The Road Less Travelled

PS: Yesterday (12/30), I made a quick pass through Portsmouth NH on my way to Massachusetts. Holy Cow!! At just one intersection there were more campaign signs than my whole Tour De NH!

There were bright yellow Fire Fighters for Dodd signs, Biden, Obama, Hillary, Richardson, Romney...everyone! And of course there were plenty of Edwards, too.

If I can get out of my driveway this afternoon, I'll be in Dover phonebanking!!

And thanks for the info & update, Jess! I miss you. You are very good at your job, too!!

I Spy Campaign Signs

We're not totally opposed to TV as parents, but we do limit it a lot. We don't have cable. And when our TV (the first TV I ever own, purchased in 1990) finally died a few weeks ago, we borrowed our elderly neighbor's spare, which has a nice, chunky turn-dial. And we certainly would never permit a DVD player in the car, even for a long drive. As a result, we get some interesting original songs, lots of I Spy, books on tape, and too much Wayne From Maine.

We've made three trips in the past 8 days, to various sites in northern NH. We've been so far north in fact, that I actually tried homemade lip balm made from bear fat & beeswax. With a dash of cinnamon. I kid you not: The North County. So, then, what do we do when we drive all over NH for various holiday gatherings & parties?

While my son listened to The Lorax (my budding environmentalist!) over and over and over, my daughter wanted to write with her new pens. "Let's count campaign signs!"

She giggled when I spelled Obama while her brother made rhymes with it. Kucinich became Kuchinchi. Her tally (left) was not the offical one, but it was way cuter than mine.

Rules: I decided not to count the signs outside campaign offices here in Dover on our way out of town. We did count our own 2 Edwards signs. As I was debating whether or not to count the Hillary signs outside of Shaheen & Gordon, we noticed they were gone. We tried not to count the same signs coming & going, but we did notice that on Saturday, a whole bunch of new McCain signs appeared in Dover that we know weren't there on our way out of town Friday.

Here are our unscientific results of our travels up & down Rt 93 and Rt 89, and in & out of small towns along the way (small standard signs + XL signs=total):

Ron Paul 15 + 7 = 22

John McCain 15 + 0 = 15

John Edwards 9 + 4= 13

Mike Gravel 5 + 3 = 8

Mark Klein 6 + 0 = 6

Hillary Clinton 2 + 3 = 5

Barack Obama 0 + 4 = 4

Rudy Giuliani 4 + 0 = 4

Dennis Kucinich 1 + 2 = 3

Mike Huckabee 3 + 0 = 3

Bill Richardson 2 + 0 = 2

Mitt Romney 0 + 2 = 2

Tancredo 0 + 2 = 2

Fred Thompson 0 + 1 = 1

Chris Dodd 0 + 1 = 1

John Sununu (US Senate) 4 large billboards

Interestingly, no Shaheen for Senate signs. I also kept track of bumper stickers: My 2 Edwards (one that is homemade that just says OMG JRE) and one car with 2 Romney stickers, and a whole bunch of PrioritiesNH pie chart magnets.

Favorites: Mine is the North Country For Edwards sign, green & gold with a moose on it. The kids prefer the light-up Ron Paul for President on Silver Street in Dover. And someone, please tell us who Mark Klein (R) is!!

What Comes Around...

On Thursday, we had a pretty snowy morning in NH. Most of the schools closed, but UNH was smack in the middle of finals week, so we had a short delay. So I went in to work. By about 3pm it was so dead I couldn't stand it anymore and left early. On the way home, I got a strange call from the campaign office: a carload of staff had gotten into a fender bender about 50 feet from my front door. Of course they could meet up at my house; I'm on my way.

By the time I got home, driving extra slowly of course, they were huddled around the kitchen table, eating leftover birthday cupcakes and Christmas cookies, looking so sheepish. And young. They were painfully sweet and polite (is that their personalities, or a job requirement?), and very embarrassed. They had gone out to lunch, dressed completely inappropriately for the weather because they weren't planning to be out long. ("Must make more calls.") But they just sat there, in no hurry. Maybe a few extra cookies or kid antics around the Christmas tree gave these exhausted kids a few moments of being home, so I let them linger before driving them back to headquarters.

