Biden has been dark on New Hampshire television since the New Year. He has a smaller presence on the ground compared to his rivals, barely takes questions from voters, and he’s trailing in the polls here.

Biden’s New Hampshire media buys, events and overall footprint indicates it’s the early state that’s getting relatively short shrift so he can more effectively contest the other three before Super Tuesday…

New Hampshire has always been a tough state for the Democrat. When he was considering a 2016 bid, internal polling showed he would do badly there — in part because he would face neighboring state Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Now Biden faces Sanders and another next-door senator, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, along with former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

“The reality is New Hampshire is home court for two top-tier candidates — plus Gov. Patrick — and the last three times a neighboring state candidate has competed in New Hampshire, they won,” said Steve Schale, who heads the pro-Biden super PAC, which does not coordinate with the campaign. “It’s also a very expensive and inefficient state for communicating, given 80% of state is in the Boston media market.”