on the broadcast tonight, decision day here in new hampshire. and the polls are now closed here tonight. we have results. the question here today, did the sharp new attacks on mitt romney make a difference to the voters in new hampshire? can they say that? can they show that on television? everybody watching us tonight has a stake in today's fight over decency on television. also tonight, buried under a mountain of snow. it appears as if winter has arrived all at once and all in one place. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

. good evening from our traveling headquarters in manchester, new hampshire, tonight where mitt romney is our projected winner of the first primary in the nation. while that was presumed going into tonight, it's now his second victory. we always knew tonight's story line was going to be second place. that's where we have news. ron paul is our projected second place finisher, with jon huntsman, though a man who staked it all on this state, projected third. and saying minutes ago he'll be staying in this. and it's on to south carolina. but the headline, it's a big night for mitt romney. let's start off our coverage with nbc's peter alexander. he's live from romney headquarters, university of southern new hampshire in manchester. with romney on stage right now, peter, good evening. >> brian, good evening to you.

mitt romney is clearly elated, as are his advisers with the music playing a short time ago. they were literally dancing in the aisles here. for the first time in the entire campaign cycle, he's joined on stage by his wife and all five of his sons. here's what mitt romney said just a short time ago. >> tonight, we celebrate, tomorrow we go back to work. we do remember when barack obama came to new hampshire four years ago, he promised to bring people together. he promised to change the broken system in washington. he promised to improve our nation. those were the days of lofty promises made by a hopeful candidate. today we're faced with the disappointing record of a failed president. >> reporter: mitt romney made history tonight. he's the first nonincumbent republican candidate ever to win both iowa and new hampshire, a point his advisers were quick to point out today.

but while he may have won, jon huntsman campaign tonight, brian, is insisting they have the maucomentum. a short time ago, i spoke to a senior adviser within the huntsman campaign saying mitt romney leaves this state wounded and he's in worst shape than he was when he first arrived in new hampshire. they say their candidate, jon huntsman will continue in south carolina and he continued reiterating his line, which is he puts country first and that mitt romney puts politics first. finally, newt gingrich, who is well behind the pack tonight, evidence his attacks did not succeed here in this campaign. it's obvious they will continue into south carolina. the gingrich campaign, just buying $3.4 million, specifically from his supporters, the super pac as they intend to go after mitt romney for his past efforts working as the head of bain capital, the private equity firm that bought and sold companies. an in the eyes of his opponents, too often fired their workers. brian?

. >> all right, peter alexander. at romney miss, they really do have something to celebrate here tonight. joined by david gregory and andrea mitchell. david, what does a ron paul second place finish in massachusetts, say nothing of mitt romney's victory, do for this race going forward? >> right, in new hampshire. it is a significant moment for the rest of the pack that wants to challenge romney, to be the anti-romney, the social conservative, somebody who can tie into the economic populism of the party. ron paul is the one who's doing it. he got most of the votes when it came to those voters who thought the federal budget was the biggest issue. so look, we have to realize that romney has won in iowa, he's won in i new hampshire and in both places he got the votes from people who thought the priority was the economy.

>> they nay not know jon huntsman, but they know this product, the clam shell, the container for the big mac was invented by his dad. huntsman decided to go this far on his own financing in his own campaign, but he has options now, depending on how long he thinks he should stay in. >> he was a self-made man, jon huntsman, the senior, his father, and became a billionaire on one invention and expanding it into an empire. they are going to south carolina. you heard him in peter's report. they say they're putting country and service first, not politics first. that's their take, their spin. they say mitt romney emerges from new hampshire a weaker front-runner because of all the self-inflicted wounds that they perceive. but by any stretch of the imagination, the fact that ron paul comes in second as david points out really strengthens

romney going forward because ron paul is least likely of all the challengers to be the nominee. he is an outlier, he doesn't have a traditional foreign policy position for sure. that really helps romney going forward. no real challenger. huntsman, likely the third place finisher is able to go on most likely. they say they're going on. but ron paul is where all the energy and passion is. >> mitt romney was the presumed front-runner here. he was the governor of neighboring 345 ma. but still, with a look at how the romney campaign put together tonight's victory, tamron hall has been going over the numbers we have. >> reporter: we've been getting interesting information on how mitt romney won the primary

tonight. he was the most electable according to voters and that really helped him tonight. how being able to beat president obama was the quality voters thought was most important today. a third of the people in new hampshire who voted said that. and the voters who said electability was the big factor voted for romney in a big way. 59%, with gingrich, paul, huntsman behind. in four years ago, he lost to john mccain in new hampshire. among those who make the highest incomes in that state, mitt romney did much better in this case. four years ago, he narrowly lost among voters who make $100,000 a year or more. getting 33%. today, he won this group, with 45%. with huntsman, a distant second with 18%. he also improved with voters who describe themselves as mad rot or liberal and among registered republicans, where he scored 12 points better than he did back in 2008. we'll keep watching the data and bring you more information as the night goes on.

