Front Row Seat: First In The Nation

Out in Left Field

2010-10-01T15:19:00.001-04:00

There wasn't much going on for the recent primary on the Dem side of things, so I haven't had much to chew on. But the morning after, I was listening to Dante on NHPR as I always do for election results, and something he said has stuck with me. He was talking about Annie Kuster's 71% win over Katrina Swett in the NH CD 02 Democratic primary. Now neither woman is new to NH politics, but Katrina had much greater name recognition, as both the daughter of and wife of former Congressmen and a former candidate herself. He got my attention when he said, "Kuster put together the best campaign in NH this election cycle. It had everything"...meaning: money, passion, and a great, grassroots field organization. That was quite a compliment, and it stuck in my head. What did Annie have and how can it be replicated?

Shortly thereafter, and very randomly, a UNH student who pens a political column for our campus paper, TNH, posted a request for ideas on his Facebook page. Kaitlyn Dowling, former UNH Dems president and current intern in DC with Rock The Vote, stated one simple idea that he should tackle: "The importance of grassroots in fostering democracy, and the right's lack of field."

The topic popped up a third time, in the form of conversation at my house party for State Senator Amanda Merrill. Turnout was small, and mostly political junkies, so we all just hung out on my patio and talked shop. Mandy explained the NH Executive Council to me (finally, I get it!), then was asking questions of me and the UNH students in attendance. I was telling her all about the interns I send to DC, and how I have to use different recruitment tactics to recruit students from the left vs. the right. In doing so I came to this conclusion: Today's NH Democrats are really good at genuinely mentoring youth who in turn become their very loyal, very dedicated field staff.

Three points make a data set. That's what my physicist friend Prof. Martina Belz Arndt likes to say.

Someone once told me that working on the Shaheen for Senate campaign was wonderful because Jeanne is a former field staffer, so she "gets it." But, what makes a good field organization? I looked to my two favorites: Carol Shea-Porter and Annie Kuster, both excellent examples of the "under the radar" approach. Old school knocking on doors and calling your neighbors. Letters to the editor of small, local, print newspapers. Hand written post cards and house parties at the homes of average, middle class community leaders and regular people. Viz in your own downtown, waving to your neighbors and friends as they go about their Saturday errands. Hanging out at the town recycling center. It's not very glamourous, and it cannot be delegated. But clearly it can be the game changer when you are up against big out-of-state money, celebrity candidates, and national endorsements. Small donations vs. huge PAC contributions. Local newspaper endorsements vs. TV ads. Inclusion vs. exclusivity. Investing in youth vs. top-down.

Left vs. Right.

In New Hampshire, all politics is still local.

My Next Senator

2010-08-16T12:22:00.000-04:00

Here's what I learned about Paul Hodes when I heard him speak last night in Dover NH:

He has good taste in women's earrings
He's learning to play the mandolin
His first professional job interview was the David Souter
He used to work for Shaheen & Gordon

Paul is currently the Congressman for NH-02, and is running for Senate to replace Senator Gregg. He doesn't have a Democratic primary, but there are a jillion people running in a Republican primary which is taking place very soon. A small community event was held in Dover last night at the McConnell Center, so I went to hear what he had to say and see who would come out. It was a nice way to easy back into election season.

I learned other, more relevant things, about Paul as well, but you can probably find those during any Google search. I prefer the more interesting things, for this blog anyway. Oh, and his wife Peggo has great shoes, once again! I of course liked what I heard, but when it comes time to volunteer for a campaign, I have to admit that Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter has first dibs on my time.

Anyway, I sat at a table with a woman named Doris who is on Dover City Council AND is running for State Rep. And, she's not even retired! She teaches at SNHU part-time, as well. Pretty impressive, and illustrative of how accessible politics can be in NH.

As an aside, I have to say I love it that both my State Rep and my State Senator know me by first name (bother were in attendance last night). I'm thinking of hosting a small house party for my State Senator, Amanda Merrill, in the fall. Her campaign director is a former student/intern of mine and former President of the UNH College Dems, Brittany Weaver. How could I say no to her?

Palin & PPP Poll

2010-07-29T13:36:00.000-04:00

Since former Gov. Palin stuck her nose into the NH Senate race seemingly uninvited, it appears that I'm not the only one wondering what her true intentions are, and what her chances would be in a NH Primary race. Salon.com has this great piece (h/t to BH as usual). And a new poll is showing that she's running fifth in NH. I do like those numbers.

While I want to see her join the race sheerly for the spectacle of it all, I am reassured that my need for an exciting and entertaining race won't come back to bite me!

Early Action, Iowa v. New Hampshire

2010-07-26T20:45:00.000-04:00

My dear old friends and colleagues, Kevin & Julie, are visiting from Iowa this week. I was so happy to see them again; if it weren't for Julie I'd never understand the caucus system. Naturally, I couldn't wait to corner Julie ask her if any presidential potentials have been showing up at small GOP events around the state, like Rudy's surprise visit-gimmick at the PHS graduation in June. From what she has seen, nothing yet. Of course, no one in the room knew that anyone was showing up in NH either, so I am still wondering about Iowa.

But there's no doubt action is picking up in NH: Santorum is coming to NH to fundraise, supposedly, and tour TURBOCAM International in Barrington (a very successful, Christian-based tech business next door to Dover NH). If they have a Google Alert on their name, well, howdy neighbors! Welcome to my blog.

Half way through Game Change, still enjoying it. Stay tuned for a full review.

Palin: The Gift That Keeps Giving

2010-07-21T21:00:00.001-04:00

This is so TOTALLY New Hampshire...

I'm no fan of the Manchester Union Leader, but today I actually got a good laugh out of it. Seems that the editors don't take kindly to Governor Palin poking her head into our business, telling Granite Staters who to vote for, when she's only been here once. And on page one, above the fold no less! Butt out, basically.

So, 2012 contenders on both sides of the aisle should take note. That's just how it works here. Don't get all chummy and act like you know New Hampshirites. You don't, especially if you are a candidate who hasn't spent much time here. We are very full of ourselves, but I would like to think that most voters wouldn't like to be told by out-of-state pols what to do. Ayotte's entire campaign seems to have been managed by outsiders from the start, and I'm guessing that the message was intended to tell her that the opponents aren't the only ones who think this is not cool.

Confession: I am finally getting around to reading Game Change. I started it today while at the beach (not this beach). I'm loving it so far, and reliving some fond memories. It reminded me how much I love NH Primary Politics, and how much I am looking forward to 2012. But it's also serving to remind me how crucial NH & Iowa really are, whether you like it or not.

(Note on the link: I'd rather not link to the MUL if I don't have to, and HuffPo was my first source, so they get the link.)

Palin Endorses Ayotte in NH Senate Race!

2010-07-19T17:06:00.002-04:00

Sarah says Kelly is a "Granite Grizzly". Please tell me this means she's going to come to NH. Pretty please!

The comments on Blue Hampshire regarding this are rather humorous. But one linked to a new site I hadn't heard of, so I had to click. Check it out: Miscellany Blue. Looks like my kinda blog! Enjoy.

Told Ya...

2010-06-30T14:41:00.000-04:00

I love how this always seems to work out for me. I post a random rambling, something that has been stewing around in my head but I have absolutely no facts to support it, other than my gut, to make the case.

Then voila, the interwebs provide me with plenty of support to prove I'm not just making things up. Two cases in point:

Further evidence that New Hampshire Republicans are not to be confused with Bible Belt Repubs. Turns out that NH is the least god-fearing state in the union. Drop dead last. Add this to my growing list of things for which NH is either #1 or #50. And furthering the argument that we just cannot be mediocre; we always have to be best or worst, FIRST or dead last! (For the record, you will also see at this link that NH is #1 in alcohol sales, which may or may not be related to our godlessness. Personally, I think it has more to do with our state run liquor outlet stores on the borders with MA and ME.)
Then, folks in Iowa make the same point I made a few days ago, about feeling entitled to some face time with potential candidates. Being first may be a privelige, but it's also a huge responsibility. Granite Staters and Iowans do not take this task lightly. Sarah Palin, beware!

Just sayin'.

2010-06-24T11:56:00.000-04:00

Hello, Blogosphere...remember me?

I have been MIA on FRS, but I'm still here in the Granite State, waiting for 2012 to kick into high gear. Every once in a while, something small pops on my radar screen, like Rudy showing up at Portsmouth High School's graduation, or Dante being quoted making some speculations. A few names have been bubbling around, and a few appearances at small town events are sure to pop up this summer. But it's really not enough to get my heart pumping just yet.

What I am really waiting for is a visit from Sarah Palin. Loyal readers will know I am no fan of the former Governor of Alaska, but I am oddly fascinated with her career, and her popularity (fascinated like the way people stare at train wrecks). I fully intend to see her in person if the opportunity presents itself, and will be sure to report on everything from her shoes to her sentence structure.

I'm going to put out my prediction for Sarah now, just to have it on the record so I can hopefully say I TOLD YOU SO! She will NOT do well in New Hampshire, and if she's smart (ha!) or her staff does their homework (ha ha!) she will not even attempt to enter the primary. No, it's not wishful thinking because truthfully, it would be a whole lot more fun for me if she does run.

My number one reason for predicting her failure in NH is this: every candidate's staff spends a lot of time on the ground trying to gain endorsements--aka grovelling--from our 400+ citizen legislators, state senators, local newspaper editorial boards, local party organizations, unions, non-profits, and grass-roots organizations. If the staff is successful, then the next step is some quality candidate access. Seriously, can you see her sitting down with the editorial board of Portsmouth Herald or Concord Monitor to answer policy questions?? She'd need to have house parties that are somewhat public, or policy forums, or town halls. And she's have to take questions, both from the public AND the press...and ANSWER THEM. And not just questions about dressing moose or being a hockey mom. May the gods help her if she tries to plant questions at a New Hampshire town hall meeting!

My other reason, though secondary, is still a very strong one. Her brand of conservatism is not the same as that of what's left of the NH GOP. NH Republicans are not part of the religious right, and they are fairly well educated.

So, who DOES stand a chance in NH? It think Mitt will be back and will be stronger, if only because he the benefit of name recognition (meaning he may be the least of all evils). Barbour, Jindal, Huckabee, Pawlenty?? Fourth of July parades are coming up, followed closely by Labor Day events. I expect to get a bit busier as the summer of 2010 progresses.

2010 is in Full Swing

2009-10-26T13:36:00.001-04:00

Well, I hope you enjoyed your year off, because the 2010 cycle in New Hampshire has begun in earnest. I told you things here in the Granite State were starting to pick up!

A few weeks ago, I was in the parking lot of a WalMart when a cell phone call came in from an unknown number. It was a Facebook-friend Jack, and since I only friend people I know, I was really curious about what he wanted. Jack is a fellow poster on Blue Hampshire, and he is much more active than I am. turns out he was calling to invite me to a blogger get-together with Congressman Paul Hodes, who is running for Judd Gregg's Senate seat in 2010. Sure, why not.

Although it was a rainy fall day and the event was moved inside, it was still wonderful. I left the kids at home and went alone--a bigger undertaking for me than it should be, but I am after all an introvert. Incidentally, I think most new media types are. We can be all "out there" on our own terms, without having to expend the energy to open our mouths or make eye contact. It was nice to recognize a few friendly faces when I pulled in, none-the-less.

Anyway I was expecting this to be somewhat like the blogger/new media shin-dig I participated in with Elizabeth Edwards, back in the day (Nov. 2007), so I prepped myself for conversations about the blogosphere (not that I ever really ask questions). But it ended up being more like a plain old house party, with good food, a quick stump speech by the candidate, and a little entertainment. I was relieved and a bit proud of myself that I can at least follow along quite well now; the wonky stuff doesn't go over my head nearly as much as it might have two or three years ago. Funny...when I decided to start this blog, I wanted to demonstrate how accessible politics were in New Hampshire for the average voter who seeks to be more engaged. That, and I had the goal of getting into a house party. Now, I guess, I need to set higher goals for myself.

The stump speech hit all the right notes: his support of the "robust" public option being the most important. I liked Paul Hodes immediately and he had a good handshake. It was clear that he was among friends, as he could be as direct and blunt as he wanted. I can see why he works for NH CD 2; he was dressed casually and looked like this is his preferred mode. He's a regular guy. He doesn't have to try to be folksy. New Hampshire likes that. I like that he has a law degree, too, and is still "regular."

The frosting on this cake came in the end. Congressman Paul Hodes, as promised, picked up a guitar, and his wife "Peggo" started singing. I was digging around for my camera, so I heard her before I saw her. What a voice! And, I have to add, what fabulous shoes!

I learned the next day that, Kelly Ayotte (R), our former State Attorney General, made it official that she is running for the same Senate seat. While the NH GOP will have a primary, it seems like she has been annointed by the RNSC and NH GOP establishment as their next best great white hope.

The battle has been joined.

Warming Up for 2010

2009-10-05T15:03:00.000-04:00

Howdy, Strangers! Have you been wondering where I went? Well, nowhere, but I'm back.

Like everyone, ordinary folks in NH were happy to take a year off from heavy duty state politics for 2009, but that doesn't mean anyone has been asleep at the wheel, by any means. The state is getting used to its new declaration as "solidly blue," and candidates are exploring and filing, one by one. Like everywhere else, the state GOP is rutterless and idealess, but the Dems are organized and ready for the next campaign.

Things are already heating up here for 2010, and by extension, 2012.

A few weeks ago, my Primary Pal Laurie McCray invited me to a small fundraiser for Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter. It was held in Laurie's gorgeous home in Portsmouth, NH, and was just a little coffee and muffin get-together with Carol, with a special plea for donations. Her new opponent is the current Mayor of Mancherster NH, but the bigger worry is really Sununu the Elder who using what connections he has from his past to smear Carol whenever he can. That plus our own fair share of right wing nut jobs & so-called Tea Baggers are making things a bit challenging these days for the rational, reasonable person.

In case I have never made it clear: My Congresswoman is amazing. I don't expect to agree 100% with any elected official, and I pick the ones I want to support based not only on how close they get to 100%, but also on their personalities & style. She scores pretty darn close to 100% all the time. She's darn near perfect for me: supports a public option for health care, wants to repeal DOMA, believes in choice. She's a dream come true for those of us who suffered under Jeb for too long! And she's so gosh darn real. I will be working very hard this election cycle to make sure Carol still represents me and CD#1 in the future.

Some fun things are coming up in the near future, too. First is a family/work trip to Washington DC. I am attending the Liaison Advisory Board meeting of The Washington Center, and plan to do a site visits of my awesome UNH students now interning in DC. But before that, we've got some family fun planned at the National Zoo, and the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

In the distant future--well, December--I have tickets for the NHDP Jefferson/Jackson Dinner, which is featuring a keynote by President Bill Clinton! My polical junkie pal Colleen and I are going together, and I can't wait. Maybe I will get to see some of the Blue Hampshire folks whom I know by screenname only, in person. In my head, this will be the kick-off, rally the troops event for the 2010 cycle. Bring it on!

NH Passes Marriage Equality Bill

2009-05-01T13:10:00.014-04:00

I've been meaning to post something here so long, just to keep things alive and active. I'm still here!! Sorry to disappoint. Here are some highlights of life and politics in New Hampshire lately:

Gay Marriage Passes the NH Senate! While it's not a done deal, it's much closer to done than I ever expected. If truth be told, I have never been an activist for gay marriage. During the last election cycle, while I was psyched that NH Freedom to Marry endorsed my guy, I was very adamant in stating that I could never be a one issue (LGBT) voter. With the amazing list of horrible things our country and our leaders are facing growing exponentially (pandemics, unemployment, climate crisis, wars, terrorism), fighting for marriage rights seemed selfish to me. I would tell anyone who asked that I cared more about poverty and lack of health care than about getting married. So, I am, admittedly, late to this party.

About two weeks ago, I took a day off from work to take my twins, now 6, to the NH State House to hear some of the public hearing regarding HB 436. It was fun to be out & active again, to see some familiar faces and all that. But I wasn't expecting the nastiness, and had to leave so as to not expose my children to some truly bone-chilling testimony. At least I exposed them to the State House and the process, and we had a very fun adventure.

The State Senate Judiciary Committee, sadly, voted not to support the bill, but in true Granite State fashion, every bill reaches the floor for vote, and nothing can ever be killing in committee. (cue School House Rock "I'm sitting in committee...") I love that! So, on Wednesday, the State Senate finally voted. I was unable to attend on such short notice, but I was lucky enough to have found a new UNH College Dem who was live-Tweeting from the scene. Got nothing done all day as I flitted between Facebook (for status updates), Blue Hampshire (for live blogging), and Twitter. Facebook won, thanks to a post from NHDP Ray Buckley at 2:22pm that said "Ray Buckley wants you to know that the NH Senate just passed marriage equality by 13-11." It was David, my new College Dem pal, who informed me of the technicalities: back to the House to approve amendments before passing the bill on to Gov. Lynch. But still, a huge hurdle was passed. Wow!

Everyone I know was frantically researching to see how their Senator voted, and to see if the next email was to be a thank you note or not. For most of us here on the Seacoast, it was a thank you note. Since I personally know my senator, Amanda Merrill (who used to work upstairs from me), I got a quick and personal reply of appreciation for my thank you. A few days later, she sent out a mass-reply to everyone who had written, less personal and much more formal, emphasizing how this bill is respectful of religious differences and protects religious freedom:

"The bill provides equal access to marriage for New Hampshire couples, regardless
of gender. The legislation also clarifies that marriage may be solemnized
in a civil ceremony or a religious ceremony, and affirms that no one shall be
required by law to officiate at a marriage in violation of his or her right to
free exercise of religion. The amended version of the legislation was
accepted by the majority of senators after hours of public testimony and
personal reflection upon the correspondence we received from all corners of the
state. "

So, back to the House then on to Gov. Lynch. I'm not worried about the House and I don't think anyone is. My State Rep is UNH Prof. David Watters, who lives down the street from me and someone I see frequently in the UNH MUB. (I really do love our citizen legislature.) My prediction is that Gov. Lynch will not veto. He released a cryptic statement right after the vote, which talked about federal recognition of civil unions and marriage. So, my prediction is now official...we'll see how this one goes!

Since my political junkiness is more of a national level, the question rolling around in my head is how will this effect the 2010 Senate race, and the next presidential primary cycle!? If both Iowa and NH--firsts in the nation--are both places where the elected legislature voted in favor of gay marriage how will a candidate who opposed it manage the message here vs. their national message. Oh, I love this stuff!