Not too days later, I gave them the chance to return the favor when I locked my keys in my car in Downtown Dover, about a block from their office. Now it was me (and my son) who weren't dressed appropriately for the weather--we had just run an errand and stopped at Cafe On The Corner for cocoa. Now it was I, sheepishly knocking on their door. While I waited for a ride home, Griff played in the corner with blocks (they were our old one's I had donated but he didn't seem to notice, thank goodness) while I made a few phone calls to earn my keep.

So, this is going to sound a lot more pathetic than it really is, but I'm going to miss these guys. To all the campaign staff in NH (not just Edwards' but all you folks): Thanks, have safe travels over the holidays if you do in fact get to leave.

In The Clutch

Family and work life being what they are, I had to make a choice yesterday between seeing John Edwards at noonish with Bonnie Raitt & Jackson Browne in Portsmouth, or at 4pm in Dover. Cate was supposed to join him in Dover, so I decided to save up my vacation time, skip the concert and go to Macintosh, where I was invited to be part of the "clutch," the quickie meet and greet pregame show to thank/reward loyal volunteers.

I showed up early enough to help do some signing in at the door. It was nice to be greeted by Advance Staff with a hug and a personal welcome. They had to break the news that Cate wasn't coming. Bummer, I had a question for her regarding Prof Elizabeth Warren from Harvard Law School! But I tried not to act too disappointed.

Just as I was getting warmed up (literally & figuratively) at the door doing sign-in, I was whisked into a vacant classroom to wait with my fellow clutch groupies. We made chit chat, and there was some good-natured posturing as to who knows the staff best, who's hosted a house party, etc. We all got the Edwards Family holiday card, but only one of us (NOT ME!) was smart enough to bring it for an autograph. All the middle-aged women in the room tried to out-mother the exhausted but upbeat Field Coordinator. And I was relieved that I had, at the last minute, decided not to bring the twins.

What's known around here as "Bridge Traffic" kept our candidate about 45 minutes behind schedule, but eventually he appeared unceremoniously and with a big smile on his face. Clutch was quick as to keep the waiting crowd happy, but I got my handshake. It never fails to impress me. He seems so relaxed, so authentic. I just don't get how anyone can call him a phony.

My plan was to give up my seat for someone who hasn't seen him before, hopefully someone undecided, and hang by the door with the staff. But after everyone was seated there was a seat left next to my friend and colleague, Mark, so I scooted in lest an empty seat caught on tape! It just so happened to be, yes, in the front row.

Mark had just come from the Portsmouth event, which he whispered was awesome. He's a musician so I wasn't sure if he referred to the music or the candidate. Both. And apparently, Senator Edwards was just as passionate & on the mark for us, too. A little story-telling, a little stump speech, a little Q&A.

Each event I've attended has had a slightly different emotional tone to it. This one was full of relaxed humor, confidence, and determination. He wasn't angry as much as driven. But he was very funny. He complimented people on their questions, he laughed at their attempts at humor. There's just no way anyone can fake that level of comfort and spontaneity.

After the event, I hung with Mark so he could get his Newsweek signed. I really wanted a picture with the future president, but since I've had so many chances to meet him, I felt greedy and let others elbow in ahead of me.

Mark got his autograph and I snapped a photo of the moment, then I snuck over to the Volunteer Coordinator and wrote Mark's name and email down on the volunteer clipboard.

Next time there's an event, if there is a next time, I want company in the clutch!

Soap Is On The Way

I just have to get this off my chest, no offense intended (this is cross-posted as a comment on Blue Hampshire, and expanded a bit here)...

Dear Obama Supporters,

I keep reading on the blogosphere that what you love about your candidate is that he offers hope. The Audacity of Hope. But I can't help but think it's been done before. The HOPE theme in presidential campaigns is not new, not unique. Am I the only one who remembers?

