Iowa, N.H. brandish political influence

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Iowa and New Hampshire, usually out of the spotlight, become political novas as the first sites for picking presidential nominees, the Gallup Organization said.

Results from the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary have the potential to shift national preferences, sometimes in a dramatic fashion, Gallup, based in Washington, said Thursday.

Since 1936, Gallup has polled national Republicans' and Democrats' presidential nomination preferences. But it was not until 1972 that primary- and caucus-voters enjoyed a say in choosing their parties' nominees.

Since that election, Gallup said, it hasn't been unusual for national nomination preferences to change after the Iowa and New Hampshire nominating contests, especially if there's a surprise result -- such as peanut farmer and former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter winning Iowa over political heavyweight Hubert Humphrey in 1976.