One last note: I'm still loving following The Blogette. She's the only sane Republican left on Earth! Meghan: Please come to UNH next year.

NH is Center Stage Again!

2009-02-01T13:11:00.017-05:00

Oh wow, what a weekend. I'm BAAAaack!

On Friday evening, I dragged my pal & fellow junkie Colleen out into the frigid night, to go to the Dover Dems' Second Annual FDR Dinner. I want to get more involved, but the real reason I wanted to go was to schmooze and hear the Judd Gregg possible Cabinet appointment gossip. Plus I learned that the guest speaker would be Dr. Jill Silos, whom I know from my days as Residence Hall Director at UNH when she was first working on her PhD. Well worth the $12.

It was a very small venue, and a small crowd. I'd say less than 50: a few UNH Dems, plus state reps, our State Senator Many Merrill, and other committee members. Colleen immediately spotted Senator Jeanne Shaheen chatting with old friends while her husband Billy was working on a plate of spaghetti. Senator Shaheen was wearing a very cool purplish suit and fabulous pointy-toes black boots. She was informal in the company of old friends; Dover is Bill's home turf. When she stepped up to give some quick remarks, she was still informal. She told stories about the Inauguration, and Senate Orientation, with Billy yelling from the back, "Tell them the story about the guy from Nigeria!"

The Shaheens didn't stick around after that, but the event was still wonderful. Jill was an appropriate mix of reverence & irreverence. But, there was no real gossip regarding Gregg to be had.

That is, until today (Sunday). It's looking more likely that Gregg will be nominated tomorrow. Blue Hampshire has been full of speculation and theories (will Gregg accept?? who will be appointed to replace him??), some lighthearted, some confused, and some angry. But today HuffPo has a story stating that NH Gov. Lynch is considering Bonnie Newman for a replacement senator. Wow.

Bonnie has a long & impressive resume. But one of the parts I like best is that she's the former Dean of Students at UNH, and was an interim president for us a few years back. She was a fabulous president--got along well with all constituents, was visible, got to know students, and also valued the staff (we are often 2nd fiddle to faculty). She'd be a friend to USNH and higher education in the Senate, and I really like that. She personally hired the woman who proceeded me in my job, and they remain good friends.

I do also like her personal qualities: a woman, and a MODERATE Republican. Obama is clearly making a place at the table for reasonable & smart moderate Republicans, and not the right-wing nut jobs. Lynch would follow suit. I like that a lot. I like the old NH-style repubs a whole lot more than I like the Sarah-Palin wingnut religious fanatical type.

Stay tuned; this could be interesting!

Oh Happy Day: 1/20/2009

2009-01-20T10:01:00.007-05:00

I can certainly not even begin to put into word the feelings about today. So I think right now I won't even try. Just Happy Inauguration Day to anyone who's checking out my site.

What a long road this has been. I couldn't be more pleased with the results. More than once this morning, I have been moved to tears, and nothing official has even happened yet.

Several of the UNH College Dems, many former staffers and press I met during this cycle, and many colleagues from TWC are in DC today, among the throngs taking in this historic day. To them: Be safe, and have a wonderful wonderful time. You have earned this day of celebration.

As for me, I will be sitting warmly among the other UNH staffers in the MUB, watching on the large screen TV and pretending to be working. If I'm able, I might do some live blogging here or on BH. I might be too choked up to type.

First Day Jitters

2009-01-07T09:52:00.005-05:00

Yes, I am still here. Not much to report other than ice and snow in NH, until this week that is!!

Welcome back! And so, it begins. Yesterday was the swearing in of the 111th Congress, which included Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH! I watched the silly ceremony on C-Span with two colleagues during our lunch hour, in a very empty UNH MUB. We did plenty of heckling and commentary, but I have to admit I was rusty. It's been a few months. Anyway, it was nice to see a few women in the mix, but oh the US Senate is amazingly white!

Senator Shaheen looked great. No scarf, thank goodness. We all predicted green, but she wore a reddish/maroon jacket that was a good color for her. I read on Blue Hampshire a few days back that she's the first woman in the US to be both a state governor AND a US Senator. Go NH!!

Quote of the Day comes from Politico's Shenanigans:

“Like the first day of middle school, except no cool Trapper Keepers and the
dorks have the best lunch tables.”— A freshman House COS on yesterday’s “first
day”

Only In New Hampshire

2008-11-17T08:46:00.008-05:00

File this story under "You Can't Make This Stuff Up!"

It's too good to just post the link, so here's the full text from the Union Leader:

DOVER, N.H. (AP) -- There's been some sort of confrontation between two notorious New Hampshire inmates in Dover.

Officials say Gary Dodds and Leeland Eisenberg were involved in a jailhouse altercation on Friday.

Dodds is the former congressional candidate convicted of faking his own disappearance and Eisenberg is the man who held volunteers hostage in Hillary Clinton's Rochester campaign office.

Eisenberg says Dodds hit him in the face, but investigators say it's too early to say exactly what happened.

Strafford County Attorney Tom Velardi says there's a preliminary report of an act that could be charged under state law as an assault. A sheriff's department investigator plans to interview both men on Monday.

Eisenberg told WMUR-TV in a phone interview that it started as a "silly conversation" about who appoints certain county officials.

"He was asking me questions about the structure of the county government. ... I gave him the answers," Eisenberg said. "He didn't like the answers, he started taunting me and teasing me."

Is this how I will keep myself busy until 2012 candidates start coming, in 2010? Pathetic!

Update: Foster's has a nice twist on the story, even better than the UL!

Change Agent

2008-11-06T15:28:00.006-05:00

Were you wondering, like I was, how the transition to a new, Presidential brand was going to be managed, or how the old candidate-Obama brand would be replaced. Wonder no more. Introducing www.change.gov.

Brilliant. There's even a jobs section. Nice touch, since as of Friday there are hundreds of unemployed community organizers who are chomping at the bit to work in the Obama Administration.

The Day After

2008-11-06T09:09:00.015-05:00

Let the post-mortem begin! A few weeks ago, Colleen had the brilliant idea to watch the documentary The War Room, about the 1992 Bill Clinton victory. All throughout, we wondered aloud what was really being said and one behind the scenes in the current campaigns, and were eager to get past the election to learn the real story.

Voila: Newsweek comes through again. And we can't wait. If these early snippets are any testement, this should be juicy. This is the stuff I love!! I am so very eager to read more about how rogue Palin really went, who bought what to wear when, and of course, and all that truly useless political gossip.

Other Monday morning quarter-backing: HuffPo has a final word on the brilliance of Obama's

branding, which you know I love. I'm wondering if, in the effort to begin appearing Presidential, we will see all these logos disappear...like Houdini

magic. ;-)

And, in a final, full-circle kind of way, my old pal from the days of the NH Primary, Susie, sent me a link to this photo. It's from an Edwards Town Hall event in Dover in the summer of 2007. We got there early, and I was letting the twins run around as the advance staff set up shop, until they became absolutely out of control and had to be reigned in. This campaign has lasted almost 2/3rds of my kids' lives!

Now what? Well, it shouldn't be long until local small town Republican community groups start holding their own meetings in the living rooms of Concord, testing the waters for 2012.

For once, I'm in no hurry for that.

Good Morning, America!

2008-11-05T10:30:00.009-05:00

Well, what a difference a day makes!

Greetings from Blue Hampshire! Is there anything I can say, without getting choked up? Quite a night last night!

My party was small but spirited. We never managed to get cable worked out, so we stuck with the NH ABC affiliate mostly, so we could check in on all the state & local races, and supplemented with three laptops. New Hampshire is now very solidly blue, and we are very psyched for Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter and Senator-Elect Jeanne Shaheen!

In my household, much of the talk of the night was fashion-related. The shiny blue suit seemed to be all the rage for women: Carol Shea-Porter, Jennifer Horn (R, who lost NH CD2), and Sarah Palin! Is shiny the new wool??

Now, onto the Obama women. What the HELL was Michelle thinking?? She's so striking and attractive, but that dress was hideous. It did not flatter her one bit. Lucky for her, my eyes were on Sasha & Malia. I LOVE that they always coordinate colors with each other & their mom. Sasha's dress was adorable. She's such a spit-fire. I can't wait to see pictures of her and her new White House puppy.

And, someone please send me a link with a close up picture of their matching necklaces!! Are they new? They look to be in the shape of an O. Is it the Obama Symbol?? When did they get them??

So this morning, I can't look at any pictures of any non-Caucasian person or child without crying. I loved the shots of Huffington Post of the celebration in Kenya, or the kids from Obama's former schools in Indonesia and Hawaii.

This is truly a global victory.

Anyone up for a roadtrip to the Inauguration??

Evening Election Edition: 6:00pm

2008-11-04T17:52:00.008-05:00

Just after that last post, things got a little hectic. 2pm was database-switch time. Canvassers were called back, and new voter lists were distributed that would show only those who hadn't voted yet. They were probably accurate as of noon or 1pm, so to me it didn't seem worth the chaos it caused as we had to swap out lists but keep maps and other info in the canvasser packs. Just as I was packing up to leave at 3pm, I heard someone lament..."Good, that went ok. And, we will do it all again at 5pm."

I got home in time to start some decorating and cleaning. Sure enough at 4pm a canvasser walked by. He gave me the thumbs up and I tried to save him the walk to the end of the street by telling him the neighbor's already voted. At 6pm the phone rang, and I laughed as I reported, "yes, we voted already!" I've always said that Obama has the superior ground game, but now it's a little bit of overkill. We're all ready for the craziness to stop, and the polls to close.

Two more hours. Let's REALLY get this party started! (How do you like our dessert??)

OK, so an update from Colleen at the office around 5:30pm: database refresh at 5pm was cancelled and all hands on deck for GOTV phone calls to Dover, Rollinsford, and surrounding area, due to lower than expected voter turn out so far.

Midday Update: Election Day 2008

2008-11-04T13:39:00.012-05:00

Midday update from Durham/UNH NHDP HQ:

We've got so many vols here that parking is getting to be an issue. The office is in a small plaza with a grocery store, Rite Aid, two banks and a few other small businesses. Since we are adjacent to the university, the businesses usually get an "after work rush,' starting around 3:30pm. Too many vols isn't much to complain about at all, so a bunch of us who work at UNH moved our cars onto campus lots to keep the community happy.

My job so far has been to give out canvasser packets as vols come in, and pass the people down the line to get instructions and materials to hit the road. The message is just this: VOTE. They are only hitting known supporters and keeping it short & sweet. A few neighbors close to campus have been complaining about too much attention, so now I'm sending vols further afield.

In a slow moment earlier, I did data entry as well. The fancy system of entering voter IDs by cell phone seemed to be overwhelmed by 11am, so we had to enter the ID of folks who've

already voted directly by hand. Not difficult at all, and I nice diversion.

As I said, the place is crowded, and while there is enthusiasm and good energy, it's calm.

Confident. Even the two women in charge aren't frazzled or exhausted-looking. The food here is great. I bought some of my less-attractive Obama cupcakes (photo to come), and there is a huge table of donated goodies, lots of healthy choices, and around noon a yummy shipment of pasta alfredo arrived, in individual containers. Rumor has it that it was supplied by the campaign. Thanks, donors!

At 2pm our gears will shift here, and new canvass packets will be printed off & readied for going out. Those who have voted already will be purged, just to keep on the GOTV theme.

Live, from HQ, it's Tuesday Morning!

2008-11-04T10:46:00.008-05:00

Welcome to Election Day, 2008!

I'm blogging from the Durham/UNH HQ of the NHDP! I've been assigned a perfect job for an introvert: giving maps & packets out to canvassers. So far, everyone is pumped. Canvassing packets are organized by town & ward, so that the GOTV Door Hangers have each voters polling place. Talk about glossy packets--full color door hangers, fliers, sample ballots, etc. I'm in chum heaven.

First thing this morning, I checked online for the report from Dixville Notch, NH. Traditionally, they open their polls at midnight & close them once all registered boters have voted (not long after, usually). And, for the first time since 1968, a Democrat won!

I voted with the kids at 8am. There was about a 20 minute wait, but everything went smoothly. As expected, I teared up as I filled in the ovals on the paper ballot. The kids helped me feed it into the ballot box, and off we went. So, now I'm dedicating the rest of the day to making sure other people vote too.

My old pal JJ (from Team Edwards days) stopped in. I've been surprised at the age range of volunteers: from age 16 to 60+. Because this is Durham, the crowd is mostly white. There have been a few out-of-staters helping out, but not as many as I expected. Moods are jovial, food is abundant, and all is well in ObamaLand.

More later!

Chum & Lit III

2008-11-03T16:20:00.004-05:00

Just a quick note to say I stocked up on Obama stickers, window clings, and tattoos today for my party. Got the kids each a GOTV Water Bottle too, 4000 of which were delivered to UNH for GOTV promotion. I even got a bright orange worker-shirt for Election Day. They were happy to have me load up; seems that distributing all the booty is actually more work than they need right now. I was happy to relieve them of the burden.

UNH Students for Obama haven't slept for a while and they are pumped. And a little frazzled. There will be a lot of sick kids on Wednesday. They really need some healthy snacks and a nap. But they are focused and ready for battle. I did my best to make sure they follow the UNH solicitation rules over the next 24 hours, and went quietly back to my office.

Is anybody getting anything done today??

One More Day!

2008-11-03T09:09:00.010-05:00

Is anybody still out there, reading this?

One day to go, folks, ONE DAY! It's been two long years here in New Hampshire, and now it is down to the final hours.

With the time change, everyone in my house was up early today (Monday). First, I awoke to good news from my brother, who reported via email that he helped my mom fill in her absentee ballot over the weekend. Despite her memory loss, she hasn't forgotten that she is a Democrat and voted accordingly, without coaching. Over the years I could never get her to tell me who she voted for directly, but she had her way of making it clear that she has been a Democrat all her life, and having grown up in the Depression, she worships FDR. And, she despises W. So, she did her part to keep Massachusetts Blue.

Next task was to work on more party plans. The USA Blue Jell-O mould is now solidified. The Obama Cupcakes needed to be frosted, so I did stage one (white background) at 7am. Blue circle and red stripes tonight. The kids now like the Obama symbol so much they play I-Spy when we drive around, and can & have drawn it all over the place (appropiate places so far). I let them stick some campaign stickers in the attic/crawl space. Annie said "I like the one with Obama AND McCain on it." Huh? Turns out she got her older white men mixed up: it was an Obama/Biden sticker. Griffin took two of these & stuck them together, creating "Barack O'Dollars."

So, I'm taking tomorrow off to help out at the Durham/UNH GOTV Office's Mission Control. NH doesn't have "early voting," so I'm trying to decide when to vote. I must bring the kids, so either first thing or after 3pm. I've never experienced lines in Dover before, but I'm a bit concerned I may this time. Lines with two 5-year olds...not a good combo. But I like to build up some anticipation (like two years isn't enough??) and vote later in the day. So, we'll see. I may drive by at 8am and see how crowded it looks.

So, enjoy the last day of campaigning. I will complete my frosting mission tonight, and I hope to do a few blog entries during the day tomorrow. Everyone I know who has been reading along here will probably be equally engaged and unable to check in here. That's OK by me. I'd rather you all work on GOTV (or GOTfV) than pay attention to little old me!

NOW, it's on to the election finally, to see if Obama lives up to my early prediction of a landslide.

Surrogate Revealed!

2008-10-30T12:02:00.010-04:00

Some good old Facebook Stalking has yeilded this information (from the profile of some UNH College Dem student):

"Hillary Today, Howard Dean Thursday, John Kerry Saturday and BILL CLINTON on Sunday!!!"

Stay Tuned!

The Last Hurrah

2008-10-29T13:10:00.007-04:00

It's the final stretch now; a week from today we'll have a new president! Wow...This election cycle has lasted nearly two years for us in New Hampshire, and it's almost over. I usually can't get enough of it, but I think I'm ready. Ready For Change.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean will be on the UNH Campus on

Thursday (tomorrow), 10/30/2008.

No word yet on Sen. John Kerry, stay tuned.

So, a few days ago a friend from New Mexico sent me a belated birthday gift. It's an electoral puzzle, with red and blue pieces for each state. You can put your own electoral map together. The night it arrived, I had a dream--too vivid for my own comfort--that it was election night. We were assembling the puzzle at my Election Night Party, as the TV news was calling states. New Hampshire was red! I couldn't believe it, and started having a serious in-dream panic attack that McCain could actually be president. I woke up at that moment, in a bit of a crazed state, but greatly relieved it was just a dream.

Then last night my son found the puzzle and wanted to assemble it. He put it together with some help, all blue, saying "There, that should make Barack Obama happy!" Yes, that would make a lot of people happy.

Oh, and those tattoos: a huge hit. My kids started passing them out at their after-school program. I had to quickly interject that everyone must ask their parents' permission before affixing!

The DNC's Idea of a Spending Spree!

2008-10-28T10:53:00.018-04:00

Yesterday, I stopped by the Durham NHDP Coordinated Campaign Office to pick up more stickers and posters for my election party. Lo & Behold, a new GOTV packet arrived that day!! More large full-color posters, stickers, and window clings! Window clings!?! The stickers were amazing in that they came in an 11x17" sheet with assorted sizes and shapes, with a plasticy all-weather coating to boot! And, all with the funky tri-color graphic of Obama, and the GOTV message: Vote, Nov. 4th. (So, don't try any dirty tricks and advertise the wrong day!!) Unfortunately, my daughter mistook the stickers for the window cling, and promptly stuck a sticker on the new front door.

The posters were intended to be preserved for the party, but each kid decided to hang one above their bed, even covering some of the new glow-in-the-dark stars we hot-glued on last month. That is how much they liked these posters.

So here I am today, stopping by the MUB table for the College Dems, thinking I'd seen it all. When what should appear? TATTOOS. Yes, 2" circular temporary tattoos that say, in that Gotham font I adore, "Yes We Can." I am SO giving these out for trick-or-treating!

This campaign is over the top in so many ways. Maybe it's a waste of money, but you can be certain that the Obama will not be looking at leftover millions on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November (like John Kerry, 2004).

