U.S. political races 'wide open'

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- The helter-skelter scramble of the U.S. presidential race has analysts for both parties saying polls are pretty much meaningless, The Washington Post reported.

Surprises at last week's Iowa caucuses and this week's New Hampshire primaries led pollsters for both parties to use the same description of the races: "wide open."

"It's a wide-open, pitched battle," Democratic pollster Mark Mellman told the Post. "I wouldn't give anybody a dime for their predictions."

Republican pollster Neil Newhouse had similar views on his party's situation.

"There is less certainty about who the Republican front-runner is now than there was a year ago," Newhouse said. "The race is just as wide-open as it was a year ago."

The next contests are in Nevada on Jan. 19 and South Carolina on Jan. 26. On Feb. 5, nearly two dozen states vote, including California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Missouri, Georgia and Arkansas.