Edwards House Party Review

Well, we did it. We are truly New Hampshirites now!! We attended our first Candidate House Party! I've been so excited since the invitation came on Thursday that I was a bit exhausted by Saturday afternoon. (Probably a good thing, because I wasn't a complete bumbling idiot.)

So, it was at a big beautiful home in Concord NH. We arrived just before 4:30, when it wasn't too crowded, but the arrivals just didn't stop. We guessed over 100 guests. JRE arrived around 6pm.

Due to the kids, at the last minute we were hustled to the back of the house between the area he was to speak in, and the kitchen & playroom. So, the kids we shut into a great playroom and we thought we'd be looking at the back of JRE's head. Instead, we were next to the staff (who huddled in the kitchen) and ELIZABETH EDWARDS! But I'll get to that in a second.

As Edwards arrived, he shook hands around the whole, crowded house. I was one of the last, but I did get a handshake. My only impression was "what soft hands!" Then he stood on a stool in the dining room, gave a short speech, then took questions. I could barely see or hear, so when EE was standing alone I approached her. I told her that my kids brought a gift for her children and handed the wrapped book to her. She HUGGED me, thanked me, and examine the homemade card. Then, trying not to get choked up I managed to say, "We are a 2-Mom family, and we want the next President to treat all families equally." Stacey got a photo, and I went back to standing with Stacey who was guarding the playroom door. EE not only held on to the book, she sort of hugged it. I had expected her to hand it off to an aid, but she didn't do that until the very end.

I did it. I got my gift to the Edwards' Family directly!! The book, Todd Parr's The Family Book, is inscribed to Emma Claire & Jack from our family, and there's one of our cute return address labels stuck there. Now I'm waiting to see if we get a thank you note.

What was most amazing about being near her (she's short!) is that everyone who talked to her had something to say about cancer. I heard non-stop survivor stories. She was so gracious & supportive of every one.

Back to JRE: Handsome, a bit hoarse after a busy day, dressed casually (jacket, no tie). He has a funny squinty eye thing going that makes him look either tired or as if the bright lights bother him. His talk was in line with everything I've en reading & watching.

He left through the back door, giving us another opportunity for a handshake. This time Stacey got one (she agreed that he had a good handshake and soft skin). I shook again, this time the two hand clutch and thanked him for coming to NH.

He has a geeky, rather young staff, except for the one guy in charge. Everyone was dressed in black as usual, huddled in the kitchen texting & cracking inside jokes. Apparently, other NH big-wigs were there, like Arnie, but I never saw any of them.

More photos will be uploaded tomorrow after I figure out how to get rid of red-eye. Kids are climbing on me so I can't go into more detail 'til later. I'm surprised I got this far.

:) Exhausted and very Happy...PMD, SLW, ACD, and GWD! Oh, and A&G are for now supporting JRE because he has the best toys!

Friday Update

I've spent most of my morning on research for the party: listening to archive speeches from John Edwards (and watching/listening to them on YouTube) while working. I also read Elizabeth Edwards' blog. I love her!! Many of my questions for tomorrow were answered, specifically "what have you done personally to reduce your carbon footprint?" She laid it all out, and her answer is great.

OK, this just in...we have our first Primary DROP OUT: "Democrat Tom Vilsack is abandoning his bid for the presidency after struggling against better-known, better-financed rivals, a senior campaign official told The Associated Press on Friday." Oh well, one less person to see.

Good...I may need a break!

Three Essential Questions

Stacey & I discussed Saturday's John Edwards House Party last night. She's eager to attend, and has agreed that if the kids are too much, she'd disappear with them so I can stay. But we came up with three questions that we need input on:

1. what do we wear?
2. what do we ask?
3. what do we bring?

1: We're going for "snappy casual," or exactly what we wear to work. Not too butch, not too femme (like we are ever either). Comfortable enough to be able to sit on the floor or wrangle the kids but nice enough for the cameras. No mascara in case I cry, which is very likely.

2: My job today is to research John Edwards a bit more and bone up on some things. Stacey feels unprepared, so I told her to stick with what she knows, which is teaching & parenting. Annie's Pre-K class may spend some time today coming up with questions to ask too. Cute!

3: (I like my answer to this the best...) We're not sure if we should bring a hostess gift or not, but we do plan to have a huge supply of snacks, books, and other bribes to keep the kids happy. Of course we'll bring a camera!! But he's my bright idea. Stacey was wrapping a baby shower gift this morning. It was our standard gift: Todd Parr's The Family Book. You know, "some families are big, some are small, some have two moms, some have one." I do think the Edwards kids need this book, and Annie & Griffin need to be the ones to give it to them. ;-)

So, just to make sure I am covered...give me YOUR answers to the three essential questions.

My First House Party? YES!!

Someone pinch me.

I just got an email from the John Edwards campaign, INVITING ME to a House Party this Saturday in Concord NH! I RSVP's in about 5 seconds. YES, he will BE there. I nearly peed my pants!

I read & reread the email, checked it for authenticity as much as I could, and am now afraid to leave my computer while I wait for confirmation.

Stay tuned...