To build a campaign around it as a theme to me is recycling at it's worst. Can't we Dems come up with something better? I know many Obama supporters (not all, certainly) are young, and many are clinging to this as a theme of newness & change, but don't you remember1992--A Man From HOPE--or 2004--Hope Is On The Way??

It makes me chuckle after reading Elizabeth Edwards' book "Saving Graces," where her son Jack is on the campaign trail at a hotel with his parents, getting ready for bath night, saying "Soap is on the way!"

Frankly, we could probably use soap in the White House just as much as hope these days...

There, I feel better. Thanks for letting me vent.

One Last UNH Event

Quickie Post:

Don't count UNH out just yet (despite our lame mock election)!

Dennis Kucinich will be on campus tomorrow, Tuesday 12/18, despite the fact that it is the first day of final exams. He'll also be at Dover Natural, a small local natural food store two doors down from Hillary's Dover office. That should be fun.

Wednesday brings John Edwards back to the Seacoast, and I hope to be in the clutch. 12:45pm in Portsmouth with Bonnie Raitt & Jackson Browne, and 4pm with Cate Edwards at Macintosh College.

Gotta run...more later.

Endorsements

Ah, I love the NH Primary...down one day, up the next! Really...inevitability is so boring!

Yesterday, I was trying to pretend that Carol Shea-Porter's endorsement of Obama didn't matter to me. But I was bummed. I like her, and her politics. I met with members of her staff once, and I like them, too. It's been so nice to finally have a Congressperson in NH whom I respect. Now, I have one with whom I respectfully disagree, too. But that was yesterday.

When I opened my email inbox this morning, it was swimming with emails and press releases: New Hampshire Freedom To Marry Endorses Edwards! Yee ha. I guess I feel a little vindicated after taking those hits from friends & colleagues I mentioned in the last post. Some may think the LGBT community isn't a big voting block, or the endorsement might not be something a candidate would want to flaunt. My experience is that LGBT folks are extremely well educated on the issues, and have a greater tendency than the average person to not only vote, but get involved & volunteer for a candidate. So, while the numbers may (or may not) be big, the endorsement could yield volunteers, canvassers, and donors!!

On the UNH campus, it's day 3 of the Wildcats Vote project. Obama is running away with it on the Dem side (results so far), but that's no surprise. John, the President of the student organization, can't possibly be doing any actual schoolwork these days. He & the group are running shuttles to the Durham Town Hall to register voters and get absentee ballots. They would be well advised to also expend some energy reviewing the campus/residence hall rules regarding solicitation and canvassing, because I hear they are breaking them all and angering some staff. Hillary's team as well. But not UNH for Edwards; they know and are actually following the rules, and that has not gone unnoticed.

No candidates have been around campus, and as finals are approaching, none are expected. It's been a disappointing cycle for me. I never got to see Mitt, or Cate Edwards. Obama only came that one time last winter. Friday is the last day of classes, and the big wrap up of our mock election. Next week the plan is to see Edwards one more time, with Bonnie Raitt & Jackson Browne in Portsmouth (12/19/07).

The end is in sight, and I'm already depressed about that.

JRE, LGBT, and Me

I am not a very good lesbian. I never have been. Sometimes I just can't bring myself to toe the party line. And it's always been that way. My friend Leyla can attest to that; the first time we went to a gay bar together (we were grad students at Michigan State together), I had long hair and wore a bow, a la Pam Smart. In my defense, it was the 80s and the bow wasn't that big, but any dyke worth her salt had short hair then, and certainly NO bows.

I'm not a one-issue LGBT voter, either. Gay marriage would be nice, but it's just not my top priority right now. "The cat is out of the bag" as my republican/lawyer brother-in-law says regarding gay marriage, so I think it will happen eventually and therefore I don't want to make it a polarizing campaign hot button issue and risk another four years with a republican president. I just don't need it to happen right now. Other issues--more global issues--are more important to me than marriage: Universal Health care, global warming, poverty, Darfur, repealing NCLB, and THE WAR.

