ABC Projects Romney will win NH Primary ABC News projects that Mitt Romney will win the nation's first primary in New Hampshire, marking the first time since 1976 that a Republican candidate has won the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary back to back. Based on the exit poll data and ABC News' analysis of the vote in so far, Rep. Ron Paul is projected to be second and Jon Huntsman will place third. Crowds at Romney's gathering in New Hampshire erupted in cheers as the results were announced. In a race in which electability was the top concern for voters, most picked the former Massachusetts governor as the GOP candidate most likely to beat President Obama. Underscoring GOP unhappiness with the current administration, exit polls showed that eight in 10 New Hampshire primary voters were either dissatisfied or downright angry with the Obama administration, mainly stemming from economic discontent. Independents turned out in greater-than-usual numbers in the primaries, a trend that could bode well for Romney in November if he nabs the nomination. Independent voters are expected to play a crucial role in this swing state for both the incumbent president and his challenger. Exit polls showed that concerns about electability, economic discontent and a less conservative but more divided base than in Iowa last week helped shape the New Hampshire primary. Though experts say the race is far from decided, the Granite State has a good track record of picking the eventual nominee on the Republican side. They have chosen the eventual nominee four out of six of the past contests. It was clear well ahead of today's primary that Romney would be victorious. But the real contest was for the No. 2 spot between Jon Huntsman and Rep. Ron Paul. Huntsman's campaign gained momentum in the past week, buying additional television ads and upping media appearances. But the former Utah governor declined to say in multiple interviews today whether he would drop out of the race after today. Read more about ABC News' preliminary exit poll results here. In recent days, Obama's former ambassador to China had attempted to put a positive spin on the main point of criticism against him: that he served under a Democratic president whom is now hoping to meet in a general election. As candidates look to the next primary state of South Carolina, where Texas Gov. Rick Perry has already begun campaigning, Romney is likely to face tougher questions about his business background. Under attack from some of his rivals for his leadership at venture capital group Bain, Romney provided even more material for criticism on Monday by saying, "I like being able to fire people who provide services to me." "Listen, if you're going to make statements like that, you become pretty much unelectable," he told reporters today. Perry, who skipped New Hampshire after the debates this weekend, likened companies such as Bain Capital -- without saying its name -- to "vultures." "Allowing these companies to come in and loot the, loot people's jobs, loot their pensions, loot their ability to take care of their families and I will suggest they're just vultures," Perry said at a town hall in Fort Mill, S.C., today. They're vultures that sitting out there on the tree limb waiting for the company to get sick and then they swoop in, they eat the carcass. Romney, however, found some sympathy among others, namely Paul who defended his rival's statement in an interview with ABC News' Jonathan Karl. "I think they're wrong," Paul said of Romney's critics. I think they're totally misunderstanding the way the market works. They are either just demagoguing or they don't have the vaguest idea how the market works. Santorum told ABC News' Jake Tapper that Romney's comment sends the wrong message but he also cut his rival some slack. Nevertheless, Romney's comment could pick up steam as candidates head to South Carolina on Wednesday, a state where the unemployment rate of nearly 10 percent stands above the national average. "The Republican party in South Carolina is not based in big business," said Republican strategist and ABC News consultant Matthew Dowd. It's working class. Blue collar. It's much more populist. ABC News' Gary Langer, Elizabeth Hartfield, Emily Friedman, Arlette Saenz and Shushannah Walshe contributed to this report.