I was listening this morning (of course!) to hear the stunning New Hampshire primary broken down and was taken with one of the observations (though I can longer remember by whom it was said!). He noted that what was most interesting about the elections thus far – both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary – is that it turns out that what really matters are not commercials, or polls, or pundits but rather voters. In both Iowa and New Hampshire voters went to the polls and made their choices. They issued something of rebuke to the pollsters and pundits who wanted to crown a winner before the voters had a chance to speak. Senator Hillary Clinton was seen as inevitable before Iowa, was being counted out before New Hampshire, and is now in a close two-person (not two-man!) race. The Republican race is wide open – Iowa voters liked Governor Huckabee, New Hampshireites choose Senator McCain, again denying those who would have the contest wrapped up before it really starts.

Now the campaign moves on, and on and on. And now that voting has begun (rather than polling), the campaign is where it belongs – in the hands of the voters. I’ll be watching (and listening!).