Beginning to look a lot like Clinton

105 minutes is a long time in politics. What looks like an aberration at 1am (GMT) begins to look a lot like a trend by 2:45am. And at 2:45am, Hillary Clinton is up by 3% over Barack Obama in New Hampshire. The lead hasn't moved significantly all night, and it can't be dismissed at this point. By the time anybody other than Westmonster has read this piece, Westmonster predicts Hillary Clinton will have won the New Hampshire primary.

If Westmonster's LATE prediction comes true, it will be a spectacular turnaround — today's polls had Clinton down by anywhere from 5% to 13%, and falling.

Exit polls show that 57% of the Democratic electorate tonight was female, and pundits are starting to speculate that 'twar Clinton's Monday tears what brought her back.

As for what this means for the rest of the Democratic primary campaign, it's anybody's guess. Obama has a huge advantage in South Carolina, but this game is about momentum and South Carolina is two weeks away. The only intervening event is next week's Nevada caucus, which rides on a union endorsement expected to come tomorrow (and which, up til tonight, was expected to go to Obama).

Westmonster wears the predicator's hat reluctantly, especially given all of tonight's votes ain't counted yet. But if we're willing to walk out on a limb (in exchange for some sweet, sweet sleep), we'll predict a long, protracted, bloody battle for the nomination.

And, as for which way the wind will blow, we don't know. We don't know.