'Tomorrow: boom boom'

11 February 2016 - 02:58 By Reuters

Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders coasted to victory on a wave of voter anger in the New Hampshire presidential nominating contest, thrashing traditional US politicians in a display of anti-establishment power. Sweeping wins by billionaire Trump and Sanders, a "democratic socialist", yesterday testified to the sizable share of voters upset at US economic conditions and willing to send a shockwave to Washington in the November 8 presidential election.New Hampshire's verdict sets up a tough fight for Republicans in South Carolina's February 20 primary and for Democrats there on February 27.Ohio governor John Kasich won the New Hampshire fight for second place in the Republican field, with US Senator Ted Cruz, of Texas, former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Senator Marco Rubio, of Florida, fighting for third place. All four are now headed to South Carolina.For Trump, New Hampshire showed he has staying power and can take a punch after losing to Cruz in the first contest, the Iowa caucuses. His win showed that pundits were wrong to think he would self-destruct based on his penchant for insults and imprecise plans for his presidency.Sanders said what his victory over former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton showed was a "message that will echo from Wall Street to Washington, from Maine to California, and that is that the government of our great country belongs to all of the people and not just a handful of wealthy campaign contributors".Clinton, a former US senator, now looks wounded. She trailed Sanders by 60 to 38 percentage points in New Hampshire.In an attempt to chip away at Clinton's strong support among African-American voters, Sanders was to meet civil rights leader Al Sharpton yesterday in New York's Harlem neighbourhood.Black voters will play a crucial role in the Democratic race in South Carolina, where more than half of the Democratic primary voters in 2008 were black.Young voters in New Hampshire liked Sanders' populist proposals for breaking up big banks and making the government pay for free college tuition."People have every right to be angry but they're also hungry, they're hungry for solutions," Clinton, 68, said after congratulating the 74-year-old Sanders.Clinton was headed to New York to prepare for a Democratic debate today.At his victory rally Trump congratulated other candidates in the race but promised to return soon to his pugnacious approach."Tomorrow - boom, boom," he said, shadow-boxing while his supporters cheered. ..

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