So, as soon as Edwards announced his candidacy & I announced that he was at the top of my short list, I immediately got crap about his stance on gay marriage (not in favor) and was considered a traitor. Luckily, it's a position I've held before so I didn't care much, but I did secretly cross my fingers and hope JRE didn't say or do anything to embarrass me in the next 12 months.

Here we are, 12 months later. No embarrassment whatsoever. Edwards is the ONLY first tier candidate to meet in person with the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition, as reported in Bay Windows. Edwards released a list of list of endorsements from the gay community. He has released policy statements on HIV/AIDS. Cate Edwards and her mom Elizabeth have come out in favor of gay marriage and publicly disagree with the candidate.

His recently released 80-page policy booklet has a 2-page spread dedicated to LGBT issues. He has an LGBT section of his much-praised website. And then I found this blog: Out For Edward, making me feel even better.

And, to add frosting to my cake, the campaign staff embraced me & welcomed me. On my own I founded the LGBT Friends & Allies for John Edwards group on Facebook. As I began to get more involved, I met other members of the gay community at events or volunteering on the campaign.

As Obama defends his decision to campaign with a homophobic entertainer, and Hillary continues to be haunted by Don't Ask, Don't Tell, I'm feeling pretty good about my choice.

So, if you want to be a one-issue voter, you can support Kucinich. But as I recently heard somewhere in regard to this very issue (paraphrasing here:), "you can vote your feelings, or you can vote in a way that can create consequences."

It's nice to have the rest of the gay community catching up with me for once, sorta.

What's Your Greatest Fear?

When I was a Residence Hall Director (back in the last century) at UNH, we used to play a lot of games that helped my staff members get to know one another, and share perceptions we had of each other. I remember one board game (though not its name) that had players secretly answer questions then match the responses to the right person. One question gave me away: what is your greatest fear? Common responses were fire, death, drowning, etc. But the one everyone guess correctly was mine: mental illness.

In that job, I had the horrible experience of witnessing several students have psychotic breaks, and played a pivotal role in having a student or two involuntarily hospitalized. It's the worst feeling in the world to take someone's freedom away--basically their constitutional rights--because you think they are sick yet the do not agree.

It is intentionally very difficulty to have someone forced into receiving care they do not want or think they need. This is done to protect us all from crazy family or neighbors who might not act in our best interest. To have someone involuntarily committed, you need to prove to a judge or someone that they are indeed a real threat to themselves or others. So, you have to watch & wait for something bad to happen, and hope it's bad enough to meet the definition of "threat" but not so bad that anyone gets hurt.

This brings me to Friday's hostage drama in Rochester, NH.

I have to say (IMHO) that Rochester, NH does not enjoy a reputation as a nice, sleepy, small city with a great downtown, as Rep. Carol Shea-Porter might suggest. It's depressing, is what it is. Empty store fronts, high drop out rate, high teen pregnancy rate. Probably loads of folks without adequate health insurance, and under-employment. When I served on Strafford County Grand Jury for a year, my observations were that people just couldn't seem to get out of their own way. Crimes of sheer stupidity. If I came to NH as a volunteer or staffer, I'd be bummed if I were assigned to Rochester.

So, where am I going with this? I don't know, really. I'm pissed that incorrect names were tossed around by the media and some bloggers. I'm disappointed that the Clinton camp didn't have the foresight to see that their Hillary Saved The Day TV ad might be taken in the wrong way. But mostly I feel badly for the hostages, trapped in a room with someone so unstable and unpredictable. Watching and waiting for something to happen, but hoping it's not too bad but bad enough to get this guy some help.

On the other hand, I am impressed with Foster's Daily Democrat for holding out for a positive ID, when Fox, MSNBC, HuffPo & others were barking up the wrong tree. And I'm impressed but not surprised at how well local & federal agents worked together for a peaceful resolution.

But I reserve the utmost praise for the mutual respect and professionalism displayed by the competing campaigns.

And I am optimistic that this one crazy day will not change retail politics in NH.