The G.O.P. Establishment Has a Big New Hampshire Problem
The large number of moderate, establishment-friendly candidates competing in New Hampshire might split the mainstream vote, preventing any one candidate from consolidating enough support to win.
.. But there are other dangers, too, like the possibility that a relatively moderate candidate, like Mr. Kasich, could finish above mainstream candidates who are more acceptable to the establishment.
.. The best case for the establishment, of course, would be if a mainstream candidate won the state and became the clear favorite of party elites in the process, but a strong second-place showing by an acceptable candidate would probably suffice. A strong second place for a candidate acceptable to the party would winnow the moderate wing of the field and position that candidate to ultimately consolidate party support and take a lead later in the primary season.