Presidential Candidates Push For Votes Ahead Of New Hampshire Primary
MANCHESTER, N.H. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Activity was frantic in New Hampshire Monday night, as Democrats and Republicans battled for position in the Granite State's first-in-the-nation primary.
Reporting from New Hampshire, CBS2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer interviewed the candidates from the Tri-State Area who want to be president.
The latest survey of likely Republican voters gives Trump 30 percent in New Hampshire, according to the Monmouth University poll.
But Trump said he is taking nothing for granted and is working hard for votes.
"I hope I win tomorrow -- we're expecting, we hope -- but we're having very bad weather coming in so we'll see what happens," Trump said.
Trump was gave a huge get-out-the-vote rally at the Verizon Wireless Arena Monday night. He also appeared Monday night at the Lions Club in Londonderry, New Hampshire, telling 100 or so voters that if elected, the U.S. will not take a global back seat to anyone, 1010 WINS' Al Jones reported.
"We're not going to be the stupid people anymore. We're not going to have the stupid leaders anymore. We're going to have people – we have the greatest businesspeople in the world right here," Trump said.
But there is more at stake for Trump in New Hampshire than just winning. The results could thin the herd and make some low performers drop out, Trump told Kramer.
"Yes, it will reduce the field," Trump said. "There will be some people dropping out."
Ohio Gov. John Kasich is polling at 14 percent, followed by Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush who both have 13 percent, and Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz with 12 percent.
Trump would obviously like Bush to take a hike. Trump reserved special venom for Bush.
"Jeb's a stiff. I mean, Jeb couldn't get a job if he weren't a politician," Trump said. "He's ashamed to use his last name."
A strong performance is also critical for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. He came in sixth place with six percent of the votes, but he hopes his latest celebrity endorsement will give him the boost needed for a strong performance in New Hampshire.
Christie told Kramer he has been campaigning hard and shaking as many hands as possible.
"We got a lot more work to do... we feel good we've worked real hard up here in New Hampshire, people have gotten to know me really well, so we're looking forward to Tuesday," Christie said.
Christie has also put in significant time in New Hampshire. His wife, Mary Pat, remembers pregnancy due dates of supporters.
Christie said his campaign has signs and volunteers all around.
When visiting a coffee shop in Hampstead, New Hampshire, Christie was welcomed by about a dozen union workers from New Jersey waiting outside, protesting.
But that didn't slow the governor down. While inside, Christie used the protest to his advantage, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported.
"And how about those characters outside, man?" Christie said. "I'm under siege every day. And I am ready."
Later at a high-tech company in Manchester, Christie had a veiled critique of the other candidates.
"You want someone who could beat Hillary Clinton, and you want someone then who can sit down and have the maturity and the energy and the aggressiveness to protect our country, and to put us back in the right spot," Christie said.
Christie also had an unexpected encounter with another candidate. Democrat Vermin Supreme, who is known for going around with a rubber boot on his head and carrying a big toothbrush. Supreme asked Christie how he feels about tooth-brushing.
"I think it's important for me to brush your teeth," Christie told him.
Christie was also joined Monday at a town hall meeting in Hudson by Buddy Valastro, star of the TLC reality show "Cake Boss.'' Valastro praised Christie's leadership in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and his ability to get things done in a heavily Democratic state.
"We need someone who's going to cut through the bullcrap and bring people together," Valastro said.
At an Exeter bar on Sunday, Christie said he is looking to defy expectations, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported.
"I have been underestimated at every stage of my political career," Christie said.
On the Democratic side, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont), a Brooklyn native, leads Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state and U.S. senator representing New York, by 10 points in the Monmouth poll. Last month, Sanders had a 14-point lead.
Sanders was going full force, saying that his campaign successes are a sign that a political revolution is taking place, 1010 WINS Steve Kastenbaum reported.
"We have received 3.5 million individual contributions, more than any other candidate in the history of the United States of America up to this point in elections," Sanders said.
But Clinton was not ready to concede in New Hampshire.
"I'm asking people to really consider this a job interview – who's ready to do the job on day one?" Clinton said.
She said she got some help from a 9-year-old Sunnyside, Queens girl who canvassed with her parents door-to-door. The girl, Amelia Gioia, said she was able to persuade a Sanders opponent to switch.
"She said, 'I'm voting for Bernie Sanders because I like his ideas.' I said: 'I completely agree with you – Bernie Sanders has amazing ideas, except if he's president, I'm pretty sure that he's not going to get many of his ideas done. Hillary has pretty much the same ideas, except I think she's going to get them done,'" Amelia said.
Undecided voters continued to weigh their options Monday.
"It's a lot of work, there are a lot of problems and I'm trying to find the best problem solver," one voter said.
"As a Republican I'm looking for more of a in the middle conservative, very rational thinker," another voter said.
Voters in New Hampshire are known for making a decision at the very last minute and with so many still undecided the outcome in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary remains unclear.
On Monday night, there were two big questions about the primary coming Tuesday. One was what effect that the snowstorm hitting New England will have on turnout -- the snow is expected to last into early Tuesday and most areas will see several inches, with up to 8 inches possible in coastal areas.
The other question is what the nine residents of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire will do. They all vote at midnight, and are expected to have a 100 percent turnout.
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