OK, less than five minutes later, I got an automatic response, simply saying:
"Concord is perfect! We'll see you there!"

Holy Sh!t!! Thank you, JRE! :) I will try to represend my friends and colleagues. Hey, I didn't even ask if I can bring Stacey or kids or what the deal was. Let's hope I get more details later. I'm so thrilled I can hardly stand it. OK, just got another reply: bring the family! Man oh man, it doesn't get any better than this. :)

OK, one more reply just came. How much do I love seeing "John Edwards" in my inbox?
"please bring them! the senator loves kids." I will bribe these kids into perfect behavior any possible way I can, though I have to say they are generally angels in public.

Political Chowder

I just found this from a link on Seacoast Online: "Political Chowder"

"Former Democratic political candidate and media personality Arnie Arnesen is hosting the New Hampshire-based political talk show Political Chowder. The Sunday talk show premiers on Sunday and airs from 11 a.m. to noon on MyTV New England, otherwise known as WZMY-TV Derry (Channel 18 for Comcast subscribers). The show will also be available on some public access channels and via the Internet through podcast or Google video."

www.politicalchowder.com. Should be interesting. I really like Arnie's style.

Kucinich tonight at 7:30pm

This just in: Congressman Dennis Kucinich will be in the UNH MUB tonight at 7:30pm, MUB Theater II. Since I already saw him and it conflicts with bedtime, I'm going to pass on this one.

Newt & a few others are asking why all the fuss so early and can we keep up at this pace. I say, "try me!" I've never heard of voter fatique in New Hampshire. The more time, the more excitement. More time to discover smoking bimbos. More chances for misdelivered jokes and poorly constructed (racist, sexist, homophobic) comments. But, best of all, more chances to see the candidates in person.

Forget about New York...I Love NH!

Hillary, Part 2

I'm now convinced that I can't blog from home, so I waited until work (no holiday at UNH today!) to finish my wrap up of Hillary's visit to Dover:

The talk all over NH has been how she refused to say she was wrong to vote to authorize the war with Iraq. In a ballsy & very smart move, she faced the question head on when asked point blank why she refused to apologize. "If the most important thing to you is choosing someone who did not cast that vote or said his vote was a mistake, there are others to choose from," she said. "To me, the most important thing now is to try and end this war."

In NH, this answer will get her way more respect than any apology would, I think. It shows she can't be pushed around, and she won't cave to public opinion. Gutsy move. I know it worked for me; I left with more respect for her than I entered with.

And as far as the kids go: they loved her. They heard her say the word "preschool" (regarding funding early education) and were sold. Then she talked about diplomacy vs. war, and when I told them she was saying she'd use her words instead of fighting, that sealed the deal. Annie wants me to vote for her because she's a girl but I told her I won't do that. Maybe...

"'Til The Last Dog Dies"

Just got back from seeing Hillary at Dover High, with twins in tow. Not ideal but we managed. The event was in the cafeteria area, theater-in-the-round again, not the gym (like Bill in 2001). She started with by invoking the best local legend: While B Clinton came to Dover NH in 1992, he said he's "in it until the last dog dies." Well, then she flattered us all by saying that when the vote was announced that would require her to cancel or change the time, she said "I can't miss Dover unless the last dog has died!"

I was skeptic going in but left surprisingly impressed. She was informal, casual, personable. Handled challenging questions with grace & what seemed like honesty.

Crowd reveiw: older, which was to be expected given Saturday, not on campus. More later...

Next Up: Hillary 2/17/07

Apparently, Stacey & I were the only ones who were underwhelmed by Obama last week. I fear that democrats have lowered their expectations after 6 years of Bush. We're so easily impressed by anyone willing to disgree respectfully.

Oh well, we'll just move right along. Currently on deck: Hillary Clinton is coming to Dover High. What really excites me is that it's the same venue my friend Becky Shost & I saw Bill Clinton at, in 2001. Cool. Very cool.

From Seacoast Online this morning: "2/17/07 Hillary Clinton will hold a public town hall-style event at 2:30 p.m. at Dover High School. Doors will open to the public at 2 p.m. The Clinton campaign encourages those wishing to attend the Dover event to RSVP at www.hillaryclinton.com."

I signed up of course, and have no ticket or confirmation. That makes me a bit nervous, but I'm there.

When oh when is John Edwards coming back, and HOW does one get invited to one of these "house parties?"

Obama Wasn't Impressive

Maybe my expectations were too high, or maybe it was that I got there late & had to stand in the back. Or perhaps he was tired from his big announcement tour over the weekend. But whatever the reason, I wasn't all that impressed with Obama last night.

He was a very casual & comfortable speaker, at ease and very personable. (Suitcoat, no tie...man is he skinny!) He spoke slowly and at times carefully, like a good lawyer should. He made some funny remarks, conveyed a few cute kid stories. I expected more passion, more "fire in the belly." Certainly there was no anger (is that good or bad?). In response, the crowd certainly cheered certain remarks but they didn't seemed fired up either. So, which came first??

