Summer in New Hampshire

Things are heating up in New Hampshire, that's for sure.

With summer vacation comes the interns!! New Hampshire is currently getting an influx of out-of-state students who have arrived to work or volunteer for their favorite candidate. And I've had my first official knock at the door...the winner is Obama. A polite young man arrived to our chaotic household in Dover at exactly 5pm, just as my family and I were about to sit down for dinner. Not just any dinner, but our first one back in our home since the major kitchen renovation and addition. So, I didn't even have fun questioning him on his candidate or where he was from.

And just when I was beginning to think on people in Iowa are getting calls, the first call came yesterday: a tie between Obama & Clinton. Let me explain. This isn't my first call exactly. The Edwards campaign called me months ago to invite me to a house party and now I get calls from them all the time. But yesterday a random call came for me (asked for me by name, or Stacey) and asked me if I had decided, and if so, who I was supporting. I told her of my decision to volunteer with the Edwards staff and she seemed to get a bit terse, and asked for Stacey who wasn't available, and for whom I would never speak.

I say the call was "random" because caller ID showed a private citizen's home phone number with a 603 area code, but the caller said she was from the Clinton campaign. After the call, I reviewed all my recent incoming calls and found one from "Obama, for Amer" had come earlier in the day, but I wasn't there to pick up & they left no message.

Hopefully, things will calm down in my household enough for me to engage these callers and visitors a bit more. Like visiting Mormoms, they are fascinating to me and like to ask questions of them and learn what brought them to my street. (Poor Mormon Missionaries always seem so hot and unable to deal with our humidity, AND my two-mom family.) I would like to have a chance to find out what they like about their candidates if possible...and have a little fun!

ManchVegas

I've been working on a follow-up post to the polling obsession illness that is at epidemic rates, but for some reason I just got tired of it and decided to move on. I recommend all the campaigns, the press, and my fellow bloggers do the same. It's very cathartic.

Then I ran across this info on Facebook (someone's profile or group, who knows) which seemed like a much better post to share on such a beautiful New Hampshire day:

From Wikipedia: ManchVegas (also Manch-Vegas) is a local nickname for Manchester, NH, used especially by young people. The term is a portmanteau of Manchester and Las Vegas. "ManchVegas" was derived from illegal gambling in local businesses during the late 1980s or early '90s. Many pizza shops and local bars had video poker machines that would pay out real money. Following a city-wide bust of these machines, brothers Jim and Bill O'Mahony of Manchester coined the nickname. It was then adopted as a lampoon of the city's limited entertainment opportunities.

A 2003 note on Virtualtourist.com notes, "Residents reflect the regional dry humor by referring to sedate Manchester as 'ManchVegas'." ...As of January, 2006, nine businesses in New Hampshire had registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State's Corporate Division to use the name "ManchVegas" in their business. The earliest was registered August 11, 1998. The term is used on the Internet, especially on message boards such as MySpace.

Mystery solved. Now I know.

Poll-Induced Panic

The other thing dominating the local news this week (beside Bike Week) is the new statewide poll which puts Hillary squarely in the lead in NH. It's causing quite a bit of chatter on blogs & news sites alike, not to mention around the water cooler (and in my house and probably yours, the dinner table).

I'm no statistician; I barely survived stats in grad school, and they are what keeps me from getting a PhD. I leave the number crunching to people that like that stuff, and prefer to try to figure out the why of the numbers. The psychology of the campaign trail fascinates me. (I was, after all, a sociology major.)

Everyone loves a winner. But when your guy's not in the lead or improving, funny things start to happen. First, excuses/explanations/rationales, which are very tempting when everyone is looking at you like you're a knucklehead. Some assume those who were polled must be onto something they don't know, and change teams or at least start looking around. Others dig in and find the weaknesses to exploit in the leaders or the demographic that they can make a difference in. I, however, am an optimist and a Leo, which makes me loyal beyond reason. Once I've committed, I hunker down & work to prove the nay-sayers are wrong or die trying.

It all makes me think of Red Sox Nation. Most true fans never let something as silly as statistics stop them from supporting the team. They didn't ditch the Sox after so many heartbreaks (like I did). They believed, and stood firm despite years of ridicule and humilation. And eventually, they were rewarded.

So chin up to all the teams that didn't meet the expecations game. We all know that it's a long way to election day (whenever that my be), and anything can happen. Granite Staters usually hate being told there is a preordained nominee. These things can turn on a dime, which is what makes it so much fun.

Father's Day in New Hampshire

No, you're not at the wrong site. I've changed the layout. I felt like my old look was a little dated. And, Team Edwards was using the same template, so I went for a new look. Enjoy!

Since moving to NH in 1988, I've always been a little obsessed with Bike Week here, and I don't think I'm alone. I've never attended, but I've been stuck in related traffic, known lots of friends and family members who go (and a few who get out of town because of it). But my opinion of it really changed for the better when I worked with at UNH guy named Sturgis who was part of the club (not gang, club) Red Emeralds. Any reasonable person would be intimidated by Sturgis upon first meeting him; he was a big burly guy, a non-traditional undergraduate student, 50ish, at the time had a massive blast of crazy curly hair, and owned a beautiful Harley. Intense, sparkling eyes, quiet guy. But underneath the leather, the scruff, and the curls, he was a teddy bear. The loyalest (if that's a word) friend you'd ever find. Sturgis taught me a lot about the biking subculture and his surrogate family. I see bikers so differently thanks to him, and am proud that my home state hosts such an event for their family reunions.