And speaking of... while I was at that table, I learned that not only is Hillary in Dover NH today, but DNC Chairman Howard Dean is coming to the UNH MUB soon, Senator John Kerry this weekend, and an as-yet-unnamed/big name surrogate after that.

Deja Vu, All Over Again

2008-10-27T09:41:00.018-04:00

Since I love the Obama graphic ID so much, I am using a different variation of the logo every day, for my Facebook Profile picture. So, for those of you I haven't had the pleasure of friending, a different logo here too. This one is for Students for Obama.

During my morning news/blog check routine, a noticed a theme coming from Team McCain that seemed oddly familiar: Beware of One Party Rule! It was all over the news, and I kept thinking, "where have I heard this before?" Ah, then it hit me as my morning surfing hit Boston.com: 2006, in the race for Governor of Massachusetts, which was won handily by Deval Patrick. In the dying days of that campaign, when what's-her-name GOP candidate was tanking, she made a very desperate plea to Mass Voters: Beware One Party Rule! She seemed pathetic then, and McCain seems pathetic now. Patrick took a cool, above the fray attitude, and just ignored her. It didn't work for her, and it isn't working for McCain. But nice try. And another point for lack of creativity for the McCain-Palin ticket.

Also during my morning routine, I got an email from a student, who was cancelling an appointment with me for Tuesday 10/28 because she'd going to be working at an NHDP event, featuring Hillary. So, further down the email list I found my own "personal" invitation from Team Shaheen:

A Rally for a New Direction with Hillary Clinton & Jeanne Shaheen

Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Doors open at 12:00 PM McConnell Center Gym 61 Locust St, Dover, NH To RSVP: Click here or contact 603-617-2140

I am expecting a lot of student cancellations over the next nine days. I should make sure I keep Nov. 6th wide open for all that rescheduling (save Nov. 5th for sleeping).

OK, so now back to slogging through my emails...

Lunchtime update: I can't believe I forgot this...

Last week, Colleen & I spent one lunch hour watching The War Room, starring James Carville & George Stephanopoulos. We'd always wanted to see it, as we cut our primary & junkie teeth on Clinton vs. Bush, 1992. The parallels to the current race were beyond amazing, but the hair & clothes stole the show for me. And George was so darn cute! I highly recommend a watch before Nov. 4th, if you can squeeze it in.

It's STILL the economy, Stupid!

The Lit & Chum Report, Two Weeks Left

2008-10-21T09:17:00.026-04:00

If you've been reading FRS for a while, then you know I have an odd fascination (OK, obsession) with campaign signs and chum. I collect it, and am a sucker for it. The more unique, the better. My office holds most of my collection, but a few items are immortalized in the walls of my home. Gore, Kerry, Edwards, Clinton, and Obama stickers are saved for posterity under the drywall of my quaint little home.

And, you may also recall that I am registered as Undeclared in New Hampshire. Most people hate the campaign junk mail, but I like it and remain undeclared just so I can get it. I like to see how the different teams use their resources, how they try to woo the much fought-over independent vote of the Granite State. So, here's the update on my chum collection and the state of my mailbox.

Chum: The Obama campaign is a Chum Collector's Dream. OMG! Just walking into the new Durham Coordinated Campaign office makes me salivate. I'm ready to knock down a wall just to add more hidden stuff inside! Stickers, mostly of non-standard sizes and shaped, in every color, are everywhere. Wicked cool, full-size posters with coordinated GOTV messages are there, ready to don the walls of your dorm room or apartment (or play room as the case may be). What all this says to me, is that the campaign has lots of money, and is not afraid to spend it. (Did the dems finally learn that it's not good to have money left over at the end of a presidential

campaign?) I especially love the non-

standard shapes/sizes; they are just that much more expensive to produce, making them that much cooler. And what I really love about the collection is the graphic theme running through it al l. The Obama branding is pure gold; a marketeers dream, executed with brilliance.

Lit: This is a bit scarier. I am getting many full-color scare-o-grams, telling me that Rep. Carol Shea-Porter will insure illegal aliens and Gov. Jeanne Shaheen is personally responsible for NH's high school drop out rate. The photos are digitized or colorized to make them creepy. The fear factor is disgusting. There's no positive Sununu or Bradley message, probably because neither candidate has one. Curiously, I haven't gotten any snail mail for McCain/Palin. I am not complaining, I just find it curious. Actually, I'm not getting any Obama/Biden mail either, but print stuff does keep appearing thanks to those ubiquitous Saturday canvassers (and, yes, there was a line outside the Dover NHDP office last week, with volunteer waiting to sign in!)

For the rest of the campaign--only two weeks left!!--I am gathering as much chum & lit as I can, to be turned into decorations for my party (assuming it's rated "G," and some of it is certainly not!). Who needs the party store when I have so much good stuff to choose from!

Let's Get The Party Started, II

2008-10-20T10:02:00.015-04:00

With this Politico article recently, my thoughts are turning to Election Day plans and my Quadrennial Election Night Party! I've held one every presidential election since 1992, which featured Hillary's Chocolate Chip cookie recipe and an oh-so-modern connection to the internet via Prodigy! One can only hope that this year, the party doesn't go as late into the night as it did in 2000.

So, now, what to serve? My pal and fellow junkie, Colleen is attempting the Baked Alaska (I am calling it Baked Alaskan, myself). I will repeat my USA Jello mould, and instead of doing red/white/blue layers, this time I've got all Wild Berry Blue.

I have my electoral map ready, and am working on quiz questions and prizes. The kids have picked out their patriotic outfits and can't wait to don the crowns I found. I also went to the party supply and grocery stores this weekend to stock up on supplies. Believe it or not, I could not find "marble" cake! Has it gone out of fashion? I'm going to have to mix chocolate and white cake mixes myself for the biracial effect. But I did get Oreos!! What else? Another colleague & I brainstormed on a napkin at lunch last week (results below), but we'd love to hear your contributions, even if you can't attend.

Hawaiian Punch (spiked of course)
Alaskan Crab Dip
Uno's Chicago Pizza, Hawaiian toppings
Budweiser (Cindy's family owns distributor)
Navy Bean Dip
Arizona Ice Tea
Kenyan or Indonesian Food

It's looking more like a luau with a patriotic twist (or vise versa).

Now, it's your turn...you are not committed to making or bringing your suggestion. But if you do come, remember that it is a very partisan event. And no Nader voters, please. And, theme-related dress is encouraged!

Better To Be Thought A Fool...

2008-10-16T11:48:00.027-04:00

I stayed up way past my bedtime last night, but it was worth it. Here's the rundown of the evening.

Dinner: I almost chickened out of dinner, for fear of being out of my league, but I ended up tagging along with our Debate Watch guest analysts (and Brian Lawson now of PolitickerNH) at The New England Center's Acorns Restaurant. Thanks, Dante for the invitation and encouragement: "you're a junkie, you'll fit right in!" I'm glad I went. To my amazement, I was able to keep up with the conversation AND didn't make a big fool out of myself. Of course, I am pretty sure I was the only flaming, bleeding heart liberal at the table. But I didn't draw attention to myself (except for gently suggesting that McCain subscribe to the new Google Goggles feature before pulling any more campaign stunts). Rather like Obama, my goal was to stay cool, refrain from any gaffes, and show superior listening skills. ;-)

Pregame: We were fortunate to have a great crowd at the UNH Watch Event, mostly all Obama supporters. Somehow I got stuck being greeting, introducer, and techie and wasn't very good at any of those jobs (--a new respect for Advance workers), but we got our analysts back from dinner in time to do their "what to watch for" pre-debate spin, and managed to get the giant screen TV turned on to CNN just as the debate was starting.

Debate Watch: Joe The Plumber was the star of the show, and students cracked up every time those three words were mentioned. This audience also was quick to chuckle at all of McCain's stumbles, but especially the "fresh of breath air" comment. I have to admit that I was bored, and spent my time chatting on Facebook or posting comments on Blue Hampshire. I love watching all the FB statuses change as Joe The Plumber got more and more play. My fav was by Aldon Hynes, a blogger in Connecticut: "Joe the Plumber" a new series following "Bob the Builder" (best know for: Can we build it? YES WE CAN!).

Postgame: Our right-leaning pundits did their job by showcasing McCain's big hits (I'm not Bush....), all of which were in the first 35 minutes. They didn't cut Obama any slack, not even points for looking calm or always getting back on track to positives.

I read someplace recently that you can really tell who is winning a debate if you mute the sound and watch it like that. Seems like a good idea to me, because even though the UNH Pundits didn't talk about it, this debate was all about the non-verbals. McCain's blinking, eye rolling, tongue-jutting, sarcasm, and evil laugh are all the really big stories the morning after. So much for looking confident & presidential! Maybe McCain should have followed my example and keep his feelings to himself.

I think McCain is a bit out of his league.

My Positive Reframe

2008-10-14T09:11:00.024-04:00

Ah, the planets aligned themselves in an effort to get me out of that funk.

First, I must thank my dear friends and colleagues who provided the figurative therapist's couches, and let me vent/process my feeling in an appropriate and legal fashion. And to whomever gave my partner the recipe for that Cosmo cocktail, I am eternally grateful. A run threw a local corn maze with the family certainly didn't hurt, either.

Next of course, my gratitude goes to the most disciplined and positive campaign on earth: Team Obama. A local field organizer responded to my inquiry about "counter viz" for the Palin event in Dover, with a gentle "thanks, but no thanks." Of course, they would rather focus on the positive and put their staff and volunteers to work for positive change. (As an aside, check out this new cool tool!) Man, this huge staff is disciplined, innovative, focused, and absolutely unflappable. No matter what side you are on, you gotta admit that Obama has run a flawless campaign for nearly two years. So big, so focused, so on-message, so technologically superior! An extra tip of the hat to THAT ONE himself, for demonstrating how to stay positive and more mature himself in Ohio by putting firm brakes on booing McCain with "Now, we don't need that...we just need to VOTE!."

Thirdly, UNH Students for Obama chimed in to cheer me up with news about a new Durham/UNH field office, AND an Obama visit to NH on Thursday. If I can't go myself, I will send my minivan full of those students who are working so hard.

And the absolute icing on my new cake is that I will still be co-sponsoring the UNH Debate Watch Event Wednesday evening, and hopefully will be dining with some of the guest analysts beforehand. Be still my political-junkie heart!!

So, as much as I've always prided myself on seeing all candidates of all stripes, I'm going to use my time off a bit more productively, and skip seeing Palin on Wednesday morning.

Thanks but no thanks on THAT bridge to nowhere!

(PS: as much as I hate that the word "Palin" keeps coming up in my spellcheck, I refuse to add it to my dictionary! So, there.)

I Can't Handle The Truth

2008-10-13T10:15:00.033-04:00

After that last post went up on Friday, my day went downhill fast. What I thought was going to be a lovely lunch with a friend and colleague was the culprit. And by the start of the long weekend, I was ready for the therapist's couch. My friend is a McCain-Palin supporter. And not just a supporter, a volunteer/canvasser/viz worker!

He's a PhD scientist who is months away from retiring, if there's anything left in his account. We've been good friends for eight years. We bonded over the Bush administration's disdain for scientific evidence and research. I still love him. But I just don't understand.

I'm starting to take this election too personally.

In past elections, I have always been able to keep friendships with people who vote differently with me, especially students--I just LOVE that they VOTE and are engaged! I even liked McCain, back in 2000, when he was really a Maverick.

But for me, the difference this time is when it's people I know and respect and love, and who know and respect me. People who I've "let in" to my life. If you are just a colleague or acquaintance, I wish you a fair & happy election, may the best candidate win. If you are someone that I have become closer to on a personal level, I feel betrayed.

The McCain-Palin ticket represents values diametrically opposed to everything I am and everything believe in, especially the Palin part of that ticket. I am a lesbian, and an atheist, after all. I am pro-science, pro-environment, pro-choice (not necessarily pro-abortion), and pro-evolution. I can't even begin to name all the issues where Sarah & I don't agree. ("Don't agree" is an understatement, of course.) She makes my blood boil.

Here's why I need the therapy: I see a trusted friend's vote for McCain-Palin as a sign the close friend/voter lied to me. "Sorry, I was just being polite to your face. I don't believe you should be able to marry or have kids or adopt. I don't believe in the Scientific Method or the Theory of Evolution. Drill Baby, Drill!"

So I'm thinking of not going to see Sarah in person on Wednesday in Dover. Do I really want to be in a crowd that hates me so much? What if I see people in the crowd I know, cheering enthusiastically for the Palin-McCain Administration? Do I need so much negativity in my life?

I've always had close friends with whom I do not agree or have common values, especially religious ones. I'm fascinated with how they interpret their religion's texts or teachings, and how those values are put into action, in a rather sociological kind of way. But when religious and cultural intolerance is used as a tool of hatred, or spreading misinformation, I draw the line.

_____________________________________________

Maybe, what I really need is for this election to be over already.

There's No Place Like Home

2008-10-10T08:53:00.024-04:00

It's like the NH Primary season all over again. And I love it!

Beside gorgeous weather and peak foliage, there are now four political events going on in the region over the next several days:

First, Alaska's First Dude Todd Palin is showing up in Fremont NH this weekend at some snowmobiling event, then heading to Maine for more energizing of "the base."

Then, Joe Biden rescheduled his visit to Rochester NH, and is coming on Monday, Oct. 13th at 10am. This time, though, he hit Columbus Day weekend when most workin' folks have the day off, unless they work at UNH. So, I will not be in attendance.

Next up, the Hockey Mom herself, Gov. Sarah Palin at Dover High School, Wednesday, Oct. 15th at 10am. The venue is in the heart of Clinton Country; I saw Bill there in January of 2001 and Hillary in February 2007. And let's not forget one of DHS's most famous graduates, Bill Shaheen! Now, this may be worth taking a personal day for!

Fourth and to me, the most fun, will be the UNH Debate Watch Event, also on Wednesday. Co-sponsorship has grown to include both the College Dems and College Republicans, so we're reserved a bigger room in the MUB, with room for spill-over into the Food Court area. Prof. Scala arranged for some faculty "experts" and two political consultants to be on hand for analysis. I am most excited to meet and hear from Steve Marchand, former mayor of Portsmouth NH. Every student I talk to has him up on a pedestal, and I've heard wonderful things. So, now I get to meet the man that, up until now, has just been a Facebook Friend.

The students have been impressive in their efforts over the last few weeks. Voter Registration drives on campus have been a huge success, thanks in part to a university challenge between institutions in so-called swing states. The UNH student leaders on both sides of the aisle have been canvassing, phone banking, tabling, visibility, chalking, voter reg, event planning, and still going to classes (for the most part). Students for Obama have been working on a float for tonight's UNH Homecoming Parade, and they have some famous actors from the TV show "House" coming to their tailgating at the football game. (Too bad I don't have any clue about who these people are.)

In all, they have been super professional, following all the UNH canvassing rules, and playing well with others. Let's hope they keep this spirit of cooperation up as crunch time finally finally gets here.

Happy Homecoming!

Getting Busy Again

2008-10-08T15:33:00.009-04:00

Next week suddenly got a whole lot busier for me here in Durham, NH.

First, my offer to help host the Political Science Dept's Debate Watch Party was accepted. I pitched in with posters and some advertising, and plan to market my internship program from the sidelines while live blogging and chatting online.

Now this from WMUR: Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is planning to visit New Hampshire next week, sources tell News 9. Wednesday, October 8, 2008.

Whoa. That could be interesting.

10/09 update from BH: She's coming to DOVER! Someone please invite her to our Debate Watch Party at UNH, pretty please.

NH Breaks Up With McCain

2008-10-07T08:52:00.006-04:00

Ken Burns, the well known documentary filmmaker and resident of Walpole, NH, has chimed in on the issue of New Hampshire's fading love affair with Senator John McCain.

Here's a link to his op-ed piece in The Manchester Union Leader, from this weekend.

While Burns is not hiding the fact that he endorsed Obama almost a year ago, and folks on Blue Hampshire attest to the fact that he's had an Obama sign on his lawn for some time, I do think Burns hits the nail on the head.

My favorite line is this: If you have to say you're a maverick in your ads, it's clear you're not.

I am betting that "The Making of the President Obama" documentary is already underway!

New Hampshire Updates

2008-10-06T10:39:00.011-04:00

Just a quick local update or two...

A third New Hampshire poll came out again over the weekend (I'm working on refinding that link), again putting Obama about 10 points ahead of McCain in the state. As my friend who has a PhD in Physics once said to me "two points do not make a data set." So, now we have three points. There you have it.

With a very strong incumbent Democratic governor (most people can't even name Lynch's opponent!), two members of the House that are Dems, and a statehouse now dominated by Dems, NH is not turning Blue, it is already Blue. If Jeanne Shaheen is elected to the Senate (as I believe she will), and Carol Shea-Porter & Paul Hodes fend off their challengers (which I believe they will), Senator Judd Greg will be the Lone Republican in Congress from NH. That is something.

In other news, Joe Biden was scheduled to appear in Rochester & Manchester NH today. But, he has cancelled due to the death of his mother-in-law. It's no surprise that they'd send Joe to these former mill towns, both of which I find depressing as you may already know. His message & style will fit right in. He cancelled his only UNH appearance last spring, too, so I've never seen him in person. I hope that when he reschedules, he comes at a time when those regular workin' folks are able to attend, and not 10:00 on a Monday morning!

Living Free or Dying in NH

2008-10-03T13:14:00.016-04:00

So, I am trying my darnedest to keep a New Hampshire focus on this blog. It's been hard with so much going on, and I don't always keep my promise. But here I shall try.

When I was in DC not long ago, I got a few remarks from strangers about being from New Hampshire with regard to being in a so-called "swing state." The most curious was when a security guard at Reagan Nat'l Airport--an elderly Black man who was checking my ID--commented somewhat skeptically, "New Hampshire, huh? They really like McCain up there, I hear." Very bold of him, I thought. "Don't believe it!" I replied. "They USED to like McCain, before he got all extreme." Then the conversation went naturally to what a freak Palin is. Having just spent a day the the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History examining fossils and meteorites that were millions of years old, I launched into her belief that humans & dinosaurs walked on Earth together. He laughed shaking his head and waving me through, "I hadn't heard that one yet! THAT is a good one."