>> tamron hall with some of how the romney campaign put this together tonight. thanks. also with us here in manchester, really live from a few feet where we are tonight is chuck todd, our political director, our chief white house correspondent and chuck, let's talk about what's next. south carolina, so the victorious romney campaign rolls into that state, fresh from back to back victories and what happens there. >> and that's what we've got to remember. i put a little asterisk on new hampshire because none of the other primaries are coming up. two more this month, two big ones next month, none of them will be this moderate. none of them will have this many independents there will be much more conservatives voting in this primaries and that's what romney still faces, the big conservative test. where does he win? where do conservatives put him over the top? one thing we know that's coming in south carolina -- a sustained attack on television. mitt romney has been attacked on debates, but we have not seen him have to sustain attacks on

tv. and if it's on bain capital, brian, you know, these are economically depressed states coming up, south carolina and florida. they might be effective. it will be interesting to see how he holds up. >> chuck todd with the analysis of tonight. again, you're looking at romney headquarters here in manchester. some members of the extended romney clan. he's got all of his sons there. he knew that the kids were there in various spots in the crowd. they've all been assembled now on the stage. all of the romney grandkids who are here again, long-time home winner in this state. mitt romney. we will take a break here, and up next, as "nightly news" continues, some of the other news of this day, including new questions tonight about nicotine patches and the like. do they and really help smokers quit as they say they do. also the fight over decency on television. are your favorite channels, your

favorite shows about to get even racier? and later, two towns that winter has not forgotten. so much snow it's taking the national guard to dig them out of there.

we're back now from manchester, new hampshire with some of the day's other news. the u.s. mil we're back now from manchester, new hampshire with some of the day's other news. the u.s. military has rescued iranians from the persian gulf again. pentagon officials who released these photos of the incident tell nbc news, the u.s. coast

guard rescued six iranians today from a cargo ship that was taking on water. they were given food, water and medical attention and turned over to the iranian coast guard. in syria, a defiant president assad gave his first national address in june, dismissing all suggestions that he give up power there, even as his government's bloody ten-month crackdown on syria's uprising goes on. the death toll so far estimated to be north of 5,000 people. now to a story that's gotten a lot of attention in this country. a florida a&m drum major who was hazed to death apparently. today his parents revealed that their son was gay. they said they don't think that's what led to the beating that killed him. they said they will sue the

company that owns the bus where the hazing attack took place, part of their effort to confront the overall culture of hazing. >> i sent him to this school to get an education, to be a valid citizen. and came back in a body bag. so we need to change the culture. >> that was the father of robert champion jr. who died in november. by the way, we have posted a complete report on this story, including more with the champion family. it's on our website, nbcnightlynews.com. news tonight about a scandal we first reported on rock center. it was about doctors and government officials in north carolina conspiring for over 40 years to sterilize thousands of women, men, even children. their way of weeding out people they considered at the time to be undesirable. north carolina ended the practice, but not until the late '70s, and just today, a task force there recommended that victims should be paid $50,000 each as compensation. now to a fight that will affect all of us. what are the limits of decency

when it comes to the programs coming into millions of american homes via television and radio? are the rules antiquated? how far can the government go to keep cursing and nudity off the screen? especially on a free over-the-air broadcast network like the one you're watching via your local nbc station right now. this fight took center stage today at the u.s. supreme court. our justice correspondent pete williams was there. >> reporter: during unscripted moments on live broadcasts, it can happen. out pops a four-letter word. that was really, really [ no audio ] brilliant. >> reporter: there's been a crackdown for swear words and brief images of nudity in scripted dramas. the fcc began policing indecency after a radio broadcast of comedian george carlin's

seven-minute rift about the seven words you can't say on air. >> wouldn't you think they would tell you what it is if they don't want you to say it on air? >> reporter: the government says the rules are justified because broadcast television reaches so many homes and is easily available to children. >> if fcc regulations are struck down, then network television can dump whatever they want into er the homes of american families and i don't think that's what people want. >> reporter: but with the explosion of new channels, including cable and the internet, the networks, including nbc, say it no longer makes any sense of broadcasters when viewers treat it all the same. >> for anybody under the age of 30, they don't know the difference between over-the-air broadcast and cable tv because 97 of people have access to either satellite or cable television. from where they're hitting, it's just a number. >> reporter: and some on the court today seemed to agree. justice ginsberg said the fcc is inconsistent, barring nudity in some shows and then allowing it

and cuss words in movies like "saving private ryan." but justice roberts and scalia says the public needs a few channels kept free from indecency. the court appears likely to let the government continue regulating the network, but may require the fcc to be more clear about what's out of bounds. pete williams, nbc news at the supreme court. nicotine gum and nicotine patches are under new scrutiny tonight. millions of people use them, of course, to help them quit smoking, including notably, the president of the united states. but a new study by researchers at the harvard school of public health and university of massachusetts concludes they have no lasting benefit. in other words, they don't help smokers who quit stay quit. the researchers say using gums and patches is no more effective long term than quitting without them, though a whole lot of people have had success with them, including the president of the united states. on wall street, the dow was up today nearly 33 points. the nasdaq up just two points. up next, as we continue, no

