PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Most analysts think that only three viable candidates will emerge from the New Hampshire primary, which makes an already close race for third all the more interesting. Three candidates are in a tough fight for that last ticket to the seven Feb. 3 races.
John Edwards (search), who surprised many pundits in Iowa with a second place finish, is hoping for that third spot, having never expected, say his advisers, of having a chance to finish first or second in New Hampshire against regional politicians Howard Dean (search) of Vermont and John Kerry (search) of Massachusetts.
Also hoping for that third place spot are Wesley Clark (search) and Joe Lieberman (search). Polls show them locked in close battle.
"Wesley Clark has kind of squandered the lead he had for that third place spot," said Andy Smith, survey director for the University of New Hampshire. "Edwards has been working hard over the past week and he's gone from eight to 14 percent, so he's moving up and doing a good job. Lieberman bumped up and now dropped down again."
In the run-up to Tuesday, Clark campaigned in all 10 New Hampshire counties in a final push for votes. Lieberman began airing a commercial selling himself as the choice of independents — a direct appeal to an estimated 80,000 undeclared voters in the state.
Lieberman has run in fifth place for weeks, but is counting on a late surge fueled by late-breaking independent voters.
Click here to watch a fair and balanced report by Fox News' Major Garrett.
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