I passed through and walked toward my gate wondering to myself, "I'm not wrong on this, am I?" My view of the state is that we could not in the past be counted as Red the way the midwest or south is Red. New Hampshire conservatism is not evangelical or religiously based. It's Live Free or Die here--live free of government intervention in particular. Don't tell me what I can do while hunting, motorcycling, on my own property, in my doctor's office, in my church, or in my own bedroom. That is not the same "base" as the one loving Gov. Palin right now. By pandering to that evangelical base, I believe McCain has alienated the more Libertarian, NH-type base (in which I include George F. Will). But, am I wrong? I wondered...

Then, today, along came a new state-wide poll! NHIOP poll puts Obama in the lead in the state! Not just by a hair, but by 10 points! Most interesting to me was this:

Among those who say they will vote for Obama, however, 41% say McCain’s choice
of Palin influenced their decision a lot or some. Only 22% of McCain voters say
Biden influenced their decision a lot or some.

And another poll has similar results; Obama is in the lead by 10 points. The right-wing nut job that is Sarah Palin may have energized McCain's flailing campaign, but she has kissed New Hampshire good bye in the process.

Now I want to know this: what kind of turn out did her recent Manchester rally get?

Women Against Sarah Palin

2008-10-02T07:48:00.001-04:00

I was recently asked to guest-blog at a friend's new site, Women Against Sarah Palin. So, linky linky. Check out my latest rant. See you there.

PS: Google Women Against Sarah Palin. Jessica isn't the first person to be so inspired!

The Six Million Dollar Man

2008-09-25T15:06:00.013-04:00

Ole Miss is pissed and I don't blame them. It's hard to understand how much person-power goes into these major debates unless you've seen them up close. But trust me, it involves all kinds of people and skills, staff at every level, and everything from rewiring buildings to catering to relocating classes and university offices for two or more weeks. New stage sets are designed and custom built. Press and advance staffs set up shop in their temporary home. Secret Service also moves in, takes charge, and does their sweep, all while the institution is trying to go ahead with classes and normal campus life. It takes a village, that's for sure. And it ain't cheap.

The last debate here cost $6 million. Remember the trucked in air conditioning? UNH has learned the hard way that these things cost a lot of money, and now has the smarts to include in that contract that the full costs are paid by the media outlet host. (UNH 2007 was Fox; Ole Miss is ABC). Maybe that's why we only got one debate this last cycle!

Now Team Obama says they're still planning on showing up inMississippi, in their really fast planes, to speak directly to voters. If McCain doesn't show, they're willing to an impromptu town-hall meeting. So, while Mighty Mouse is flying around trying to save to economy in a single bound, Obama puts out more direct communication, talks to the press, and in general, acts presidential.

I say "on with the show" and see who blinks now!

Biting The Hand That Feeds You, reprise

2008-09-23T13:11:00.010-04:00

A few weeks ago I forewarned that it just isn't a good idea in the long term to ban press coverage during a campaign--press avails, press conferences, reporters and voters from asking questions of the candidates--all necessary, and all FREE.

This is why you can't go around pissing off the media when you are trying to run a national campaign: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/23/networks-revolt-against-r_n_128608.html. (updating quickly, so things may have changed!) McCain's paid media is pushing lies and getting called on the carpet for it (too many links to pick just one, sorry!). So one might think that he'd try to compensate for that with free media. That would be logical, and therefore, wrong. McCain does seem to be losing his head a bit, doesn't he?

I'm glad the media took the SNL Hillary's advice and "grew a pair."

Rising To My Own Challenge

2008-09-22T21:20:00.011-04:00

Last week I made good on my challenge to myself & my readers to take action this election year, and went down to my local NHDP office (the former Clinton campaign HQ in Dover) to volunteer. Now that I am an "experienced" volunteer, I felt more confident and was better able to make it clear that I wasn't ready to do phones. After introductions, tours, and updates, I was assigned a computer and handed call logs to enter info.

During the NH Primary, I made the calls and marked these sheets, and passed my completed sheets over to a staffer. The sheets were pretty much the same--voter name, address, number, boxes to check indicating level of support--and they also used the software VoteBuilder. But one thing was new. Bar codes! Whoa. I felt like George H W Bush when he first saw a grocery store scanner.

This was cool, at least to me. I got my own hand-held scanner, scanned the voter ID then scanned the results from a sheet that had all the codes on it. Click, that was easy. I think I felt cool mostly because during the primary, only paid staffers entered data; I felt like I got a promotion!

So, now I am in DC for work. On my first night here I had the good fortune to reunite with former UNH College Dems Prez & former Edwards summer staffer, Laura, who is now living in Baltimore. And when she asked what's new on the NH campaign trail, I told her all about the cool scanner. Since I never entered data before, I didn't know if she had used the scanners or not. She did, but not until very close to the Primary. But clearly the NHDP/Team Shaheen is hip to technology, and well-funded. Now I want to know who used what during the NH Primary.

And when I get back from DC, I'm spending every Wednesday night between now & the election with my new scanner toy. My new challenge to myself is to bring someone new with me each week. Care to join me?

Feeding My Addiction

2008-09-15T13:06:00.012-04:00

In a desperate attempt to feed my addiction of all things political, and after being robbed of a Dover Obama fix Friday, I dragged my kids and my eager 17-year old nephew to Manchester on Saturday morning with the HOPE of catching Barack Obama at the downtown rally. I wanted to see and hear the push-back" against the McCain campaign to prove to myself that dems aren't always wooses (is that even a word?)

Gates opened at 8:30am, we weren't able to head west until 10ish, but the "program" was scheduled to begin at 10:30am. In campaign speak, that usually means that the headliner will be on about an hour later. So we hit Elm Street at 11am, and as we were driving BY Veteran's Park, we heard Obama's voice booming over the loud speaker. WHAT? On schedule?? How can that be??

I parked the minivan in downtown Manch-Vegas and unloaded everyone, and we briskly walked back toward the venue. Just as we had one more street to cross, the throngs started heading toward us. Gobs of them. All leaving just as we were arriving.

We swam against the current enough to check out the goods being hawked, and to see the signs, t-shirts, and buttons of all the lucky and happy on-time people. At the gate, we were told by uniformed and surprisingly chatty secret service agents that we couldn't go in the park (I wanted to show my nephew the set), and that they estimated 10,000 in the crowd. I didn't do any fact checking, but all news accounts I saw later just said, "a crowd of thousands." Apparently, crowd sizes are a touchy subject lately.

I managed to buy an Obama t-shirt from one vendor, and a deck of Presidential Cards from another. The cards are to complement my Dean Deck obtained free at a 2004 debate at UNH. For this new deck, Bush isn't the only Joker. McCain is one, too.

My nephew did a good job of hiding his disappointment, and the kids were rewarded with lunch at Chuck E. Cheese. Mommy/Auntie, however, still needs her fix.

And Now For Something Completely Local

2008-09-11T11:27:00.008-04:00

Time to bring it back to New Hampshire!

Yesterday was the official kick-off of the general election for many state-wide races. Tuesday was "primary day" for NH, with Shaheen & Gov. Lynch easily winning their party's trust. So Team Shaheen held a little thank you/kick-off in Dover Wednesday at 4pm at the Jenny Thompson Pool.

It wasn't a huge crowd, but it was decent. Mostly, it was made up of UNH College Dems, Strafford County Dems, local elected officials, and loads of Shaheen grandchildren. Last time I saw the whole family together in person, I think Molly was in middle school! Now the Shaheen daughters are all grown up (and very attractive), and the older daughters have several children. It was cute to see Billy & Jeanne being plain old grandparents before the event.

I attended alone but was happy to run into a few familiar faces I haven't seen since last semester. But NH has finally got fall weather moving in, and I got too cold to hang around. So, I stayed long enough to eat a free hot dog, chat with a few students and friends, hear a good anti-Sununu stump speech, and pick up a larger-than-normal lawn sign. Jeanne Shaheen has definitely picked up a LOT of former Clinton supporters, and they seem to be working their butts off for their new boss.

And onto tomorrow: Supposedly, Barack Obama will be in NH Friday & Saturday. This morning a few websites said he'd be in Dover, but by lunch the Dover event wasn't listed any more. Hmm. So, I'm still going to try to see him this weekend, but I sure hope it's right in my own back yard. Yes, we in NH are still spoiled! What, I have to drive out of my town to see a candidate??

Until I get a confirmation, I will leave you with this little state poll to lift your spirits, if Sarah Palin is still bringing you down.

Late night update (9pm, late for me!): After hours of searching websites and driving through downtown Dover, Seacoast Online/Portsmouth Herald's Michael McCord comes through with the info: the Dover event is invitation only, for undecided voters. Try that, Sarah Barracuda! While I'd prefer to be on the invite list, preaching to the choir Bush-style, might light some fires, but Obama needs to swing some voters. Now the goal is to see if I can make the Manch or Concord rallies instead.

Thanks (but no thanks), Sarah Palin

2008-09-10T11:12:00.046-04:00

If you think the extreme right-wing of the Republican Party is energized by Sarah Palin, you ain't seen nothin' yet. I'd like to thank Gov. Palin for all that she has done to re-energize the outraged center and left hand side of the spectrum, and especially women!

So, to all those friends of mine who are still reeling from this insulting pic of a VP and, here are some ideas of what you can do with all that angry energy to put Palin back in Alaska, where she belongs:

First and foremost DONATE!! Don't just talk, ActBlue! Or support your favorite candidate directly: Obama, Shaheen, Shea-Porter. Buy a supporter shirt or hat and WEAR IT! Or support your party, or state party. If you are so inclined, donate to a 527 as well (such as moveon.org).

WRITE a letter to the editor of your local or school newspaper. Or post a comment on a news site or blog. DEMAND that Palin answer questions from voters and the press. Remember how appalled people were when Hillary didn't take questions in NH (or some were scripted)? Well, Palin's silence is absolutely unacceptable. And let's move the discussion back to the ISSUES, such as the economy.

VOLUNTEER. I know what you are going to say. "I hate calling/canvassing." I know, me too. So, do something else. Get a lawn sign, offer to do some viz. Put on a bumper sticker. Offer to do office work or something else at your local field office. Bake them something yummy!! Bring them some office supplies.

Help REGISTER NEW VOTERS. I'm sure your local field office has lots of ways you can do this. It's fair & festival season--maybe you can sit at a table and help sign folks up. Remind your family & friends who may be overseas or in the military to get an absentee ballot and send it in!

SPREAD THE WORD. Yes, gossip. We've all read the stories and blogs (Mudflats has become my new personal fav). Forward the links, tell your friends. Fact check things before you forward them, just for your own credibility.

ATTEND any and all rallies, on both sides of the aisle. YES: go see the McCain-Palin scripted events if you can. Get interviewed by local media and tell them Gov. Palin needs to take questions from VOTERS, just as all the other candidates did during the NH Primary, so WE can vet HER!

Just please DO SOMETHING! Don't sit on that anger & outrage. Put it to good use. Do something about it, so that you don't wake up the day after the election (like in 2000 & 2004) and say "I could have done more!"

O, Ye of Little Faith

2008-09-10T10:23:00.014-04:00

Panic not, dear friends. Despite what you may be reading in the MSM, Obama is doing just fine, thanks. But in case you don't believe me, here are some things to note:

National polls don't matter. Sounds familiar, right? Just like in the primary, this is not a national race for the popular votes. The primary was a race for delegates. THIS is a race for electoral votes. Like it or not, the electoral college is what matters. You can bet that the folks who delivered Iowa and the caucus states are paying attention to the right map.

11 million new registered Democrats. Yes, 11 million. That's how many people registered to vote during the prolonged primary season. Check your favorite recent poll and see if the methodology reflects that number. Polls have quotas or goals to reach to be scientifically useful, that much I did learn in stats: equal or similar numbers of D, R, I registered voters, control for income, gender, education level. Sounds fair, unless it's not. And Team Obama has made registering new voters a major goal of his campaign, and has dedicated major resources to it.

So, no need to panic. Just focus. And stay tuned on exactly what you can do to make a difference!

Palin Overload

2008-09-05T09:33:00.016-04:00

So many good emails & posts are coming my way, I'm just going to put links here. I've posted way to much to my Facebook page already. But keep 'em coming!

From my favorite Washington Post OpEd writer, EJ Dionne: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/04/AR2008090402842.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

More on the higher education of our elected officials:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/04/palin-attended-5-colleges_n_124036.html

Wooing women voters, not:http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-steinem4-2008sep04,0,7915118.story

On dishing it out but not taking it: http://brendancalling.com/2008/09/04/thin-skinned-at-mccain-hq/

This just in: McCain staff finally learned how to use Google: I guess the McCain staff has finally learned how to use Google!! http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/213806.php

OK, just one more lunch time find...or two:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/09/04/moos.nuke.that.word.cnn

Last night, I was sick to my stomach. Today, between the graphic mix-up and the new-clear word, I'm having a better day. This is just for kicks (I stoop to a new low): http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/uselection,0,sarah-palin-affair-big-media-stays-quiet-as-lover-named,43515

Keep the stuff coming, my compatriots! After 5pm, I'm going on a media black out (family reunion up north, no cell, no internet, no blogs, and lots of hunters). Wish me luck!

Biting The Hand That Feeds You Free Press

2008-09-04T10:09:00.023-04:00

I know I'm veering off my NH Primary-centric blogging mission statement, but there's so much going on that the water cooler at work just isn't big enough to host all the conversations. And I am feeling rather feisty today.

So I tried to watch some of the GOP convention last night but I quit at 10:15pm. I made it through Rudy ("noun, verb 9/11"). All the same things caught my eyes: flat visuals, homogeneous audience, zero creativity. I did finally find some diversity stats (here and here) on the GOP convention delegates: men outnumber women 2:1, and delegates of color are under 2%...this represents a decrease from conventions past, a huge drop since 2004. The GOP: moving backwards again...just what our country needs! As an aside, I was on the NPR website and wanted to hear a story on one of my favorite blogs, Stuff White People Like. So I searched the four word phrase and what was my number one result? A story about the RNC!

Call me an elitist (I prefer to be called a thinking person), but I like my candidates for the executive branch to have more than just a bachelor's degree. I admit that I do favor law degrees especially. Studying law helps you understand, write, and pass laws. A BA in journalism...sorry, it just doesn't cut it unless it's outdone (by many years) by experience on the national level. And a BA in journalism means you should know how the media works, and what it means to do their job.

Just thinking here...if part of the game of campaigning and getting elected is getting free media (in the form of news coverage beamed directly into my living room or car radio for free daily), blaming the media and in fact insulting them doesn't really help your cause Dumb move from dumb people.

And just don't even get me started on the hypocrisy of it all.

Mind The Gap

2008-09-02T21:00:00.025-04:00

Adjusting to all four of us being back in school has made for a tough week, although the constant Palin news has kept me going strong. Today was hardest at morning drop-off, so we decided at dinner to get bedtime back under control and put the twins to bed early. Whether or not they fell asleep early is another matter.

So, since I had the TV to myself after laundry, dishes, vacuuming, etc., I decided that I needed to tune into a bit of RNC just to be fair. Big of me, huh? Thank you. Since I don't have cable (cheapskate!), I am watching on public television. There's less punditry, thank goodness because they are are blander than hell, and with no commercials.

First thing I noticed, and I noticed it immediately, is that so-called "enthusiasm gap." Whoa. The arena isn't close to being full, and those that are there look happy but not even close to what I saw at the DNC. Then there is the age difference: very obvious. And does anyone have stats on men vs. women delegates, or delegates of color? This audience looked awfully white to me.

But you know me, I tend to focus on some, um, less than political things, too. So, who the hell designed this set? The backdrop is bland and two-dimensional, often monochromatic and static. The whole stage is so 20th century. It just shows more of how the Republican Party in the US is aging and not keeping up with technology or other trends. Everything looks dated.

Look at that, I made it through this far without mentioning any of Hurricane Sarah! There's just so much going on, I don't know where to start. While I agree with Obama's strong statement that kids are off-limits, I have to say that if you drag them on-stage, mention them in your talking points, and draw attention to them and their flaws, you should expect some scrutiny. And you should have the smarts to tell them before the big announcement to clean up their MySpace pages.

So, now RNC is back on track and we're all waiting to hear from McCain & Palin. My prediction now is that Palin will do well with a prepared speech. But once she starts hitting the stump, town halls in other, more gentile parts of our country, and the talkshow circuit, getting asked the same probing questions again and again about her lack of experience, she'll crack. But she won't crumble. No, she's a Maverick, right? They didn't call her Sarah Barricuda in high school for nothing! Palin is feisty, a fighter. She'll come out swinging. And, just like her new soulmate, she has a temper and we're going to see it. She's going to lash out and run her mouth, more likely.

So while this convention is putting me to sleep, things are about to get very lively!

McCain's Maverick Style is Backfiring

2008-09-01T11:00:00.024-04:00

My hat is going off to those doing oppositional research and push-back. I'm so proud of Dems for finally fighting back and fighting hard. Seems like they did more vetting of Sarah Palin than the McCain camp did. Is that Change We Can Believe In?

Here are some fun yet informative things I have run across so far:

Mudflats
Progressive Alaska
Huffington Post: On Vetting (or lack thereof), and on McCain's Decision Making
CNN now on Palin's unmarried pregnant 17-year old daughter. Tell me, WHO vetted this woman and when?? And are they fired yet??

What's apparent to me is that McCain was desperate to appease two groups: right wing evangelical conservatives, and disgruntled Hillary supporters while pissing off Karl Rove. So, why not go for someone who might appeal to both, right? Wrong. By shooting for both ends, he completely distroyed his credibility with the middle. And in this election, it is going to be all about the middle.

I am heeding the warning of many Dems not to get too giddy over this. The "20 year VP" cycle is funny to me. But, come on. Could this get any more ludicrous? My prediction is that she will drop out within two weeks. Until then, she's going to get eaten alive.

Thank goodness Hurricane Gustav killed the Palin bounce. At least now the McCain staff can catch up on the vetting that they should have done last week.

An Act of Desperation

2008-08-31T08:03:00.014-04:00

Thanks to my fellow polical junkie pal Bob for sending this great op-ed piece from the NY Times. He has so much more time than I do to search for and find the good stuff.

As much as the GOP may be celebrating for killing the Obama post-convention bounce, I'm afraid they've killed their own credibility instead. I have to agree with Rep. Splaine on this one: The presidency is not an American Idol talent search. No matter how bitter Hillary supporters may still be (and I'm not buying the MSM meme that there are uber-bitter HRC loyalists lurking around every corner), they are not so bitter that they will put Palin, who is pro-oil, pro-fur, pro-life, and pro-creationism, so close to the presidency. I have more degrees than she does! And she's never even been overseas.

