From Chris Cillizza at the Post:
State election officials predicted a record turnout of 500,000, as warm temperatures and extraordinary interest in the campaign appears to be driving voters to the polls. But independent voters, who were widely seen as the not-so-secret weapons of Obama and McCain, do not appear to make up any greater proportion of Granite State voters than they did in 2000 when both parties held contested presidential primaries, according to early exit polling.
As in last week's Iowa caucuses, Democrats are citing "change" as the most important trait in selecting their candidate in today's presidential primary, while Republicans are choosing leadership and personal qualities narrowly over specific issue stances when picking their candidate.
Unlike Iowa, however, early exit polling suggests that the Democratic electorate is neither considerably younger nor populated with more first-time primary voters than it was four years ago.
Dissatisfaction with the Bush Administration runs strongly through both party primaries, a further symbol of the seeming change nature of these elections. More than six in 10 Democrats pronounced themselves "angry" at President Bush's policies while more than half of Republican described themselves as either dissatisfied or angry.
