Lieberman banks on independent voters

CONCORD, N.H. -- Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, normally the most low-key of campaigners, pumped up a crowd of supporters by telling the story of an independent voter he had just met. "He said . . . `Don't you understand? We don't give a damn about polls in New Hampshire!' "

As the crowd cheered at Lieberman's unusually direct language, the Connecticut senator smiled broadly and added: "Now I do want to mention, parenthetically, we are going up in the polls."

As Lieberman stepped off his bus, named "Integrity One," he declared during a stop at the steps of the state Capitol that he needs only to do "better than expected." While he doesn't define what that means, a third-place or even a fourth-place finish probably would qualify. A CNN/Gallup poll released yesterday showed Lieberman tied for fourth place with Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, at 10 percent. Indeed, when the poll's margin of error was taken into account, Lieberman and Edwards were in a statistical tie with the third-place Wesley K. Clark.

Even at the lower figure, Lieberman appears to have enough support to be a factor in today's tightly contested race. He spends much of his time courting independents, who make up about a third of the state's electorate. Independents are allowed to vote in the Democratic primary under New Hampshire rules.

Two of those independents, Lisa Mindlin and Elizabeth Jones, waited for more than a half-hour in the bitter cold to hear Lieberman's message. While both women dutifully wore the Lieberman stickers that they were given, both said they were still trying to make up their minds, reflecting indecision evident among many on the day before the primary. Both said they preferred a centrist candidate, and they said Lieberman and Edwards fit in that category.

"He's on the short list," Mindlin said of Lieberman.

Michael Kranish can be reached at kranish@globe.com