Clinton, McCain TakeNew Hampshire Primaries

An expected distant loss by Clinton had some pundits speculating she would then virtually sit out upcoming contests in Nevada on Jan. 19 and South Carolina on Jan. 26.

Now, however, the two states rise to "must play" status; a Clinton spokeswoman said on Fox News late Tuesday that the senator would compete in both locales.

For Obama, his momentum takes a hit, and with his supposed strong support in New Hampshire failing to materialize to its fullest, polls in South Carolina showing him with a double-digit lead are called into question.

Indeed, the certainty in both parties' contests for the nomination now seems to come from the bottom rather than the top: For the Democrats, it's now difficult to see all but three viable candidates and Edwards, who vowed Tuesday to stay in the race through the convention, is clearly in need of a victory somewhere soon.

Recent polls have Edwards a distant third in his home state of South Carolina.

McCain's win breathes new, if still uncertain, life into his campaign, while Romney and Huckabee work to narrow the field to each other. Huckabee was leading a recent Rasmussen poll in South Carolina over McCain, with Romney third.

But other candidates, such as Giuliani and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson, who garnered just 1% of the New Hampshire vote, face an even higher hurdle to continue their campaigns.