008, according to an analysis by the University of New Hampshire’s Carsey School of Public Policy. That distance may be Clinton’s problem in adding a third chapter to the story.