snow here in new hampshire. not even close. but we'll show you a place where winter has arrived in a big way. to see it through. d today, while our work continues, i want to update you on the progress: bp has set aside 20 billion dollars to fund economic and environmental recovery. we're paying for all spill- related clean-up costs. and we've established a 500 million dollar fund so independent scientists can study the gulf's wildlife and environment for ten years. thousands of environmental samples from across the gulf have been analyzed by independent labs under the direction of the us coast guard. i'm glad to report all beaches and waters are open for everyone to enjoy. and the economy is showing progress with many areas on the gulf coast having their best tourism seasons in years. i was born here, i'm still here and so is bp. we're committed to the gulf

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it is worth noting that where we were here in new hampshire this afternoon, it was 45 it is worth noting that where we were here in new hampshire this afternoon, it was 45 degrees. and in this land of sturdy people who are winter professionals, that's nothing. people here were walking around in light jackets today. this primary is normally fought in the snow. this year, it's been so mild, at least the weather, if not the politics. however, the weather is making headlines in alaska where one town is buried in snow, another is iced in and hoping to get enough fuel to last the winter. nbc's kristen dahlgren has our story.

>> reporter: this is alaska after all, but this is extreme. in cordova, population 2,500, jeff bailey can barely see his house. >> i have to tunnel it straight into the front door. >> reporter: the whole town is snowed in under almost 15 feet. many here using social media to show and tell the outside world what they're living through. >> oh, my god, beth's roof just went. even those hardy souls had to ask for help from the national guard. the mayor declared a disaster and dozens of troops are digging out. >> what's the biggest concern for you? >> the next storm coming in is just going to increase the hazard possibility. >> reporter: that next storm is now. another one to two feet expected, increasing the danger of avalanches. 700 miles away -- >> as soon as we get out of the critical range, i'll tell you. >> reporter: getting to gnome through all of this ice is slow going for an ice breaker trying to lead a russian fuel tanker on

a resupply mission. at times, the mission comes to a halt and the coast guard can't say if they'll make it. >> we're working through the night. we'll get stuck and then escort them. >> reporter: vital fuel that may now not get there until spring -- a season that for many can't come soon enough. kristen dahlgren, nbc news. and we'll be back in just a moment with a woman who's seen presidential hopefuls come and go right through her front door for more than half a century. err for more than half a century. g. just to be able to wake up in the morning on your own. that's a big accomplishment to me. i don't know how much money i need. but i know that whatever i have that's what i'm going to live within. ♪ ♪ ♪ hey kev, ♪ hey how about a bike ride? you're not my dad ahh!!

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and finally tonight from manchester, pretty much all you need to know about politics in new hampshire, you can learn not far from here at robie's country store. it's a must-stop location for politicians who are running and running through here. and while not all of them go on to be winners, they all do get a spot on the wall. the bell rings when you walk through the door here at robie's and the list of those who have been here reads like a roll call of modern political history, all the candidates for whom the bell tolls. >> there was carter, mrs. carter, nancy reagan, jack kemp and his wife joan. kerry from nebraska.

he played checkers with my husband. we always had the checker board set up. and al gore came. and he sat over at the table in the corner other there and he had coffee. >> this is r at tarred, ambulatoriry, and go. a life-long republican. her biggest thrill was being asked to host a lunch for the president from georgia because his wife visited and liked it so much. >> they said would you be willing to give a luncheon for mrs. carter. i thought a luncheon for the

first lady in this little town? in this little store? i said yes right away. >> if you stay at this long enough, you're bound to see some amazing things in new hampshire, as dorothy witnessed when mitt romney stopped by. >> when romney came, the first thing he did was to come in here and see a picture of his father when he ran up there on the wall to see if it was still there. this is mrs. reagan when she came in. >> dorothy knows what happens here could only happen here. >> that's new hampshire, that's what we are. >> imagine that, she met mitt romney's father. by the way, folklore has it the headline "jimmy who" that was used to describe the once-unknown jimmy carter came from dorothy's husband who had trouble hearing when governor carter introduced himself right there in the store and he asked him jimmy who? and that moment stuck and propelled carter's campaign as a slogan. and as we go off the air tonight, we repeat the headline from here in new hampshire. mitt romney is the victor. that's two in his column. that much was predicted here tonight, but the race for second is making headlines.

ron paul, followed by jon huntsman who staked it all here. newt gingrich finishing out of the money here tonight, promising to spend money to stay in it. and rick perry a distant fifth. and the next contest, of course, from south carolina. for us and our team, that's our broadcast for this tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. wall to wall coverage this evening, of course, on msnbc and a com right now at 6:00, an nbc bay area investigation. we've already had more than a dozen spare-the-air days this winter alone. are they a waste of time and money? good evening and thanks for joining us, i'm raj mathai. >> i'm jessica aguirre. the air you breathe tomorrow may be potentially unhealthy with a high pollution rate.