No, Clintonistas wanted Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Whitehouse. What they loved most about her was that she is SMARTER and MORE QUALIFIED than any other candidate, male or female. Why would they every vote to put an affirmative action pick closer to the Whitehouse? This is an insult to them.

Thanks, McCain. I'm starting to like that "Maverick" decision-making style. Oh how I look forward to a Biden v. Palin debate.

He Shoots, He Scores!

2008-08-29T08:47:00.040-04:00

Well now, wasn't THAT worth staying up for!?

To begin with, I thought the stage and setting were very cool, reminiscent of the Lincoln Memorial with a rock-concert twist. It is certainly a welcome change the obligatory balloon drop replaced by fireworks. But mostly, I thought it was beyond lame that the Republican's rapid response picked on the staging, calling it a Greek temple, or if you can be any "lamer:" Barackopolis. That's just desperate and pathetic, and very laughable. Is that the best they can do?

I totally loved the matching, or contrasting ties of Obama & Biden. Although my fav ties are those special Obama shade of blue, Power Red was fitting for this speech.

OK, ok, so I'm all over the place with my reaction to last night's speech, so bear with me.

Let me start by backing up a bit and start with the pregame. On my way home from work I heard a fabulous story on NPR that got me thinking. It furthers my argument about why national polls are way off in their numbers, and why I predict on Obama electoral map landslide. With very deliberate and carefully organized outreach to (and tracking of) more cell-only voters combined with Team Obama's amazing ability to bring in new voters, typical land-line voter-registration-list phone polling is obsolete and embarrassing. To my statistically minded colleagues & friends: remember how many votes in NH went to Nader in 2000? Around 500 is my memory. If those 500 went to Gore, he would have won not just our two measely little electoral votes, but the general election as well. I bet at UNH alone, Obama will register far more than that many new voters. And that will be multiplied at campuses all over the country, as well as high schools, inner cities, churches, community centers, and other hotbeds of the under 30-crowd, the much-empowered (and much-coddled) Millenials (children of Boomers). Add to that the Team Shaheen ability to squeeze every last Democratic vote out of this state, and McCain is in deep trouble. So, quit reporting that it's neck-and-neck in NH. You ain't seen nothing yet (even with a youthful woman on the ticket).

Back to the speech. We've all read the reviews and heard the pundits by now, so there's not much I can add. Well done, did what was needed to be done, electrifying, etc. I got teary but not because of Obama's words. I got choked up when I saw young black men waving flags and looking so patriotic and engaged. Ya know, during the long primary I often heard white women go on & on about seeing a woman elected in their lifetime. Though I never said this out loud out of respect, I often thought: young white women do NOT need any more role models. I'm sorry, but have you been to any college campuses lately? Remember my impromptu chat with the reporter from The Boston Globe about male vs. female involvement? No, it's young black men that really need to be lifted at this moment. Lifted and included and empowered and challenged. This was their night and I am honored and happy to let them have it.

Last but never least: Sasha's hot pink dress. WHERE can we get one of those, size 6x or 7?

It's My Party...

2008-08-28T15:12:00.024-04:00

Did you catch the DNC action yesterday? Quite accidentally, I tuned in to a live CNN.com feed just as the roll call was introducing Nevada! What luck. And now for the great state of New Hampshire! In case you missed what State Chairman Ray Buckley said (copied from BH, where there's a very cool pic):

The granite blue state of New Hampshire, home of Governor John Lynch and
Congressman Paul Hodes: New Hampshire, a leader in electing women,
celebrates the election of Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, House Speaker Terie
Norelli, Senate President Sylvia Larsen, the State Senate female majority, and
in November, the election of Jeanne Shaheen to the United States Senate.
In January, New Hampshire was proud to make history once again, as our primary was the first contest ever won by a woman running for the presidency of the United
States, our friend Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. In New Hampshire, where Unity is more than just a town, we answer Senator Clinton's call to unite, and we fulfill Dr. King's dream by coming here from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire to proudly cast all 30 votes for the next President of the United States Barack Obama!

I really dig the Unity reference. Very Impressive, given HRC's victory and supporters in NH. Supporters like Bill Shaheen, Kathy Sullivan, First Lady Susan Lynch. Smart move for all those involved to set a tone, toe the party line, and get the job done. It was fun to spot people I know or know of, and I did a little happy dance when I saw Erin Thesing, a UNH student and Obama delegate.

I loved the unexpected little piece of theater with the yeilding to Illinois who yielded to New York. Again, call me naive, but I didn't expect it. When the nomination became official, I let out a little cheer to which my son said, "Yea, We Won!" Well, not yet. How do you explain that this one election has lasted almost two years, and we aren't there yet. Just one more giant step forward.

I wasn't so impressed with Jeanne Shaheen's little appearance, I have to admit, but I thought she looked great. Nice suit, good hair. But no matter how long she lives here, I still don't hear NH in her accent. But it was fab to see all the Shaheen signs in the audience held up by familiar faces again.

After dinner and bedtime, I was able to catch all the big speeches. YES, I stayed up with more help from on-line chatting. The speakers just got better and better. It feels good to say Bill didn't disappoint. Biden & son getting choked up got me all teary. I hope this ends the Clinton campaign for real and that they finally let Obama have his convention and his moment in history. It truly is an amazing moment in our country's history. Here I go, getting mushy again...

Anyway...What I really walked away wanting to know is this: does Nancy Pelosi have a new stylist or something? She looks great. Did she have work done?? Botox? I'm loving the outfits; that white suit the other night had such a cool silky collar, only to be outdone by the way cool wide collar top thing last night. As we say in Italian, Mi Piace! She may not be the greatest speaker (small s), but she's sporting some cool suits. I'm dying to see what she wears tonight.

That, and how will Sasha & Malia wear their hair!?

Wanted: Convention Watch Date, Must Have Wifi & Cable! (TiVo a BONUS!!)

2008-08-27T10:24:00.032-04:00

I could not stay awake to watch Hillary at the DNC last night, so I had to watch today, after first day of school drop off. My very first thoughts were: Orange suit, interesting choice but it does look nice. Not many white people can pull of orange. She has cheekbones to die for! Secondly, or thirdly I guess, she gets her own FONT (the white signs)! So far all the signs that I've seen are in Obama's font, vertical or horizontal. Not Hillary, she gets script. Interesting!!

Unlike some of the other speakers that I've been able to catch so far, she really knows how to use a teleprompter to make it look less like she's reading and more like she's having eye contact with those in the audience AND those on TV. And no annoying gestures or podium thumping. She's good, that's for sure.

I have to admit, corny as it was, I absolutely LOVED "the sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits" line.

So all the pundits are saying she did what she needed to do. OK, good, so can we move on now? The "divided party" line is getting old, and it's not the story anymore. She lost, and you can blame the media or sexism or her husband or whomever, but she didn't win and we all need to close the book on the primary, and get on with it. It's time to do some campaignin'!

Now I'm looking for a date for Thursday night's big acceptance speech. All my JRE pals and my old Quadrennial Election Party alums (loyal since 1992!) have dispersed, and UNH students aren't back yet. I don't' think I want to go to a public "watch party" alone. I don't have a blogging community like I did during the primary. I can't sit in front of my laptop & cable-less TV alone in the dark any more with only a few Facebook friends to chat with. I promise to stay awake (maybe an extra Diet Coke during the afternoon will help me this time.) Ironically, while cleaning out the kids' playroom this past weekend, I found my old copy of Hillary's chocolate chip cookies from '92; shall I bring some?!

I still regret no seeing Bill's big A Place Called Hope speech, which I missed because I was driving to the Manchester airport to pick up a friend who happened to be coming to visit me from Hope, Michigan. I listened on NHPR instead, getting so teary I missed my exit, but it wasn't the same without the video. I should look for that on YouTube. Well, anyhow, my task in the next 24 hours is to find a watch-date. Or, if you are on Fb, chat me up.

(Update: Just before NH cast ALL 30 votes for Obama, I got my wish. My pal & fellow junkie Colleen will watch together. Coll was at the first Election Party and every one since. We'll be watching for Erin and the other NH delegates while listening to this historic acceptance speech. I'm getting chills already.)

Sucker

2008-08-22T09:03:00.003-04:00

I am such a sucker for such things. After swearing I would not do so, I signed up for the Be The First To Know (Obama's VP) Text Message service.

Like every other "big" announcement since this all began almost two years ago, I will probably get an email, see it on Facebook, and read it on HuffPo three minutes before it hits mainstream media. So I don't really buy into the hype that I will be the "first" to know.

I just want to make sure I am not the last.

Veepstakes!

2008-08-21T11:58:00.008-04:00

So, I haven't been paying attention to much outside my home other than Olympics lately, but an email from Dante got my wheels turning: "Just curious: what would your reax be if Hillary is the veep?"

The Veepstakes! I usually don't play but something has stuck in my mind. What would my reaction be?

Two months or even two weeks ago I might have said "please, gods, say NO!!" But I found myself not doing that this time. You see, I just came back from a week's vacation with the north-country side of the family, half Republicans, and all completely non-informed (by my standards). They read the Union Leader and watch the evening news, sometimes Fox, and that's how they form all of their opinions. They take the soundbites and commercials as gospel truth, and never wait around for the retractions or corrections. No internet or email, no blogs or books, no Sunday morning talking heads even. No intelligent conversation and certainly no fact-checking. Seeing the world through their eyes makes me see the campaign so differently. Vacationing with them left me exhausted and discouraged. (But we did have some great beach weather, thank goodness.).

Anyhow...So maybe HRC as a VP could appeal to this type of white rural voter? There are certainly plenty of them. They are the type that see Obama as a foreign policy rookie and weak on defense. And they only know one fact about McCain: his military record.

Richardson sure wouldn't appeal to them. Hillary's vote on the war wouldn't be a liability here.

Of the other contenders: Obama wouldn't dare pick another woman, I don't think. That would be in very bad taste. And what if McCain picks a female. Yikes...Can you just hear the Clintonistas threatening to jump ship? Biden can be too much of a loose cannon (though that's why I like him so much). I know nothing about Bayh, sorry.

I'm guessing, like everyone else, that the location of the announcement (Springfield IL) holds a big clue. Sure, Obama keeps saying "he" when referring to his VP pick, but could he be playing the media?? HRC was born in Chicago and grew up in Park Ridge IL--nowhere near Springfield really, but the state capital. Oh, who knows. I certainly can't pretend to have any idea. I just love the guessing and debating. The anticipation. It's a good distraction.

We'll all know soon enough.

Sounds of Silence

2008-08-19T11:45:00.011-04:00

My summer off is quickly coming to a close. I thought I'd ease back into the working-stiff lifestyle by coming into the office on Sunday. I could dig through the emails & get urgent paperwork out of the way, so that when I would start up in earnest, I might be more relaxed and have some time to chit-chat with my colleagues. Then it hit me: I'm in such big trouble.

I haven't spoken to anyone from the office since "the affair" went public. Of all those condolences emails I was getting, none were from my most immediate colleagues. Most of these people are the ones I would sneak out of the office with to see candidates, or bug to come to an event or phone banking. Many of them teased me (mostly good-naturedly) about my loyalty to JRE, and many of them supported Obama. Quite a few came along down the Edwards road with me, mostly because they too were impressed with policies and accessibility. Or lazy enough just to say "if you like him this much, and you follow these things, your judgement must be sound, therefore, I like him too." That's where I get a little weirded out.

I insist that I am proud of my involvement and support of Edwards, and don't regret it one bit. I did my homework, and was happy with all the answers I got. (Maybe I never asked the right exact question, but I did pretty extensive research.) I agreed with 99% of what he said, which is pretty good for any candidate. I loved that policy booklet JRE's team released. I loved that he was endorsed by NHFT Coalition. I loved how the staff welcomed me and how accessible everyone was. I refuse to be ashamed of my support. It was a great experience, regardless of the outcome.

But I am haunted by two things, both from fellow bloggers. One is a question from Joe, "But what if he HAD clinched the nomination? Where would we be now??" And the other is from my friend Mary, who posted on her blog that she should have listened more to her Obama-supporting friends and not trusted JRE (or supporters like me who trusted him). Ouch.

Anyway, I worried about returning to work for nothing: first day back & not a word. Is it a case of "this too shall pass" or are they being kind (and pitying me?)? Maybe it's easier for folks to say this stuff via email and blogs, and in person they are a bit more cautious/polite/reserved. Or maybe everyone is just actually concentrating on work.

For once, I am enjoying the silence. I'm sure it won't last when the students return.

More Thoughts...

2008-08-09T17:57:00.015-04:00

So many people are writing and asking me what I think and how I feel...it's like someone died. I appreciate the condolences but I am trying to put the Edwards Affair into perspective. No one died, just another powerful man cheating on his wife.

My first thought was this: I wonder if this is how Jeanne Shaheen felt when the Gary Hart scandal broke? I guess I now have seen first hand: The NH Primary can truly be unpredictable, and anything can happen.

I haven't been digging around and reading everything I can get my hands on. I read JRE's statement, and was happy to find & read Elizabeth's blog posts. She never ceases to amaze me. Her writing is so truthful and honest, eloquent and passionate.

What I've come to learn is that this whole thing was over before JRE declared his candidacy and the NH staff were even hired. That makes me feel better, though I'm sure someone somewhere was well aware (there's my naivety again!). I picture some advisers sitting around a table with JRE saying "I'm in, John, but you have to knock it off. Ditch the mistress, and come clean with your wife. Then let's take it from there." So, I am comforted by the fact that Edwards told his wife back in 2006 and they dealt with their issues privately and came out on the other end stronger.

UNH Professor Nick Smith has written a great book about public apologies, and I've heard him speak about the subject many times. In my book, JRE's was a good one. I was relieved he didn't try to dodge any responsibility or become defensive.

My old pal Dennis sent me this, and I think he summed up my feelings quite well:

. . . at least his explanation was right-on. . . . my take. . . . when will
folks realize that human relationships are complex and defy consistency .. . I'm
not excusing him, but really, is something that personal any of my business,
especially given the fact I have no personal relationship with either him or his
wife . . . bottom line. . . men's self esteem is tragically linked, and i think
biologically, to how often and where they can plant their seed.

Maybe that's why I stick with women. They can cheat too, but how many powerful women have had public sex scandals? Seems like women in power, when erring, tend to err on the side of favoring spouses, family or friends inappropriately, and usually involve money. Isn't it interesting how the genders differ in how they misuse power?

And the difference of Dems & Republicans when it comes to scandals is interesting to. Wide stances, cheesy overpriced call girls, underage boy pages on the one hand, and (to quote The L Word) "Good old uncomplicated boy-girl sex" on the other. Neither is OK in my book, but one stands a little less hypocritical. Americans tend to punish the adulterous husband who works hard to repair his marriage rather than the ones who cheated, divorced, remarried the mistress.

I learned from a friend's divorce that there are always two sides to every story, and it's not my place to pass judgement. It's easy to be loyal when the going is good. A true friend/believer will stand by your side when the going gets tough.

The OMG sticker isn't going anywhere.

Rumors Confirmed

2008-08-08T16:48:00.004-04:00

Go ahead, call me naive: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/08/edwards.affair/index.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080808/ap_on_el_pr/edwards_affair

I had a bad feeling about this when a few ex-staffers failed to return some emails and there were no comments from them on my last blog post.

Just don't ask me how I feel about it right now.

Clean Slate, Sorta

2008-08-02T11:09:00.007-04:00

I took the "John Edwards '08" sticker off the minivan last week. I had originally wanted to keep it as long as it wasn't tattered, like those old Dean or Kerry/Edwards stickers I still spot on occasion in NH. But something came over me while I was sitting on the back bumper with the rear door open. I looked down at it and started peeling. (It came off easy, as promised, no damage, no residue.)

Why?? I'm still trying to figure that out.

At the time, I had not yet received my way cool round Obama car magnet that I got for donating a small amount of money. Part of me didn't want to peel & immediately replace; that would feel cold and disloyal. As it turned out, the magnet arrived about 5 days into my empty bumper and now has a place of honor. The kids put it on & took off the PrioritiesNH pie chart magnet, reminding me that John Edwards is no longer running. No matter how much I try, they still associate the pie chart with JRE. It was a close fit.

Then, admittedly, there's the whole rumor thing very quietly circulating the blogosphere about an Edwards affair. I'm not one to jump on rumors or innuendo until they are reported by reputable person or institution (Fox does NOT count). So I wait, but I'm so off-line for the summer that something would have to come into my mailbox for me to hear about it. I have not conducted any searches or gone seeking info. If it's to be known, I will find out.

To be honest with myself, I know I had a bit of doubt the moment I started the peeling. What if rumors are true?? Again, I wouldn't want to be peeling my old sticker off once news got out, and make it obvious that I am withdrawing my support for specific reasons.

I can't imagine that anyone who was so public could ever pull off anything such as what is being suggested. been known to be naive in my lifetime, so I'm aware of my shortcomings. If it proves to be true, it would have taken some co-conspirators. I think maybe that's why I don't buy it. I trust(ed) the JRE staffers I met even more than the candidate. And I like and respect them; I trust their judgement. I don't think any of them would put themselves through what they did if they weren't 100% behind the man. I just don't think you can fake that kind of respect, admiration, and dedication for as long as this primary dragged on.

And yet, I did remove the sticker...

But, I did to leave the tiny oval on the rear windshield that Mike Alfoni custom made for me: "JRE, OMG." And that's not going anywhere.

Breaking & Entering

2008-07-14T15:52:00.007-04:00

I'm just now getting a chance to report on last week's meeting at the Dover office of the NHDP. Sorry...I'm in summer mode.

So, this meeting I was invited to was a small gathering, maybe 15 people and a few staffers. Wandering around beforehand, I was chatting up some UNH students when I heard someone call my name. A friend who had worked on the Hillary campaign, and now working for Shaheen. She came across my name when doing data entry (I filled out some card at the Shaheen/Obama event a few weeks ago). She's fellow lesbian mom, so we caught up on kids, campaigns, and starting kindergarten in the fall.