I guess what I learned is that he's a policy wonk--not a bad thing necessarily in my opinion, but I expected more a uplifting, motivating message. I have to admit I got a little bored with some of the long winded answers. Intellegent, well-reasoned arguments, which is refreshing when compared to current leaders, but just not what I was expecting.

Since you can probably read or watch the speech on line, I'll add my random other observations. I thought it was charming to see the young leaders of the College Democrats take the stage for the introduction, and others acting all self-important working their first big event of the Primary. Crowd was a good mix of ages, races (for NH), and not all from the UNH Community. I saw more dreadlocks in that gym than I've ever seen in one place in NH. Low security, good amount of press that didn't take up too much seating space. Nice signs. Unlike the other candidates I've seen so far, he did have lots of campaign stuff for the taking--stickers, buttons, brochures--and students gobbled them up.

Gearing up for Obama

Babysitting has been procurred, and UNH & I are gearing up for Barack Obama's visit tonight. I am still in shock at the venue he's chosing for his first time here. I believe it's a 4000 seat gym! Other public figures who used this venue have been Presidents (already elected), and Hillary Clinton as first lady. I can't think of another Primary Candidate who's come to that Field House (going back now 12 years, maybe more?). Leibermann came to UNH on the eve of the general election in 2000, and was in a MUB room that held a few hundred. I also saw John Kerry in a similar room. So, I'm in a bit of shock that for his first time here he can go so large (it's conventional wisdom: having a packed room, even if too small, is better than having empty seats!). Of course, the press area will be huge I'm sure; this trip seems to be getting lots of national attention.

And, if he begins his campaign in NH needing such a large space, will he ever be able to do a smaller venue? Where can he go from here?

See you tonight...

Manchester is NOT the only place in NH!

I need someplace to go with my rant this morning. So much for yesterday's high...

I just read on the WMUR website that four more debates have been set (2 in October 2007, 2 for January 2008), and ALL will be held in Manchester. Add to that the two debates this April at Saint Anselm College, and that brings the total to six debates all in the same general place.
I think this is an outrage, and I am fit to be tied!

Of course it hits me personally because I've volunteered at every debate at UNH in the past 3 primaries. But also because it keeps the candidates, the staffers, the press all in one place. It taps the same resources for volunteers, catering, etc. It cuts off other communities from access, and sharing the spotlight (and income from housing, feeding, and hosting these guests). It keeps the University out of it, which means our students miss a great opportunity to see this close up. And Keene, Plymouth students as well? Colby Sawyer in the Lakes region?

I would think that the small, local clubs like Strafford County Democrats and all their sister organizations, would want a chance to host as well. Surely there are other locations that can support the event?

Anyway, not sure where I'm going with this. I need to dig a bit & find out if UNH was even offered this time (we were offered both in April, but declined both). But I am hoping to raise a few voices in protest, and let folks know there's more to NH than just Manch-Vegas.

Oh Mama, Obama!!

What a great way to start my workday:
Barak Obama is coming to UNH and I have 2 tickets!!

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007
DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Town Hall Meeting
Location: University of New Hampshire
Doors open to Public: 5:30 PM
Tickets: Beginning Wednesday, the general public can obtain tickets to the Town Hall Meeting at the University of New Hampshire on the UNH campus in the Memorial Union Building (The MUB) at the ticket office or the information booth between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily, or by calling the Democratic Party at (603) 225-6899, or by going to the Democratic Party Headquarters at 2 ½ Beacon Street, Concord, NH.

Hillary also announced her rescheduled visit, which will include Berlin (which is way up north and well below zero this time of year) Concord and other non-seacoast locations. And: New Mexico Gov. and presidential candidate Bill Richardson is also scheduled to appear in New Hampshire next week. Richardson will sign copies of his book "Between Worlds" at the RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 12:30 p.m.

Two No-Shows, One Great Speaker

Well, Hillary Clinton & Joe Biden both cancelled their trips to NH for this past weekend, leaving just Dennis Kucinich to soak up all my attention. Which is probably good since I came down with the ailment my kids had all last week, and could barely make it out for one candidate.

Kucinich: Interesting guy, great speaker. He's intense. Not as short or as freakish as the media seems to portray him. Man, his eye contact beams right into you. He started off a bit esoteric and lofty, but really turned on the charm during Q&A, sharing that he'd been homeless and even in an orphanage for part of his childhood. He seemed to really connect with the audience, which was mostly white, mostly gray-haired.

When I shook his hand after the speech he first commented on my watch--a funky Swatch which is rather cool--then said I have "amazing healing energy" in my touch. My reply was, "I think I just have a fever." Eloquent, huh? When I told him I am a lesbian mom of twins and am looking for a President who will protect all families, he held my hand tighter and said "we will; won't you help us?"

But the biggest news was the new wife, Elizabeth. Holy Cow! She's at least 8" taller and 20 years younger than him. She seemed pleasant, and poised enough to ignore the stage-whisperer who said, "talk about a child bride!" when she was introduced.

I still don't think he has a chance at the nomination, but I admire his pluckiness to stay in the race on his own terms. He'll keep picking at the front runners and force them to be more honest. I hope the media doesn't right him off too quickly...remember New Hampshire loves an underdog.