Back to the NH Primary: I posted here a little while ago that I thought a candidate should try to schedule an event near or in Laconia during bike week. Bikers are so diverse--tons of veterans, boomers, parents, retirees, etc. I'm sure traffic alone would scare most staffers away, not to mention perceptions of gangs and guns. Then there's the argument that it's mostly folks from out-of-state. So, who is coming to Meredith NH in person this Friday? Elizabeth Edwards! Ron Paul's fans have his RV, and other candidates (or spouses) will be in Manch, but Meredith? It's not Weir's Beach, but it's damn close. You go, girl!

And Sturgis: if you are out there, Stacey & I would love to see you again someday.

To everyone else, ride safely!

Retail Politics, NH Style (Part II)

When I began this blog my goal was to see every candidate (left, right & center) that came to my corner of New Hampshire, and if possible attend a House Party. House parties are a tradition in the Granite State and they are, basically, what they sound like--a casual party at someone's home--except that a candidate for US President comes by and talks to the crowd, then takes questions. I've always thought these events were reserved for the well-connected, maybe donors or those who are members of certain organizations or unions, and the local press. I signed up for emails from several campaigns just to see if I can get myself on a house party list. Only one campaign has reached out, not just once but several times now.

So, that's how I ended up meeting John Edwards again, (Oh no, I'm becoming one of those activist groupies that GraniteProf makes fun of in his book!) last Friday, June 8th. Edwards' house parties are posted on-line as open to the public (as are some other campaigns' but not all), but I also have received numerous direct emails encouraging me to attend, sometimes followed up by personal phone calls from staffers, not phone banks! This time, I forwarded the email to a bunch of friends and showed up in Rochester with a minivan full of friends & colleagues.

You can read the quotes in the local press about what was said. I prefer to blog on other impressions like the crowd, the venue, etc. So first: the location. Nice new subdivision in Rochester at the home of Tyler Collins, a UNH student who is interning with the campaign. His parents have a perfect-for-photo-op front porch which they decked out in patriotic bunting & signs. They put out a lovely buffet spread too, which was nice since my friends and I were skipping our lunch hours to attend. Gorgeous day, perfect outdoor setting.

Now, the crowd. Lots of teachers (judging from the questioners who mentioned their day-jobs). Not more than 100 people is my guess, so it felt really intimate and personal. NH State Senator Jackie Cilley was front & center, and she asked the lead off question. It's clear that Edwards really wants her endorsement. My assessment about age range (from debate crowd last week) still stands: middle age and up, a mix of blue & white collar folks. Fans & converts alike (he doesn't just preach to the converted, I've learned). He stayed to shake every hand and pose for photos, which is how my friends and I got so many silly pictures. And how I got an autographed sign. He was casual and personable, and so was his staff. They look like they are really enjoying themselves, and they aren't so self-important or stressed out that they can't make small talk. Edwards is clearly not over-handled this time around (thank goodness!), and is probably very lucky that he does not yet have secret service coverage.

Thanks for the invitation. Now my next goal, which I've made clear to whomever will listen: when my home renovation project is done, I want to HOST a House Party!

Debate Spin

First, let me say I had 3 drafts of posts written and somehow deleted on Friday. So, in my frustration I had to walk away for a few days. I'm having trouble with this one too now...ugh!

Pre-Debate Impressions...
I spent yesterday evening in the rain at the debates, in a fenced in area reserved for "visibility" outside the entrance to the debates. Even though I was holding a John Edwards sign, I did a fair amount of general observations of the crowd. Obama has the youngest age range of all supporters; he's clearly got the college crowd (some might call it the "elite" crowd). Hillary has the younger women for sure. Edwards had more middle age (what does that say about me?) and more working class from what I saw, and Kucinich has the old hippies. Interestingly, Obama didn't have the racial diversity; I saw more of that for Edwards and Dodd.

Debate Impressions...
I watched the actual debate at the Debate Watch Party with Edwards supporters, though I was a tad late due to parking. I liked the format, and thought everyone did well. It's nice to have such a good group to choose from on this side of the aisle, and truthfully would be happy with just about any of them in the end. I loved that they wouldn't go down the hypothecal scenario road, and was psyched at the educational aspect to the answer of "official vs. national language." To me, Hillary & Edwards did best. Obama disappointed (something bugs me about his hand gestures). Richardson is gaining in NH and with me (he did better and didn't sweat this time).

• Best shoes: Richardson (cowboy boots of course!)
• Best tie: Obama
• Best signs: Edwards
• Best spouse: Edwards

Post-Debate Impressions...
I wish I could have been in the spin room; that's my favorite. I hated being so far away. A bunch of Edwards supporters went back to campus for more sign waving, but I hung out hoping for another handshake eventually, which I got. (STILL impressive in person. So direct with the eye contact & comments, awesome handshake!) The staffers (Paul & Pete) did a great job making sure Edwards thanked everyone personally, which I was grateful for, and Laurie got a big hug from the senator. But there was no rally-the-troops, public thanking the crowd for standing out in the rain, and it sort of all came to a quick, anti-climatic ending.

Last time around, I was at the Gephardt party (not by choice, I was assigned to it). It was mostly attended by Teamsters with a sprinkling of staffers and volunteers. I was expecting more of that. Wherever the Edwards "visibility" bus went, it took all the energy with it. As I drove away, I passed Obamas post-debate party. Since he's now covered by Secret Service, you can't miss him. Black SUVs in front of the bar, line out the door, party inside. I guess that's what happens when you pick the candidate of the middle-aged average folks instead of the hippies or the college crowd. ;-)