(See also: “Hillary wins round 2, shocking the Obama crowd” on Blast’s PSA Blog)

NASHUA, N.H. — Senator Hillary Clinton took an early lead and held on to defeat Senator Barack Obama.

The Associated press was the first to call the race for Clinton, NBC News followed before CNN around 11 p.m.

Obama was hoping to get a boost from college towns, but in the end he came up short.

Former Senator John Edwards finished a distant and disappointing third with about 17 percent of the vote.

Senator John McCain has won among the Republicans, it is projected. Iowa winner Mike Huckabee looks to finish third ahead of Rudy Giuliani

Turnout has been upwards of 70 percent statewide — over 500,000 votes.

McCain gave his victory speech around 9:30 p.m. local time. No word from Mitt Romney. Senator Obama conceded around 11 p.m.

Though he talked about winning and had the crowd cheering "Mich-i-gan" and "Mac-Is-Back," his enthusiasm giving a prepared speech seemed to be lacking … his crowd didn’t seem to mind though.

As the world looks to New Hampshire, turn to BLAST.

Stick with Blast’s political blogs, PSA and Touch of Class for more developments.

Blast’s reporters be updating their stories all night as returns come in and reactions start.

Trevor Timm reported from Nashua, N.H. Blast Magazine staff writers Heidi Buchanan and John Guilfoil and correspondents Colin Vallance, Kellen Rice and Ryan Rice contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON — In what could become one of the most spectacular front-runner failures in presidential politics, rivaling that of Howard Dean in 2004 and Edward Muskie 1972, Hillary Clinton is now rumored to be considering whether or not to drop out of the election if she suffers a heavy loss in New Hampshire as she did in Iowa.

Senator Clinton is facing double defeats in Iowa and New Hampshire if current polls are indicative of the way the Tuesday night primary election will swing with Senator Barack Obama currently leading the way in New Hampshire with 39 percent to Clinton’s 29 percent in the most recent polls. (CNN, January 5).

Insiders are rumored to be split on the issue with advisers like James Carville who led her husband’s campaigns “urging her to fight it out through at least February and Super Tuesday, where she has a shot at thwarting Barack Obama in a big state” according to the Drudge Report.

“She can’t take multiple double-digit losses in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada,” laments one top campaign insider told the Drudge Report. “If she gets too badly embarrassed, it will really harm her. She doesn’t want the Clinton brand to be damaged with back-to-back-to-back defeats.”

Officially, Senator Clinton’s campaign has indicated that she has no reason whatsoever to drop out after only one loss. But with her national lead eroding, and fundraising numbers down it, will be interesting to watch how her strategy changes to handle her shattered myth of her inevitability. Given her show of emotion at an event in New Hampshire last night, her patriotism and passion finally showing through her thick skin, the speculation of her withdrawal is likely just that…