Democrat Barack Obama goes into Tuesday’s primary already benefiting from his first-place victory in the Iowa caucuses. Independent and undecided New Hampshire voters already felt more comfortable settling on Obama as their choice.

Gill Schilling — a registered independent who teaches at a technical institute — had been leaning toward Hillary Clinton of New York since last winter. But after hearing Obama’s pitch at his arrival rally, Schilling decided to switch to Obama now.

“He makes me feel good, safe and encouraged,” Schilling said. “He can unite us.”

In a poll by a local newspaper, Obama is leading by 41 per cent of the total undeclared voters surveyed, followed by Clinton at 29 per cent and John Edwards, the third front-runner, by 17 per cent.

Experts say Obama’s projection as a candidate who could unite the country has encouraged independent voters to choose him.

Dante Scala, a political scientist at the University of New Hampshire, predicted that Obama’s promise to unite the country plays better among voters who are “not strongly attached to one party.” Scala said, “Independent voters are leaning toward Obama. He is the ‘Change Candidate’, and that is appealing to people.”

Kuhn Georis, an 83-year-old independent voter, had been vacillating among the candidates. But she was now certain about her choice. “Obama’s emphasis on change,” she said, “is what we really need.”