Both NH Victories Were Huge

Sanders' primary win made history in more than one way
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 10, 2016 3:16 AM CST
Both NH Victories Were Huge
Bernie Sanders waves to the crowd before speaking during a primary night watch party at Concord High School.   (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Highlighting just how unusual this election has become, the New Hampshire primary was not only won by two anti-establishment outsiders, it was won by two outsiders who crushed the opposition by huge, possibly record-breaking margins. With Donald Trump almost 20 points ahead with around 90% of results in, his victory is the biggest win in the state's GOP primary since John McCain defeated George W. Bush in 2000, and possibly the biggest since Ronald Reagan defeated Bush's father in 1980, the Washington Post reports. Bernie Sanders' lead of more than 20 points over Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, is the "biggest margin of victory in a contested Democratic primary in history," a Sanders staffer tells Politico. More:

  • Bernie Sanders has become the first Jewish candidate—and the first non-Christian—ever to win a primary, reports the Week, which notes that the Iowa caucuses delivered the first-ever female winner with Hillary Clinton, and the first Latino with Ted Cruz.

  • This was a massive victory for Trump, who "proved tonight he can win," writes Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post, while Sanders also showed he's capable of winning—if he can win over minority voters.
  • Politico highlights some key numbers that explain how Sanders and Trump won. Two big ones: Trump scored 65% among voters who rated "tells it like it is" as a candidate's most important quality, while Sanders had an amazing 91% among voters who rated honesty as most important.
  • Sanders also won decisively among men, women, independents, and voters under 45, the AP reports, while Clinton came out on top among voters over 65.
  • Another winner, according to Cillizza, is Michael Bloomberg, who will be more likely to launch a third-party bid if either Trump or Sanders becomes their party's nominee.
  • The New York Times notes that Trump's win has left New Hampshire GOP leaders "perplexed and appalled," not least because he defied tradition by spending relatively little time in the state, with only Ben Carson holding fewer events.
(More New Hampshire stories.)

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