My pal John did the opening act, and there were introductions all around. It quickly became apparent that you must add two pieces to your intro: One was which campaign you worked on in the recent NH primary (a good mix of the top 3, in case you are wondering). The second became a little game of "I've know Jeanne/Bill Shaheen longer than YOU" as we went around the room. How many ordinary people do know in your state who know your governor or Senator? The ones who really knew them, pronounced it Jeannie! The winner was the guy next to me who went through grade school with Billy.

Leo Lessard, Registrar of Deeds, gave a very inspiring talk about retail politics in NH that I loved, complete with quotes from Tip O'Neil.

Next up was Beth Fischer, a staffer. She was a Hillary supporter, so then gave a little homage to HRC which lead to a few supporters who aren't quite on the Obama Bandwagon chiming in. Beth stayed on message (UNITY), but invited HRC supporters to a special meeting to chat about how to best channel that energy into getting Jeanne Shaheen elected to join Clinton in the Senate. (I think that meeting is tonight as I type this.) Anyway, brilliant move. We in NH are lucky to have a very popular female candidate and former governor to focus on, so those so-called disenfranchised female voters can transfer their excitement and energy to her. Since the Shaheens managed both Clinton campaigns in NH, this connection can really excite NH voters: Don't just put Shaheen in the Senate, put her right next to Hillary!

After the meeting, a man seated close by came over to introduce himself: Prof. Watters, now running for NH State Rep in my ward. He lives right down the street from me, and we've crossed paths at UNH events before. We chatted a bit. And on the walk home, while I was reading his handout, he jogged by me on his evening run. How many regular people live in a state where they have met their state rep, let alone run into him frequently? Politics is so accessible in New Hampshire, it's so easy to break it. I guess Prof. Watters will find out just how easy it is to get in & stay in!

July 4th is the New Labor Day

2008-07-08T19:48:00.019-04:00

So, I never made it to the Unity event, as you know. But if you want a blog just about as close to what I'd write had I been there, check out my friend Mary's blog in the blogroll, Mom NOS.

I've had other near misses lately. July 4th was a biggie. My family was invited to join my brother and his family at their vacation home in Wolfeboro, NH. Their house is on the same street as Mitt Romney's, but at opposite ends. We didn't feel like rushing the twins to make it to the 10am Wolfeboro parade. That was a big mistake. Not only did Mitt march (why? he's not running or holding any office??), but so did Sununu & Shaheen! What a bummer. I wanted to see that so-called "enthusiasm gap" for myself, though it would feel lonely to see Mitt in NH without seeing JC tracking him. I also missed Carol Shea-Porter's mom, apparently. At least I made it in time for great burgers and some fun at the lake.

Right after the long weekend, seems like the Shaheen campaign has kicked it up a notch. Forget Labor Day as the unofficial start to the general campaign! First was a nice, glossy mailing inviting me to join Team Shaheen (which I'm sure already has my name) that arrived on Monday. Then tonight, no fewer than THREE telephone calls from the Dover NHDP office. Two to my landline & one to my cell. The first was inviting me to a rally or something in Henry Law Park (downtown Dover) on Saturday (can't, family plans). The second call was to see if I got the mailing and asking me to join the team (I thougtht I already had).

The third call was from John Barriere himself, inviting me to an organizing meeting on Thursday night. Finally, something I think I can make! That was funny because I had just left John a Facebook message telling him that I was apparently 2 of the 800 calls he planned to make tonight. No waiting for the convention for these folks to kick in to high gear.

I have to wonder if Sununu is holding house parties, or if Jeb Bradley has his mother & daughter out there marching in parades, or blogging. BTW: a plug here for Molly Shaheen's new blog! Love it.

My one friend who is a McCain fan has stopped sending me links and articles. I think she finally realized she's outnumbered, and out unified. The desire for change has turned to desperation. I'm so sick of the Bushies, their failed war, failed policies, arrogance and ignorance. On the way to swimming-lessons-from-hell yesterday, as we passed the campaign office, Griffin asked "Mommy, who is the leader of the whole earth?" Sadly, no one.

And now, time for something completely new!

Unity At Long Last

2008-06-26T19:46:00.013-04:00

By now I'm sure you've read or heard about the big upcoming Unity event in Unity, NH. Brilliant, I think. The icing on the cake is, of course, that Hillary & Obama tied in that small NH town, 107 votes each.

But, I won't be there tomorrow (Friday), so I negotiated to get to go to today's event in Manchester instead. It was billed as a Women's Event, featuring Michelle Obama and Gov. Jeanne Shaheen. So, alone, I travelled to Manchester a little later than I would have liked, and arrived by 1pm.

The venue was called The Amory, and it appears to be an old armory annexed by a large hotel, and now used as a very nice, rustic function room. There were about 200 seats, and I took one in the very last row. In front of me was Abby Goldstien from NHPR. I spotted other prominent Dems and activists. I scanned the staff for familiar faces and only recognized two from the old Edwards team.

Just before 1:30pm, Michelle Obama & Jeanne Shaheen were introduced. Michelle did a short prepared speech first. She wore one of her signature "shift" dresses with a cute matching sweater. She was relaxed, and I am happy to say, not overly made-up. And man is she tall! After her, Shaheen spoke (no notes), then they joined four women in a pseudo-View style set up.

Being that I like policy more than the average person, I was a bit bored with the format. I felt that Jeanne Shaheen did an excellent job bringing topics back to talking points, linking some of the issues to her proposals. But you know me, I am not here to report on all that. You can read the papers if you want to know the text.

I decided that I needed to hang out after for a photo or handshake, and am glad I did. There wasn't a huge crowd. First was Shaheen, who seemed to know everyone by name. She really knows this state. After I shook her hand I mentioned that I am loving her daughter's new blog. She beamed like a typical proud parent, and started telling everyone about it. Molly wouldn't do it unless she could be herself, which is what I love about the blog. Her voice is so much like the young people I work with every day, so I find the blog very authentic.

A few moments later, I shook the hand of the the future first lady. She was very at easy, and had a great handshake. Did I mention how TALL she is? The carries herself very well, and is very poised. Impressive.

Before leaving, I was spotted by Susie, now the logistics go-to woman for Shaheen. Just after we had a picture taken together, we got cornered by a WCVB TV (Boston's channel 5) reporter. Given that Susie is a staffer, it was all me. With TV camera rolling and light shining in my face, the reporter asked, "So, were you a supporter of Clinton or Obama?" I knew this was going to be her question, so I was ready with my proud "I was an Edwards supporter, actually." I'm sure I ended up on the virtual editing room floor because I just didn't fit the current headline.

Let's hope that today's Unity event puts that headline to rest, so we can all just move on from this silliness & get down to the serious business of putting Democrats back in the White House & Capitol!

First & Last, Part II

2008-06-16T16:05:00.006-04:00

In a follow-up to my short diatribe about the contradictions of The Granite State, here are a few more reasons why this state is so fabulous:

#1 Place for Kids

#1 Place for Breastfeeding (tied with Vermont)

See, there really is no "middle of the road" for New Hampshire.

Live Free Or Die...

Reading Recommendations

2008-06-12T09:41:00.020-04:00

I've often said that the blogosphere is kind of incestuous. We all just keep linking to each other, and after a while, you are sent in circles back to where you started. Well, case in point: earlier this week, PolitickerNH announced that Prof. Dante Scala has joined their staff. Hooray for them, lucky us. Maybe the site now will have a little bit more umph to it, rather than just competing press releases.

If you've been reading my humble writings for a while, you already know that I am a huge fan of the GraniteProf and have been for a few years, usually just catching him on NHPR after a debate and being glued to my radio. I'd never seen him on TV and had created a completely off mental image of him based mostly on his fabulously-Italian name.

Early last spring, he somehow caught wind of my blog and admiration, and we became email pals. Not much later, he disclosed that he was leaving Saint Anselm's College for UNH, where he is now the Chair of our Political Science Department. For me, his book Stormy Weather put the science in Political Science. I highly recommend it. I'm not much one for statistics (as my graduate school pals from MSU can attest), but this really helped me see how they can be applied to real life politics, and used in social science courses. [Maybe now we'll see some sort of quantitative or reseach methods course requirement in the POLT major!?!]

Although he enjoyed a bit of a cult following at Saint A's, he has had humble beginnings here, surprisingly. Several of my staff colleagues & fellow junkies haven't realized he's here now. And students, POLT majors in his classes!!, have no idea that he's one of THE go-to guys for the NH Primary. I find that amazing, since he was on some form on mass-media every Wednesday morning--very early morning, I might add-- through most of this primary cycle. Either our students are cluess or he's very humble. I think maybe it's a little bit of both.

I'd let you borrow my copy of the book, but it's making its way around Hood House right now for beach reading. (When I eventually get it back, Dante, I will finally ask you to sign it.)

So, if you are a political junkie or wanna be, please buy your own copy; it's an easy read and they're cheap. Until it arrives, get a glimpse of his writing and his numbers at PolitickerNH.

Open For Business!

2008-06-10T08:41:00.028-04:00

The new NHDP Dover office on Chestnut Street is officially open. (Update: Foster's article 2 days later.)

I had to work late last night, and pulled up to the building just as former Governor (and future Senator) Jeanne Shaheen was finishing up her remarks. There was a nice size crowd gathered on the sidewalk, full of familiar faces from the campaign trail.

I wound my way inside for a peak around. It's bigger inside than it looks, but the space is broken into various smallish rooms. Lucky for the supporters and vols, there's a full kitchen (good luck keeping that clean!)! Plus a bonus: basement storage or poster-making space. All the ghosts of the former occupant (HRC's campaign HQ) have been exorcised, and a few new signs are up including the requisite "wish list." But basically it's empty, ready and waiting. I plan to take a picture now, and another one in November for contrast. One room was already hosting a rather serious looking meeting, but the rest of the space was filled with supporters poking around, collecting new stickers, buttons, or cookies, and people vying to chat with or get a photo with Gov. Shaheen. It was really laid back, casual. Nice.

Let me interject here how much I love that Shaheen's signature color is green. Really, do they ALL have to be red, white & blue? And, of course it works for me that her names rhyme with the color choice. The environmental inference is icing on the cake.

One thing I've noticed about Shaheen (besides that she is very prompt) is that she's not surrounded by staff who are uptight or full of themselves. No one was rushing around or frantically checking their Blackberries. No ties, either!! I could hardly tell staff from supporters! (That's a compliment, to me.) Everyone looked genuinely relaxed, happy to be there, and having a good time. Introductions were being made, neighbors were catching up.

If there was any animosity left over from the long primary, I didn't see it. There was one code phrase I caught a few times "I've never been in here before," which I took to mean "I supported someone other than Hillary, just so you know." Luckily, we in NH have had a LONG time to get over whatever losses we may have suffered, and we seem ready to play nice. I saw JJ (sporting Obama gear) and some others from the JRE team, another lesbian mom family from the neighborhood, my neighbor Leigh, Hillary and Obama supporters, several UNH students, one former UNH colleague, and the usual collection of State Reps & officers from Strafford County Dems. And John Barriere did a great job of welcoming all graciously, answering questions, collecting names, taking a few minutes to give me a quick little private tour.

So, friends and readers, if you are in the area I invite you to Chestnut Street in Dover. Stop by and pick up a lawn sign or bumper sticker today. Tell John I said "HI!".

A New Campaign

2008-06-05T09:25:00.024-04:00

I've started a million posts over the last few days, both in my head and on my actual computer, and have deleted them all because I was just repeating myself. So, my feelings and observations haven't changed in the past week even though so much as been going on in the world.

But what has changed here? The DNC & NHDP have kicked into action. This morning, my neighbor forwarded an email to me announcing the opening of a Dover office. Here's why I found that so wonderful:

The office will be at 11 Chestnut Street, which I believe was the old HRC office during the Primary. The "for sale" sign disappeared last week, so I was wondering. Now, I get to drive by every day & report on the action.

The email was from the new Dover Field Organizer for NHDP/Shaheen, John Barriere. Ha, I love it! John is an active member of the UNH College Dems, and was the President of UNH For Obama last fall. He was so good at what he did that I was envious of the energy and excitement he was able to create on campus without the benefit of a campus visit by his candidate. John posted on his Facebook page that he was looking for a job so I posted the NHDP Help Wanted info. Voila! (I'm not meaning to take credit; I'm sure I had little to do with it in the end because John is so amazing on his own.)

Office opening will be Monday 6/09/2008, 7:30pm, and I have to work until 8pm. So, I'm hoping to swing by and check out the digs on my way home

So when we drove by the building this morning on our way to preschool, I decided to update the kids on the election: Obama won for our team, and Mommy will be supporting him (as will John Edwards). Obama will be going on to the next election against John McCain. That's a new name to them, so I had to offer a quick profile, "He is a Senator, he was a very honorable soldier, and he voted for the war. He likes war." I left out the fact that he does not like two-mom families like ours, or any of the other reasons why Mommy does not like him.

Then I jumped back to HRC to catch them up on the news: "Some people are really sad and angry because they wanted a girl to be president." Then my brilliant 5-year old daughter offered this anaylsis: "I really wanted a girl, too, but I really really don't want guns (war)." So, she had two conflicting values--anti-war and pro-women--and she placed a higher value on the war. I was so proud of her!

I reminded her a bit about who Barack Obama is, especially that he had two little girls. She loved that, and then asked me if they were still little.

Yes, it has been a LONG primary, but not THAT long!

(late updates: just a few interesting items worth viewing, IMHO: From E J Dionne, Talking Points Memo, and of course, Jon Stewart.)

It's Official...

2008-06-04T09:27:00.003-04:00

If NHDP Chairman Ray Buckley can do it, so can I:

Job Interviews

2008-06-02T14:33:00.013-04:00

I got a quick note from a friend in-the-know this morning, that Hillary's Advance staff was being called home, and now I read it from an actual news source, so I guess it must be true (not that I doubted you, my friend, I just felt the need to confirm).

And so, perhaps this primary is finally over.

In a previous job, I did a ton of hiring & supervising of staff, most of whom were students or graduate students. One thing I learned about hiring was this: you can learn the most about a person's true character by how they handle rejection. Inevitably, I would decide not to hire someone after struggling over the decision, wringing my hands and loosing sleep. Then the student would get the rejection letter and prove to me quite clearly that I made the absolute correct decision but getting all unprofessional and inappropriate all over me. And of course as fates usually had it, a new position would later open up and said student would have burned that bridge so thoroughly that what had been a opportunity would become "don't bother applying."

So, Hillary was just handed a big fat rejection letter by the DNC (or maybe she was made an alternate?). While a whole lot of people didn't vote her off the island, the end result was that she will not be getting the job. After what you've seen of her behavior, would you put her on the top of the candidate list for next time?

For all the reasons I've already outlined, I would not. Not yet anyway. Certainly she can redeem herself in the next 2 days in the manner of how she bows out. I do forgive easily if the effort is made and it seems sincere. But to me, she has not been a team player. She put her own needs ahead of the party's, but worse, and she ran a lousy campaign (IMHO). Her surrogates and supporters were/are making all kinds of threats and saying things that aren't nice. She and they have used very twisted logic to make their arguments (especially about Michigan vote being "her victory, fair & square") and in the process lost a lot of my respect, and some of her own dignity. I do hope she can pull that back together.

Looks like we'll have our answer on Tuesday evening.

Airing Dirty, and Clean, Laundry

2008-05-30T12:51:00.021-04:00

TGIF! I decided to take the day off. After getting the twins to preschool (so nice to be leisurely about it), I managed to get 2 loads of laundry on the clothesline before heading out to do endless errands. Errands are so much more bearable when you take NPR along for the drive.

Today's top news stories are Scott McClelland's new tell all book, and the upcoming meeting of the DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee. I don't have much to say about McClelland except...ooo, big surprise!! Bush mislead the nation. There's a shocker. McClelland should thank everyone on both sides of this debate for boosting his sales. There truly is no such thing as bad publicity.

Rules & Bylaw, now there's a subject I can sink my teeth into. I bet when those DNC members were elected to or were selected for that committee, they didn't anticipate it being a very glamorous assignment. When I hear the word bylaws, I think of the two long, painful, dramatic years my little local Mothers of Multiples club spent rewriting our piddly little bylaws. I don't want to imagine what the DNC Bylaws look like.

So, given that I am from New Hampshire, I'm sure you can guess where I stand on the issue of seating delegates who had the audacity to move their primary or caucus up. But, in case you are new here, let me make it clear: rules are rules. And by nature (and certainly by nurture), I am a rule follower. End of story.

Sort of. Things are really never that cut & dry, I know. I was very glad to read earlier in the week that lawyers for the DNC ruled that reinstating 100% of the delegates would not be possible. I think most rational people agree. Rules without any consequences are hollow (any parent knows that!). Now, their task is to figure out how to award some portion of delegates as to allow participation while still sending a strong message for 2012: don't mess with New Hampshire.

And, coincidentally, there's a representative from NH on the Rules & Bylaws committee: NH State Senator Martha Fuller Clark. I don't know her personally, but I recall voting for her when she ran unsuccessfully for Congress a few years back, and I have a favorable impression of her. I'm sure she's experiencing a sudden increase in popularity in the run up to the big meeting, but I feel confident that she will remain her down to earth self. I trust her, and I think you should too.

My vote, were I on the committee, would be to let all delegates attend the convention, and have each vote count as one half. I don't think there is any other fair way to dole out delegates. Giving more delegates to Hillary because she "won" is ridiculous. Other candidates pulled their names off the ballot, and weren't an option. But even more importantly, they didn't visit the states. They didn't set up field offices, buy TV commercial time or set up town-hall meetings. So of COURSE the "establishment" candidate with all the name recognition received the most votes (I originally wrote "won" but really that is not the correct term to use here). Duh. That's the part that makes me so angry. As an Edwards supporter, I'd like to believe JRE might have earned a delegate or two had he set up shop in those places. He's so much more persuasive in person. But he didn't have the chance to go out & shake hands with the voters, because he followed the RULES. So, Hillary's attempt to say she earned those votes fair & square tells me a little more than I want to know about her sense of fairness.

Now, allow me to rant a bit (what? what have you been doing so far??): If voters from Florida and Michigan feel disenfranchised (as they should) I believe that their anger should NOT be directed at the DNC (who clearly stated the rules up front) or the candidates (who mostly followed those rules), but to their respective State Democratic Party Leaders. Another Duh. Anyone who is trying to shift that blame is desperate & self-serving. I hope Michigan and Florida voters vote THOSE knuckleheads out.

Phew, do I feel better now that I've gotten that off my chest.

