Light crowds thronged South Main Street yesterday, as presidential hopeful Joe Lieberman visited local eateries to gain an edge on the undecided vote crucial to the upcoming New Hampshire primary.
The Connecticut senator, flanked by local and national media, attempted to casually converse with New Hampshire voters as he strolled down South Main Street and visited local business establishments. His walking tour began at the Dirt Cowboy Caf and over the course of an hour led to Molly's, Lou's and Murphy's on the Green.
Lieberman introduced himself to scores of voters, and exchanged casual conversation while pitching his bid for the Democratic nomination.
En route to Molly's, Lieberman stopped before the town offices and made remarks about his confidence and "optimism" in what he described as a "wide-open race."
The senator described his campaign stop as "closing arguments" amid "a rising tide of support."
Many voters appeared surprised to see Lieberman in New Hampshire on the day of the Iowa caucus meetings, but Lieberman replied that he had great faith in the "independent spirit of Granite Staters."
While the decision not to campaign in Iowa left him in single digits in the last polls coming out of Iowa, Lieberman said he will win the New Hampshire primary Jan. 27.
Coming out on top will be critical for Lieberman's campaign, which has seen decreased national media attention in recent weeks because of low poll numbers and much time off the networks and airwaves..
With the Iowa caucuses now decided, new poll numbers from New Hampshire could give Lieberman the momentum he needs to secure the state and reenter the national spotlight.
To do that, though, Lieberman will have to gain a significant portion of the undecided vote in New Hampshire.
Attracting those votes could largely determine the outcome of the nation's first primary.
When asked what he had to say to Dartmouth students with just over a week remaining in his New Hampshire campaign, Lieberman told onlookers, "[Dartmouth's] a great group--I'm quite impressed."
He added, "They've been a wonderful part of my campaign, and I'm grateful to them.
"I hope anybody at Dartmouth who can vote comes and votes. It's going to be real important to yourfuture."
