Iowa, NH voting results are no gauge of country: Pelosi

US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says the early presidential results in Iowa and New Hampshire are not a good predictor of the election to come.

Pelosi, speaking during a press briefing in the Capitol Hill on Thursday, said, "This is an old back-and-forth. It serves a purpose; it's good theater; it's wonderful for the people of Iowa and New Hampshire,” adding that, "It is not dispositive of the election."

Hailing the competitiveness of the races in both Democratic and Republican Parties, Pelosi argued that they are generating an interest in the political process that will only benefit the country.

"I'm happy that people are voting. I ... am happy that we're expanding the electorate," she said. "The attraction to the political process, I think, is really, really important. And hopefully people will stay engaged and listen to the debate."

Pelosi also praised Sanders’ campaign for its focus on finance reform but downplayed his success in Iowa and New Hampshire, noting that the victors in the two states frequently fail to win the White House.

"Every day is a new day," Pelosi said. "There's no question that the momentum and the resources — both political, financial and intellectual — that come with a victory are something that you can't ignore. But I don't think that those two states are dispositive."

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's stunning defeat at the hands of Senator Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire on Tuesday, combined with her razor-thin victory in the Iowa caucuses the week before, gave Sanders significant momentum heading into the next contests in Nevada and South Carolina while raising concerns among Clinton supporters that her campaign is struggling.

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