And just in time...I do think my laundry is dry now (free and without producing a single speck of carbon emmission).

More Growing Up Lessons

2008-05-29T15:33:00.005-04:00

I don't usually do this, but you just must read this: a blog post from Chip Collis, posted at Off The Bus. So brilliant, I wish I had been articulate enough to have said it! As an Edwards supporter, I can totally agree. LOTS of people didn't get their candidate to the nomination. We all had to grieve, accept it, and get over it. Time for Clintonistas to do the same.

Welcome, New Readers

2008-05-28T18:15:00.005-04:00

A few blogs have recently expressed interest in linking to me, which suprises me since the NH Primary is long gone. But hey, I'll take the link. Welcome! Thanks go to Seacoast Online's Michael McCord, Huffington Post's Off The Bus, and of course my friend Jess, The Seattleite.

So, for a quick intro to who I am, please visit my very first post. And please note, I make no claim to be a journalist. I don't do much fact checking, I just rant. I am prone to exaggeratation. I'm a regular citizen who is a bit of a political junkie who is addicted to the New Hampshire Primary.

Growing Up

2008-05-28T09:09:00.029-04:00

I think I've finally figured out what is at the heart of my dislike of the Clinton campaign. Stay with me here...

I grew up in a family with four kids. I am the baby, thankyouverymuch. The first two kids were born in the late 50s, and one sister and I were born in the mid 60s (post-JFK assassination). Long before I ever heard the words baby boomer, I had a feeling that something about their upbringing and ours was dramatically different.

As a budding social scientist, in my head I labeled my cohort "chasers." It seemed like we were always chasing the boomers, and never catching up with them. They did everything first, and everything better. We couldn't do anything unique. It was always all about them.

As a huge market, they got all the attention. So many things were created just for and targeted to them. We just got the hand-me-downs. Pop culture was all about them. JFK was their man, their message for older has-beens to step aside and let the youth voice be heard. Media paid no attention to anyone else, and in some ways it still does. Oh, can I tell you how much I have hated Newsweek's Boomer Files series?? PuhLEEZE...as if they are the first people ever to get old.

And this brings me to the Clintons today. Bill was the first Boomer President--Fleetwood Mac as a theme song, and smoking pot (but not inhaling of course). Their time for legitimate power had arrived. Step aside, other generations, and we'll show you how it's done. Many Clinton supporters invoked memories of being inspired by JFK as youth, being called to service, asking not what your country can do for you.

But, time marches on. It's time to pass the baton, and the Clintons want nothing to do with it. In typical boomer style, they still think it's all about them. They ridicule the newly enfranchised youth supporters, inspired by Obama's message to becoming involved in politics or public service. Hillary's theme became "experience." Can you imagine what they would have said about such a theme back in the day? Experience, are you kidding? Don't trust anyone over 30.

If you dare to disagree with Team Clinton, you get smacked with the label of "sexist," regardless of the terrible errors her campaign made. NH State Rep Jim Splaine of Portsmouth is a longtime Clinton supporter, but also a very vocal critic of her campaign. He seems to be the only calm and rational supporter I've heard of willing to look critically at her as a candidate and not willing to whine, play victim, or worse, entitled.

And THAT is what bugs me the most: the sense of entitlement. "It's all about me and MY experience, I deserve this, I'm in to win." She's whining NOW about a sexist media, but where was the whining when she was up 30 points, got the vast majority of media coverage early on (especially around here), and got the greater percentage of questions at the debates? Remember the Talk Clock? The arrogance, the cackling laugh when she was asked difficulty questions, the stupid comments about RFK, Obama's drug use, hard-working white voters, and equating Florida's vote with Zimbabwe, or underestimating her opponent, or ignoring caucus states--these are some of the reasons she will not be the nominee. Sexism may have something to do with it, but Hillary has fought sexism her whole life. That's nothing new. She used to rise above it.

I think she needs to take some responsibility for herself and the people who work for her (including her husband). And she needs to start acting like a grown-up (rather than a spoiled child) and graciously allow us all to move on after the last primary.

They've already blown one Clinton Legacy, and they are about to blow the second one. Which is too bad. I used to like them.

The Money Game

2008-05-19T08:40:00.016-04:00

So, I finally finished tracking down all my Primary Pals now working in DC, and now they might be unemployed again. Progressive Media USA is making headlines instead of trying to shape them, and that has a few people worried.

Of course, I wish we didn't need these 527s to do the dirty work either. And I think it's very noble of Obama to want to distance himself from them or to keep a tight grip on them, lest he be considered "impotent," as McCain has been called for not getting an inappropriate ad pulled. (note to media: enough of the testicular references already!) But after the whole Swiftboat thing in 2004, it seems prudent to have something ready & up your sleeve, just in case. You can bet McCain isn't telling anyone to stop donating anything! Oh, contraire! I just hope they lie low for a while, let this pass, and quietly continue to put together some great yet appropriate (policy-based, not personally-based) anti-McCain ads. And I continue to hope that donors quietly continue to support their awesome cause. And, just one request for PM USA: don't fire your best tracker!!

On a related note, Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-NH, has decided to accept funding from DCCC. (it's related because a few campaign retirees are now employed there, I believe.) I know how badly she wanted to stay independent, and pull off another victory in her homegrown, grass-rootsy way. But she needs the money (because she is representing constituents like me who have no money to spare), and we need her to stay in Congress. I hope Team Obama will eventually see that writing on the wall as well.

The End Is Just The Beginning

2008-05-14T19:10:00.018-04:00

Well, he has finally spoken. John Edwards has endorsed. I'm not sure which news source to site, so I'll go with HuffPo. But I did first see it on cnn.com, then clicked all over to make sure I was reading it correctly. Yup: John Edwards Endorses Barack Obama.

And in Grand Rapids, Michigan, no less. The most Republican place I have ever been. Home of Gerald Ford & his presidential library, the Dutch Reform Church, Amway, and my grad school pal, Leyla. I hope she was there in the crowd.

So, what happens to JRE's 18 delegates? Will they follow him?? We fans of JRE are very loyal, but I don't see anyone picking a candidate because he says so. But I do bet most of them go O too. That will place Obama within reach of the necessary delegate count. Cool.

I'm so glad that Edwards picked now. Smart move...he gets to paint himself as the big party uniter. He brings some of that 7% from West Virginia, the "hard working white folks" that HRC so eloquently referred to.

Seeing Edwards on the news sites and TV made me realize how much I miss him. I really came to like him, his policies, his style. His fire. His accent and that smile. And of course I miss his staff & supporters. Thanks to everyone who sent me links and announcements, or wrote on my wall this morning.

It's a nice way to end the semester and the primary cycle for me. I'm seeing so many students who worked on campaigns graduate and move on. It's good end-of-academic-year-karma.

Cell Phones vs. Land Lines

2008-05-14T13:51:00.004-04:00

Way back in the beginning of this current primary cycle, I whined a lot about polling. I can't find the posts now, but I know that I was ranting about land lines and cell phones and how lack of calling cells can tilt a poll. At the time I think I was suggesting a tilt to favoring "establishment" voters.

Well, now, here this! Research is catching up with me. But it's hard to say who is helped or hurt by excluding cell-only households.

By the time we start the 2012 Primary Cycle (2 years from now), I'm sure this will be an even greater issue, even in New Hampshire.

Final Exams

2008-05-12T08:59:00.011-04:00

We're about to embark on finals week here at UNH. In some ways, I think Hillary is also facing her own Final Exam. And like the ones going on at schools & colleges around the world, one's performance all semester matters. You can pass the final and still fail the course.

So, this may come as a complete surprise to some, but it's not really rocket science. I've changed my mind: I think Hillary should stay in the race until the last primary. No, I haven't changed my mind about her and I still agree with my widget on the chances of her success. I'm thinking about the bigger picture. Like Senator Obama, I am moving on to the general election.

Like my man, I believe she should first do no harm. Having said that, I believe that her staying in the race just a few more weeks allows every state and territory to have what we in New Hampshire get every cycle: A real presidential primary that counts, gets media attention, and most importantly, fires up the state's party machine. I'm thinking GOTV. It seems like every state has reported record numbers of new voters, new Dem voters, as the primary passes through. How's THAT for a 50-state strategy? (well, 48-states since Florida & Michigan are still a bit up in the air.)

Obama will now go into the general with a decent (at the very least) ground game in every state, he will have up-to-date voter & activist lists. AND donor lists. Whether dems agree with the final outcome or not, at least every single state would have voted and had its say. No more whining about NH & Iowa getting all the say. I like that!

And, I do think my work-study student would be a bit ticked off if Puerto Rico didn't have it's chance to vote, even though she's now registered in Massachusetts. If I've learned one lesson this year it is this: it's not women in pant suits you need to fear... never piss off a Puerto Rican woman! ;-)

Good luck on finals to her, and to Hillary as well. Grades, I expect, will be posted on or before June 15, 2008.

Tying Up Loose Ends

2008-05-08T08:53:00.011-04:00

First Up: Another lost & found NH JRE staffer! OK I think this is probably the last one. Out of respect for his privacy, I won't give his name. But he has happily landed in Washington DC, employed as a researcher for Hildebrand Tewes. Impressive!

Second: JRE himself has been in the news a bit lately, and that always makes me happy. Yesterday everyone kept emailing me links about his & Elizabeth's disagreement over endorsing. It seems like the disagreement between them is exactly the disagreement going on in my own head! (I don't so much support Obama as I am not interested in reliving the Clinton years. To me, there's a bit difference.) George McGoverned bailed on HRC yesterday. And today, JRE's campaign manager David Bonior endorsed Obama. Seems like the tide is shifting. Oh...this just in...rumor has it that John Edwards is going to be on the TODAY show tomorrow. Hmmm...

Third: Looks like Senator Sununu will be speaking in POLT 403 sooner rather than later (um, classes end on Monday, I believe). If my humble little blog had something to do with that, well, shucks folks, I'm speechless. ;-) Just doing my part to promote an awesome professor and his top-notch students.

Still Up Front!

2008-05-01T12:37:00.015-04:00

It's been a while, but today I managed another unexpected front row seat! Hamilton Smith room 127, to be exact.

I was scheduled to do a 3-5 minute information session on my programs at the university (Prelaw Advising, National Student Exchange, and The Washington Center for Internships), for Prof. Chris Reardon's POLT 403 class, US in World Affairs. When I arrived before class, who was standing in the halls of Hamilton Smith Hall with Chris other than former NH Gov. Jeanne Shaheen! She was the guest lecturer for the class for the day, rather unexpectedly. Handshake & introduction...by the way, we'll get you some UNH interns when you are in Congress. Embarrassingly, I did succumb to name drop, and the Gov responded with "Oh, actually, today is Susie's birthday?" So, I was happily bumped to the end of the class, and went back to my office.

Then I realized that it would be beneficial to hear her lecture so I can make direct connections to TWC and my pitch for students. Back I went, and snuck into the class, sitting next to Prof. Reardon on the side of the classroom by the door.

The lecture seemed mostly to focus on US foreign policy in the middle east and the war in Iraq. The question & answer period, however, was all over the place. The students did not disappoint, asking questions on everything from the price of gasoline to decriminalizing marijuana. She gave a great answer to the questions about marijuana, using storytelling about a colleague (when she was in Mississippi) who did research of the effects of smoking pot. No condescension, no defensiveness, just how the scientist/friend had convincingly shared his scientific conclusions with her. Lots of environmental/energy questions as well.

She's also good at knowing when not to elaborate: "Are you endorsing anyone in the current Presidential Primary?" "No."

She is a very comfortable speaker, and obviously at home in the classroom, asking questions here & there instead of just lecturing. She knew what the professor had been teaching all semester and worked that into her lecture and examples. And, she lives right down the street (in Madbury NH) and worked that in easily as well.

Of course, I had to admire her great navy blue suit--fitting perfectly and actually looking comfortable--and her sensible yet stylish flatish blue shoes. It reminded me of all the times I spent staring at the backside of John Edwards and the frayed cuffs of his blue jeans.

In the wrap up and thank you, Prof. Reardon was quick to add that Senator Sununu will be extended the same invitation, "as soon as he has a re-election campaign in place." That made me chuckle.

Chris needed to walk Gov. Shaheen out and as he did he said to the class: "you heard from a real politician, now you'll hear from someone who can help you become one." Well, maybe not exactly, but if you are a student at UNH who needs an internship, let's talk!

BTW: as I type this, my nine current UNH TWC interns are at Rep. Carol Shea-Porter's office in DC, getting their own meet & greet that I arranged with the Congresswoman (and hopefully a picture for my website), and tour of the Capitol. I feel so well-connected!

Shaheen Scoops Up The Best of The Best! (IMHO)

2008-04-08T09:50:00.005-04:00

More stalking to report: Another Edwards Staffer gets hired by Team Jeanne Shaheen.

PolitickerNH reports today that Caitlin Legacki is taking over as Press Secretary for Jeanne Shaheen's Senatorial Campaign. Legacki worked in the Edwards campaign press shop during the Iowa caucuses.

The best part of Brian Lawson's short article, to me, is the last line:

"We're thrilled to have her!," Kate Bedingfield (former Edwards NH staffer
and), Shaheen communications director, said.

My First Widget

2008-04-07T16:16:00.003-04:00

So, what do you think of my new HRC Deathwatch Widget? I found it from a link on NPR to Slate.com. I always wanted a widget, and I like saying the word. In fact, I like it so much I also added it to my Facebook Profile. ;-)

Greener Pastures?

2008-03-28T10:35:00.014-04:00

You may know by now that I am sorta obsessed with the next phase of the New Hampshire primary. No, not so much the national nomination process (I'm bored with that). But rather, what happens to everyone who invaded my state, or those locals who seem to put their lives on hold or their political (or academic) careers on the line for a candidate, party, or press.

First I watched the invaders, mostly through Facebook stalking, I'm afraid. A bunch of them went on to other campaigns for US Congress, mostly. Some went on to Washington DC where I hope to visit them soon. A few are traveling, taking time to reevaluate, or just catching up on sleep. Some went back to their parents' home.

Now, I'm on to the Granite Staters. Looks like the thing to do around here for the natives is to start your own political consulting firm.

First that I was aware of was Steve Marchand, former Mayor of Portsmouth who was a Richardson supporter. He was going to run for US Senate, but he dropped out when Jeanne Shaheen jumped in. And he threw himself behind her & her campaign, and is working for her now while starting up his new firm, The Marchand Group.

Just this week, WMUR's Scott Spradling did the same thing. Spradling was the station's Political Director. As reported on PolitickerNH:

As the station's political director he has moderated political debates at every
level including nationally televised presidential debates. He was also granted
the first oval office interview with George W. Bush. In a state were a political
press secretary's day can be defined on whether or not WMUR covered their event,
it was Spradling call whether to send a camera.

But I think the biggest success story is Brian Lawson, the Saint Anselm College student who founded & ran NH Prez Watch from his dorm room. He's made a name for himself in the state, and is now a full-fledged political journalist at PolitickerNH. His story is every college career counselor's dream--do what you love, network, play nice, and you can make it happen.

So, this is what I learned: you make the inroads, get to know the movers & shakers in your own backyard (or adopted state). Then you sell out or cash in as the case may be, and hang out your own shingle.

First AND Last in The Nation

2008-03-26T09:30:00.010-04:00

New Hampshire can be hard to pin down, and that's one of the things I like about living here. We've got only nine (?--I am trying to verify) cities (the rest are towns or unincorporated places) but we are, on average wealthy & wired. We've got a reputation as a conservative state with a libertarian leaning, but there's definitely movement toward blue, and not just because former Massholes (like me) are moving across the border. We eschew taxes but love our larger than life state legislature.

Live Free or Die, man, that's what it's all about! No pigeonholes here, thank you.

And so, it is that time of year again, apparently, when lists of state virtues are published. Rankings of the 50 US States, to be specific. Here are a few of those lists and how the Granite State fared. And, true to form, it's seemingly contradictory:

First Place: Most Livable State
First Place: Safest State
Second Place: Healthiest State
Last Place: State Government Efficiency!

No middle ground for us. My way or the highway! You can't call us wishy-washy, that's for sure. I like that NH isn't buying into things like the Real ID program. I think it's kinda funny that we can pass civil unions into law but can't make seat belts mandatory, but it makes perfect sense to me.

What doesn't make sense to me, however, is how such a state can allow some people to ban clotheslines. Live Free and Dry!

PS (dated 4/03/08):
Uncharacteristically, here's something we are rated as smack dab in the middle: Pork! How odd, to be average.

No Whining!

2008-03-14T14:58:00.005-04:00

My intolerance of Hillary Clinton and her surrogates is reaching new heights. I think the Anna Quindlen's piece in Newsweek was the final straw. People don't call Hillary calculating because she's a woman in a man's world. They call her calculating because she doesn't answer questions head-on. She dances around them; you can see her gears turning. She seems robotic and impersonal, and she has no charisma. To me, that's not sexism. That's fact, to borrow from Geraldine.

And speaking of, is Obama where he is today because he's black (or, more accurately, biracial). Maybe but frankly I don't care. I'm sure we've all had benefits and detriments attributed to us because we are who we (or our parents or husbands) are--gay, straight, white, black, rich, poor, or anything in between. When someone doesn't like me, I never assume it's because I'm a woman or a lesbian. Give me a break. There are people you connect with and those you don't in all walks of life. Get over it.

On Blue Hampshire, we have a rule: attack the message, not the messenger. I don't like the condescending tone HRC's camp has taken. Obama appears gifted at some things that the country is particularly looking for right now, and I am tired of Hillary & her supporters crying sexism & favoritism. Quit whining. It's so unbecoming of a public servant.

So, yesterday, my primary pal Jessica was back in town doing what she does: following McCain around. This time he was on a thank you tour in NH, at the town hall in Exeter. Several folks I know were there, most were not there in support of McBush. Jess & I had hot cocoa and caught up on who's now working for whom, what John Edwards should do next, the Shaheen campaign, and all things political. I don't think I've had a conversation like that in a month. Gosh I miss the NH Primary!

Stealing My Thunder

2008-02-28T11:23:00.012-05:00

I had this whole rant started yesterday, and was working on the fine tuning. Then my old fashioned paper Newsweek came in the mail, and Jonathan Alters said exactly everything I was trying to say, but of course more eloquently. So, either you can read his essay or mine. Same idea:

Please make her stop. Someone, please, show Senator Clinton how to bow out gracefully.

