MANCHESTER, N.H. - In the weeks after the 2008 election, it seemed as if President Obama had permanently yanked independent-minded New Hampshire out of the reach of Republicans.
But much has changed since he won here four years ago. Republicans surged back to power in the state Capitol in 2010, and Mitt Romney's campaign views the state as an opportunity to pry four electoral votes from Obama in November.
At an abandoned 19th-century bridge that was repaired with $150,000 of federal stimulus money, Romney sought to tap into the one thing that gets voters here riled up: wasteful spending. "This is the absolute Bridge to Nowhere if ever was one," he said. "That's your stimulus dollars at work."
Romney is hoping his message of lower taxes and less regulation and an emphatic denunciation of Obama's economic record is in sync with voters. Aides have identified it as potentially crucial to victory in a close election.
He is also betting that his personal connection to the state -- a family vacation home in Wolfboro, N.H. -- will help him.
Michael Dennehy, a GOP operative, said: "I think it's going to be a very close race -- 2, 3, 4 points, maximum."
That would fit, historically. In 1992, Bill Clinton won the state by about 1 percentage point. In 2000, George W. Bush won by about the same amount. John Kerry won by about 2 percentage points. And polls suggest it will be a close race again this year.
NEW YORK TIMES
