Page 7 - at
P. 7
U.S. NEWS A7
Tuesday 9 February 2016
After Rubio stumbles, rivals see opening in New Hampshire
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will gain momentum head- On NBC’s “Meet The Press” The morning after, Christie
works to charge up a crowd during a campaign stop in a high ing into the next contests Sunday, Trump said wa- declared the Republican
school cafeteria in Londonderry, N.H. in South Carolina and Ne- terboarding, accepted as contest a changed race.
vada which have markedly torture internationally and “There was a march
(AP Photo/Jim Cole) more diverse populations. now forbidden by U.S. law, amongst some in the chat-
Among the Republicans, is “peanuts” compared to tering class to anoint Sen.
MANCHESTER, New Hamp- which continues to deal Rubio was downplaying his what Islamic State group Rubio,” Christie said on
shire (AP) — Marco Ru- with the fallout from a lead- rough outing in Saturday members practice. CNN’s State of the Union.
bio’s uneven debate contaminated water sys- night’s debate, while tout- Rubio is trying to fend off “I think after last night,
performance just days tem. She called the water ing his overall campaign challenges from New Jer- that’s over.” Christie and
before Tuesday’s pivotal crisis in the predominantly momentum after his third- sey Gov. Chris Christie, his fellow governors need
New Hampshire primary black city “immoral” and place finish in Iowa, hoping Ohio Gov. John Kasich that to be the case, given
has emboldened a trio of demanded that Congress to use that momentum to and former Florida Gov. that they’ve staked their
governors seeking to stem approve $200 million in boost his chances in Tues- Jeb Bush. In the debate, White House hopes on
his rise in the Republican- emergency aid to fix the day’s contest. Christie unleashed wither- New Hampshire. Without a
race for president. But if pipes. Clinton said she was Trump, who finished sec- ing attacks on the first-term strong showing, each will
Rubio’s rivals can slow him making a “personal com- ond to Cruz in Iowa, was Florida senator, questioning face enormous pressure to
in New Hampshire, they mitment” to help Flint in pleased with his debate whether Rubio has the ex- drop out of the race from
are likely to leave the Re- a message delivered not performance and place perience and policy depth Republican Party leaders
publicanrace with a mud- only to the congregants at atop New Hampshire’s Re- to serve as president — or eager to rally around a
dled mix of establishment a local Baptist church but publican polls, and he dou- whether he’s simply a well- single candidate more ac-
contenders and no clear also a more heavily-minor- bled down Sunday on his spoken lightweight. Christie ceptable to the party es-
favorite to challenge out- ity electorate in upcoming call for the U.S. to reinstitute tripped up Rubio by calling tablishment who can chal-
siders Donald Trump and Southern primary contests waterboarding and even him out in real-time for his lenge Cruz and Trump, the
Ted Cruz. In the Demo- that could help her build a harsher treatment for inter- reliance on rehearsed talk- top-two finishers in the Iowa
cratic race, Hillary Clinton foundation for accumulat- rogating foreign prisoners. ing points. caucuses.q
found herself trailing Ver- ing enough delegates to
mont Sen. Bernie Sanders secure nomination at the
by large margins in New party’s national conven-
Hampshire polls after nar- tion. Sanders, a self-de-
rowly winning last Mon- scribed Democratic social-
day’s lead-off Iowa cau- ist, tried to prevent Clinton
cuses. Clinton aides worry from cutting into his lead in
that a big Sanders victory New Hampshire. He drew
in the state could help him another large crowd Sun-
make headway among day in Portsmouth, where
women and minority vot- he reprised his indictment
ers, important parts of the of a “rigged economy”
coalition that twice elect- and “corrupt campaign fi-
ed Barack Obama as presi- nance system.”
dent. Sanders’ strength with New Hampshire tradition-
younger voters only height- ally hosts the first presiden-
ens the threat he poses to tial primary election on
what was once Clinton’s the campaign calendar,
decisive national lead. offering a clue into what
Clinton took a detour Sun- Americans want in their
day to Flint, Michigan, next president. The winners
