New Hampshire Could Give McCain a Jolt

John McCain’s candidacy may be getting dragged through the mud lately, but the presidential hopeful might have an ace up his electoral sleeve—New Hampshire. The Granite State has a history of rescuing listless frontrunners, the Boston Globe reports, and the straight talker understands the state’s importance better than anyone.

He’s pulled off an upset in New Hampshire before—besting Bush in 2000—and may be attempting to repeat his August putsch with two consecutive weekends in the state, where independent voting rolls are surging. But this time around, he’ll have to follow the formula of Al Gore and John Kerry, who fended off surging underdogs Bill Bradley and Howard Dean by staying staid in New England. (More John McCain stories.)