Residents here take pride in waiting until they’ve had a chance to see all of the candidates, often multiple times, before getting behind somebody. Several candidates are first starting to ramp up their efforts in the state and there are so many variables between now and election day. And when it comes time to vote here, Iowans will have already started to sort out the field in ways that we can now only guess.

Talking to voters at a Rubio event in Nashua on Wednesday night, even those who described themselves as completely undecided were echoing many familiar criticisms of Trump — that he’s arrogant, narcissistic and not even a Republican.

“Donald Trump is saying a lot of things that people like to hear, but there isn’t a lot of substance to back up the statements,” said Richard Harrington of Nashua.

Barry Devine of Goffstown said, “I don’t want him sitting across the table from [Vladimir] Putin. It would be a third world war. You don’t tell the president of Russia to go screw himself. I don’t think he’s got the temperament.”