Democratic turnout in NH expected to be higher as Republicans falter there, too

One of the biggest stories from Iowa was the massive turnout for Democrats -- especially when compared to Republicans. John did some math and showed that even Clinton's third place numbers nearly doubled Huckabee's winning totals. Looks like we'll see a similar outcome in NH. New Hampshire's Secretary of State is predicting a higher Democratic turnout -- and that NH's independents will break by a wide margin to Democrats: 90,000 to 60,000.

That lack of enthusiasm among Repubs. seems to be contagious. NH Democrats held a pre-primary dinner last night. It sounded wild. Over 3,000 people attended including leading Democrats. The Caucus has a couple posts on the reactions to Clinton and Obama. But, James Pindell who writes the Boston Globe's Primary Source blog (a great primary resource for the next couple days, btw) reports that the GOP's efforts at a similar dinner were hapless, just like the GOP. More after the break.

While the major Democrats showed up for the NH Democratic Party, none of the major Republican candidates were on hand to help their struggling NH operation. It wasn't so long ago that New Hampshire was a rock-ribbed GOP bastion. Those days are so over:

The state Republican Party wanted to have a blow out fund-raiser themselves. They do need the money. Until its current chairman the party was in debt and hardly could hire more than a few staff.

At this blow-out fund-raiser John McCain is not scheduled to attend. Nor are Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee or Rudy Giuliani. Nope. Just Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter.

At a time when many in the national media are focusing on the difference in caucus turnout in the parties in Iowa, there are differences in New Hampshire as well.