Wednesday, January 9, 2008; A06

National political reporter Joel Achenbach is set loose on the Granite State to chronicle the New Hampshire primary.

NASHUA -- No real campaigning today, just photo ops, street demonstrations, chanting, speculation and prayers. We have again hazarded the future of the country to actual citizens, which is the mark of a mature democracy, but with the large asterisk that only the citizens of a small New England state get to decide. It's like near beer: not entirely satisfying, but better than nothing.

Eager to get back home, a campaign trail scribbler nonetheless must confess a certain disappointment with this year's New Hampshire primary. Secretary of State Bill Gardner may have made the wrong decision about the date. By state law, he had to set it at least seven days prior to any "similar election." In his judgment, Michigan's Jan. 15 primary is a similar election.

But the Jan. 8 date gave New Hampshire only four full days of campaigning after the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses. It's all been a mad dash without much of a story line other than Obamamania (if someone reports that he walked on water, please note that it is because the lakes are frozen). Gardner could have said that Michigan is not really "similar," because the Democrats are skipping it. He could have set the primary for Jan. 10. People are capable of voting on a Thursday.

Back to the contest at hand: John McCain's bus just pulled into a polling place on Broad Street, and McCain dived into the media scrum and disappeared from sight. It is possible that he was devoured by camera people; later I'll look for the bones.

Off to the side stood a white-haired gentleman holding a "McCain" placard. But this was no ordinary volunteer -- it was Fred Malek, the big-cheese Republican (and would-be Washington Nationals owner). He said he's co-chairman of McCain's campaign. "Chairman" is often a somewhat honorary title in a presidential operation.

"I finally found my proper role in the campaign -- sign carrier," Malek said. His wife, Marlene, was on sign duty, as well. "I'd do anything for John McCain," she said.

Mr. Malek predicted a McCain win today and huge momentum.

"He doesn't have to win Michigan" -- Mitt Romney has a native-state advantage there -- "but I think he will. You can't underestimate the momentum that's going to be generated by a victory here."

Does McCain have enough money to compete in the large states?

"It's picking up. Nothing like a little success to open the money faucets."

MERRIMACK -- Time for some very unscientific exit polling and interviews. In recent days, a number of New Hampshire voters told The Trail that they hadn't made up their minds. Now they have.

Ray Rich, 57, an artist and Republican from Hillsboro, said Friday at the Mike Huckabee event in Henniker that he liked Romney's stance on Social Security. But today Rich turned against Romney. "I voted for John McCain, because I thought he had the best chance of beating Romney," Rich said. "I received countless [pre-recorded] phone calls from the Romney campaign, and the feeling I got from them was a very cold feeling. They were extremely negative, slamming other candidates. I was just so put off by that that I attempted to strategically vote to block him."

Caren Swanson, 28, a librarian in Andover, said at a John Edwards rally in Lebanon on Saturday that she agrees with Dennis Kucinich on most policy issues. But she thought she might vote for someone more viable, such as Edwards or Barack Obama. She stayed up until 1:30 a.m. today deliberating, and finally decided on the candidate she saw in person yesterday afternoon: Obama. She found him charismatic and able to connect with people.

"I think he could be a positive voice, bringing America together, which I think America really needs right now," she said. "There's so much bitterness from these extreme groups."

She added, "Race was also part of it for me. I'm tempted by Kucinich and Edwards, but how can I vote for a white man when I have an opportunity to vote for a woman or a person of color? . . . I couldn't pass up the opportunity to vote for a person who is more representative of the diversity we're living in, both in the country and in the world."

Susan Adie, 48, a registered nurse from Hudson who is an independent, said at a Romney event Friday night that she voted for President Bush in 2004 and typically votes Republican. This year she was thinking about going for Obama, but she didn't.

"It was a surprise, right at the last minute, but I ended up voting for Ron Paul. The deciding factor at the last minute was that I definitely didn't want socialized medicine, so Obama was out. And Romney seems to be so out of touch about gay rights."

She said she likes Ron Paul's ideas about the war, education and health care. I asked what she meant by "the last minute."

"In the booth," she said. "I had to circle one."

Kate Devine, a physician in Lyme, spent all afternoon and evening Monday reading debate transcripts and candidate position papers. She went into the booth thinking she might vote for Kucinich, but did so instead for Edwards. "I want Edwards to stay in the race. I like his message about reducing corporate power."

Judy MacHardy, a retiree in Durham, did some comparison shopping Sunday between Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. She left Obama's rally in Exeter feeling "up and inspired," and thought she'd probably vote for him. But Clinton blew her away at the rally in Hampton.

"She just was so knowledgeable and so in tune with the issues and so clear in her explanations," she said. "I think Obama is very inspirational, and very charismatic, more so than Hillary, but I learned more and I felt more comfortable listening to her answers."

Carol Cohen, 51, who works in sales in Bow, had been solid for Edwards after hearing him in Concord on Saturday. Then she saw the news last night.

"Watching her let her strong facade crack last night on the news, and actually show how personally committed she is, was a turning point for me. When I got in the booth I spent a long time thinking about it, and I went for Hillary."

Sarah Peteraf, 20, a college student from Hanover, cast an absentee ballot Monday for Obama, hoping to help prevent Clinton from winning. "Basically the race was a little too tight between Obama and Hillary to vote for Edwards right now," she said, "despite my alignment with Edwards policies."

Sharon Smith, a social worker from Rye, was impressed when she saw Obama in Exeter, but that night she watched the cable news and also decided that she was more comfortable with Clinton's experience.

"I don't know who Obama's people are. I know Hillary will choose good people to be with her," she said. "I was concerned about what he's going to do when the speeches are over."

MANCHESTER -- Rudy Giuliani, getting out of town quick after his phoned-in New Hampshire bid left him fighting Ron Paul for fourth place, just had his "rally" with a hundred or so supporters in the Radisson Hotel. Ten middle-age white men stood behind the former New York mayor as he vowed to win his party's nomination. He said he's heading to Florida and will announce dramatic new proposals.

"This race is a wide-open race!" he said.

He noted that he has been tested by crises in the past, and then he came up with a novel spin on his weak finish.

"Maybe we've lulled our opponents into a false sense of confidence now."