I tell my kids a million times a day that they can be more successful at getting what they want if they don't whine. Be nice, use your polite words. I expect the same of her. I have reached my limits with her campaign, and her.

The episode that put me over the edge was during the most recent debate (which I confess I did not watch), complaining that she's called on first all the time. Give me a break. It didn't seem to bother her when there were 8 candidates and she was called on twice as much as others. Or when she was getting all the free passes from press as the so-called front runner for the first YEAR of this campaign. YES she's being treated differently...she's being treated like the candidate who had a 30+ point lead for months and wasted it with arrogance and "inevitability."

And I'm so sick of being called sexist if her voice reminds me of a nagging spouse or parent. If her tone is grating to me? She's a lousy public speaker and is short on the charisma. That's not my fault, that's her's. There are plenty of women's voices I could listen to lecture me all day long--Elizabeth Edwards, Cokie Roberts, Robin Roberts, to name just a few. Hillary's also trying to sell something--experience--that is not very glamorous or motivating. It IS like being nagged to do something because you should, not because you want to. She should have listened to people like supporter NH Rep Jim Splaine (scroll down for his comments) rather than Mr. Overpaid Penn.

And don't even get me started on the plagiarism deal. She flat out stole John Edwards' closing line "No matter what happens, we'll be fine. I'll be fine." Did she credit him? No, nor did her team credit Eddie Vale (Edwards' NH Press Secretary) when they stole the words off his press release word for word, right down to the ellipses (you'll have to search Blue Hampshire for that, I don't have time).

If/when Hillary Clinton loses this nomination, it will be her own fault. Not because the press played favorites or that voters like me are sexist or worship Senator Obama as a deity. It will be because she and her team changed themes every week, they whined when they didn't get their way, they overspent their money, and their arrogance turned off more voters.

I'm so over the Clintons. Sorry, Bill.

Not Wasting Any Time!

2008-02-21T09:40:00.006-05:00

Well, that didn't take long at all...just as Laura predicted!

A few nights ago, the phone rang after dinner. Caller ID said "Democratic Party," so I knew it was going to be for me. It was. Here's what the woman said, "I heard from some of your friends on the Edwards campaign that you were a great volunteer for them, is that true?" My first reaction was to think "who said that?" then I found it funny that she ended with a question asking me to confirm my own fabulousness. The thought of that just made me laugh out loud.

She was asking me to participate in the state party's new initiative, The Neighborhood Leader program, which I have heard of thanks to emails and newsletters I've been receiving about it. It seems like a reasonable way to get new-ish volunteers to commit to a small, accessible goal. Now that I am a slightly experienced volunteer, I felt empowered to tell her my limits: I will not canvass, and may or may not be willing to do more phone banking. If I do phone banking at all, I prefer to do it with others and not alone from home. I don't love it, but will do it, maybe. I'm not completely there yet, but leaning.

What I didn't say was that it might depend on who the presidential nominee is.

Here She Goes Again

2008-02-18T10:05:00.014-05:00

Once again, I'm not toeing the party line. This time, it's not the lesbian line, it's the populist/liberal line. The moveon.org line (no, I won't sign the petition, thanks). Here's my crime: I kinda think "Super Delegates" are cool. I like them, I want them to vote any way they want.

There, I said it. Is that so wrong?

This is NOT the general election. Each of the Political Parties is selecting their nominee. This is the their game. This is obvious if you watch how different every state and each party has been choosing their nominee. Caucuses are a great example of this--great fun but you have to show up, be informed, participate. Some caucuses have a "round two" like Iowa's, where you can realign if your candidate is deemed unviable. Republicans have winner take all, Dems get gritty and allocate delegates by Congressional District.

Super Delegates are party elite, that's true. In some cases we--common voters-- elected them. In other cases, they were elected by those who chose to get involved in the local, county, or state party. That's cool with me. I didn't get involved in the party and didn't vote for them, but I'm ok with the fact that others did.

Maybe I trust my Super Delegates more than the average voter because I know who most of them are. Reps. Carol Shea-Porter & Paul Hodes...I trust them completely. Governor Lynch with a 78% approval rating in NH--what's not to love? Chairman Ray Buckley, who is still publicly undecided, I trust him too. He's been through a lot just to become our state Chair, and I know he does not take his responsibility lightly.

A fellow blogger I "met" during the NH Primary has a signature to his emails that says "Decisions are made by those who show up." I didn't show up at any of those party meetings or elections. That was my choice. Maybe next time I will. Those who did show up got to vote. I can live with that.

Where Did Everybody Go?

2008-02-14T11:10:00.014-05:00

Unlike Howard Dean, I am LOVING how this is dragging on and on. The more voters across our country that can participate in selecting the nominees, the better. Especially when those voters are in the US territories and District of Columbia, who generally do not get to vote. I love that Vermont will get a vote that matters. I love how everyone lamented that we'd have a prolonged general election and now the worry is that it will be too short! The only thing I don't love is that Ohio, once again, will be a major factor. What's up with that, anyway? Why is it always up to Ohio??

The other thing I love about this process is that it is further proof that Iowa and New Hampshire are not the deciders. AND, all those states who moved UP their primaries, to get more influence, may actually have less in the end. And speaking of...IMHO, Michigan and Florida delegates broke the rules and should not be seated. Even on the elementary school playground, you know that you can't change the rules in the middle of the game.

In other news: the Edwards blog has finally shut down. I had no warning because work has been busy & I hadn't visited in a few days. There was a pretty tight community there, and it's a bit sad to see them disperse. I just wish I had had a chance to say goodbye. NH Prez Watch has stopped posting as well, but he's shifted focus to a new project (quickly becoming my new fav): PolitickerNH. GraniteProf is still around, though not posting as often. He's still popping up in the media, and building his following at UNH.

I'm an academic advisor/career counselor at heart: I'm still following the career paths of the activists, staffers, press, and trackers I got to know over the past 12 monts. A few have resettled in the Washington DC area, and I'm hoping to reconnect with them during my next trip (for The Washington Center) in April. My Advance pal, Susie, accepted a job the the Jeanne Shaheen Senatorial Campaign so she's sticking with Manch-Vegas. Now that Shaheen's last in-party rival has dropped out, all her energy is focused on the opponent: Sen. John Sununu. He's not very popular 'round these parts lately. I think it will be cool for her to be able to work for the Shaheen Machine, and have a successful campaign--I have no doubt Shaheen will win--on her resume, post-Primary.

OT random though: Isn't it interesting that the two major candidates we have for this NH Senate Seat both have last names (and families) of Arab descent. Just an observation...kinda cool actually.

Super AND Fat Tuesday

2008-02-05T16:01:00.000-05:00

I'm gun shy. That's why I can't say outloud that I have moved my support to Obama just yet, though I am clearly leaning that way. Not completely but leaning.

I'd decided to just wait and see how Super Tuesday goes. Or later if I have to. I, for the first time in my life, have fear of commitment!

I'm on the rebound. I just got dumped and I can't even think of dating again, politically speaking.

Not that it matters; I've already voted. But I'm watching my pals from the Edwards campaign leave Edwards' Facebook groups in droves. LGBT Friends & Allies for John Edwards, John Edwards is Good, UNH for Edwards, NH for Edwards, CT for Edwards, and even John Edwards Touched Me and I Almost Passed Out. Former paid staffers aren't publicly committing yet. I'm sure most of them are job searching (and soul searching), so they are keeping their social networking profiles neat and clean. But many on-line activists/volunteers that I've come to know and respect live in Super Tuesday states, so they had to make a switch and quick. So far, they are overwhelmingly to Obama. It's just weird to see them switch so quickly.

But all these contacts would be "elites"on the Scala Scale--white collar, post high school graduates, maybe not volvo moms but not welfare moms either. I don't really know or associate with many working class dems anymore besides my parents. Pathetic.

So, today I'm trying to focus more on Mardi Gras than rooting for a candidate. And I will play it safe (and boring, IMHO). I'll join One Million Strong for Whomever Gets the Nomination on Facebook, when someone creates that group.

Suspending My Disbelief

2008-02-01T09:13:00.000-05:00

Well, the dreaded day has finally come. "My guy," as my friends and colleagues affectionately call John Edwards, is out of the race. Or rather, "suspending his bid" whatever that means! No one can claim to be shocked, but there is a bit of disappointment or anger over the timing. Why not stay through Super Tuesday? Just one more week! Why leave after a pretty successful fund-raising week? Why not stick it out for one more debate after a great performance and good reviews? I have to rely on the trust I have developed for him over the past 12 months, because answers are not there. But one thing is certain...well two things:

He ALONE set the agenda for the Democrats in this cycle.

We have NOT seen the last of John Reid Edwards yet!

When I broke the news to the kids on Wednesday morning, Griffin got a little upset and started to cry. "We're still going to vote for him" he announced, playing spokes-twin, which is usually Annie's role. I know a lot of Edwards supporters who agree with Griff on this. I tried explaining that not enough voters supported him, and that now we are waiting to see if Hillary or Obama will be the nominee. "Not Hillary, Mommy, remember, she voted for guns (war)!!"

So, like Edwards supporters everywhere, I am carefully considering my new choice...not like it matters. I have no vote left until November. If/when I decide, I will then decide if that support is strong enough to become involved again. How much I could sincerely advocate for either candidate is the question.

What now for me? I have been thinking about how to remain engaged on the local level. SMucci at Blue Hampshire has raised some interesting questions about local vs. national involvement. I've met a few state reps and non-profit leaders in this process, and will try to nurture those contacts. Laura Jones, now former President of UNH College Dems, warned me that next cycle, my name will be at the top of the Dover activists list, and I can expect to be called & courted early on in the Primary. That could be fun, or annoying, but mostly flattering.

Last night, I ran out to do some errands after dinner. A pick-up passed me as the driver was beeping & waving the peace sign. It was JJ, spotting my Edwards sticker again. We played cat & mouse at a series of traffic lights, and I got to see his vast collection of political bumper stickers on his tailgate. It was a sad, slow-motion sort of wave and parting.

Peace, JJ. Peace for us all.

My First Birthday, Recounts, and Amatuer Analysis, finally

2008-01-17T08:49:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to Me, or my blog anyway. Yesterday was the one year anniversary of its creation. It's been fun for me to go back & reread some of those early posts.

And it ain't over yet: the NH Recount is underway. This should be interesting...expensive, but interesting. Follow along with Blue Hampshire for day by day, ward by ward updates.

That amateur analysis I keep eluding to isn't really gelling in my head. I don't think Hillary won because of the last minute display of emotion (whether or not you believe it was sincere), and I don't think Obama lost because of racism. I believe the Clinton team was in a panic on the afternoon of the primary, and they pulled out every last known voter among their base because they had the resources to do it. They held on to the working class/establishment strong holds, the less-educated voters, and the "older" voters, all underestimated but very loyal voters.

Here's what I wrote to a friend on the morning after, embellished slightly for clarification: The Clinton/Shaheen Machine in New Hampshire just really brings me down. Maybe this is too much analysis, but what bums me about the machine is that they are the blue collar/establishment Dems--the older/elderly, the non-college educated, working class children of immigrants--The Memeres & Peperes of Manchester, Rochester, and Berlin. I should feel glad that the less educated, less well-off people like my parents have clout and feel empowered in our state. But of course, I don't. I feel like they are scared of loosing what symbolic power they have, so they aren't willing to take a risk on a non-establishment candidate.

I know Clinton has wider support than what I described above, but it was this base that made the difference in NH.

Seems like it always does...

...Now check out an actual professional analysis.

What's Left Behind

2008-01-15T13:44:00.000-05:00

Here's my little list of what I have to remember this NH Primary cycle, 2007-2008:

Bulletin Board: In my office, where I keep my button collection, I've added the "I'm In To Win" Hillary button, a huge Obama '08 one, and an assortment of Edwards', including one with a rainbow background, and one targeted at NH Educators.

Also above my desk I have the Bill Richardson 2008 All Star baseball card (on of my favorite pieces ever!), the Edwards Family Christmas Card, The GraniteRoots canvassing brochure (the two attached tree saplings are now growing in pots on my porch), and souvenir tickets to see Obama, Kucinich, and Dodd. There's also one postcard from the MTV/MySpace Presidential Dialogue with John Edwards. One press pass from the UNH GOP Fox Debates. AND, one original thank you note from Jack or Emma Claire Edwards.

On the bookshelf in my office, awaiting framing, is my large John Edwards sign, autographed.

On my bookshelf at home are two books: Stormy Weather by Dante Scala, not yet autographed, and Saving Graces, beautifully signed by the author, Elizabeth Edwards.

In my dresser: Two purple "I'm a Health Care Voter" t-shirts, one white John Edwards t-shirt, and one blue Carpenter's For Edwards long sleeved t-shirt.

In my cellar (we call them cellars here, not basements): Two Edwards lawn signs; the kids would not allow me to throw them away.

In the walls of my now remodeled kitchen: A variety of 2008 bumper stickers, including Hillary, Obama, Edwards, and a bunch of the purple Health Care Voter stickers.

In the Playroom: Four Priorities pie chart stickers, just tempting someone to stick them somewhere. And one Pie Chart flexible flying disk (I love collapsing it and popping it open).

On the back of my minivan: One traditional Edwards bumper sticker, one custom-made original "JRE=OMG" oval from Mike Alfoni, and one Priorities Pie Chart magnet.

And, lastly, my all-time favorite prize: On my wrist is my collectible Priorities Pie Chart Watch.

Of course, there are dozens of photos posted here and on Facebook that I will always treasure. Hell, it was Susie Whitlock who first demonstrated Facebook to me when she was on campus doing Advance work! But the best thing I can say I am walking away with is a greater understanding of and appreciation for the New Hampshire primary, and NH politics in general. A back-stage seat is better than the Front Row.

Thanks to everyone who has followed along with me, or physically tagged along (or were dragged along as the case may be). I had a blast. And to all the people I've met along the way, in person or virtually, thank you. Please, keep in touch!

Just three more years...

PPD: Post Primary Depression

2008-01-10T10:05:00.000-05:00

It feels a lot like the days after Christmas here now, when you take down the tree and decorations, and your house guests have all left. All the gifts are put away, and some of them you liked, some you didn't. You're stuck writing thank you notes anyway, smiling and saying "thank you." No more cards coming in the mail every day, no more holiday sales pitches on TV. Everyone goes back to work or school, and real life. The place seems empty and quiet. The quiet is good, but at first it takes some getting used to.

New Hampshire is cleaning up, and a whole bunch of people we've grown fond of are packing up and saying their good byes. I bet there are a lot of apartments for rent in Manchester now.

On Wednesday, I saw the former Deaniac and now-famous Edwards volunteer JJ driving around Dover, collecting Edwards signs from street corners and public places. He spotted my bumper sticker and started honking at me at the 5 way intersection, downtown. He's been an incredible and indefatigable motivator, volunteer, and supporter. He usually made appearances wearing is 2004 "I See Dean People" t-shirt; it's a great NH Primary souvenir. Now he can add some stand-up comedy to his resume. (I'm taking inventory of my own Primary Souvenirs and will list them later.)

The only signs left are those in front of private homes, like mine. Most in my neighborhood are still up. Last I checked, the big light-up Ron Paul sign was still up, too.

I drove by the Dover Edwards office and saw the cleaning up going on. The windows were cleaned off (we brought them window markers when they first moved it, and the kids and I loved driving by every day and seeing them in use). The sight broke my heart. But I didn't stop by to help. I'm sure the staff needs just to be alone with each other rather than having to smile & play nice for a supporter.

As far as my amateur analysis goes...that's still in the works. You might have to wait a bit for that.

Now Serving!

2008-01-10T09:43:00.000-05:00

Humble Pie: help yourself. There is plenty to go around.

First slice goes to me and my first real NH Primary campaign volunteering experience. I knew what we were up against from day one, and I'm sad that it didn't work out for Team Edwards in NH. No matter what's next, we can feel good about a respectful and respectable campaign. Edwards drove the agenda of this Democratic Primary, and put topics such as poverty, predatory lending, and NOLA into the campaign. I will be forever proud and grateful for that. But still humbled, I promise.

Next big serving goes to Clinton & Company. A 30 point lead can cause arrogance and untouchability, and some pretty annoying supporters. Iowa served up exactly what you all deserved. No matter what happens next, please remember that. Confidence is great, arrogance is unbecoming. You are still in the Primary, so quit acting like you've moved on to the general election already. A little humility might make your team a little more attractive. I expect you to set a better example for the youth voters; they won't be young forever!

Next slice: Team Obama. Ditto. NH can make you crazy; don't let it stop you, but by all means, play nice. It was wonderful to see youth so empowered but remember that you still need to respect your elders, respect your opponents, and if you are going to steal from others' stump speeches, please cite your sources. Also, please lay off anyone under the age of 30 who wasn't on your side. If we are all eventually going to come together after the convention, it will serve us well to show some empathy or at least, some class.

How you act in defeat shows just as much if not more about your character as how you act in victory.

New Hamshire, I salute YOU!

2008-01-09T10:10:00.000-05:00

To whine about being tired would be an insult to the candidates, staffers, volunteers, and press who worked way harder and way longer than I did over the last 12+ months. So first & foremost, I salute you all.

Well, my perfect streak continues! Since I moved to NH in 1988, I have never been on the winning team for a NH Primary. I guess my problem is that I'm too educated or "elitist"...pick your word. ;-)

My Primary Heroes this morning are of course John & Elizabeth Edwards. Their parents, children, and your dedicated staff. I also salute all the bloggers I met at Blue Hampshire and the John Edwards blog. The non-profit friends who track and record and gave us endless freebies and stickers to keep the kids occupied--Priorities, The Iraq Campaign, Health Care Voters--thanks for putting these issues front & center in NH. (I am still waiting for my ice cream prize: 42881).

Brian Lawson, you rock! Come to UNH for your Master's Degree!! Seriously, what you created was something that shows how important and accessible politics in New Hampshire Primary, and why we all love it. Tell me, did you do this all from your dorm room at Saint A's? And, how were your grades last semester (I do, after all, still work in academic affairs.)

Hats off to Dante Scala, as always. I sat in my car & listened to your town by town analysis before dragging myself into the mobbed and too loud Edwards party at 10:30pm. (I am too old for this!!) And, it's your fault I missed my exit going home & and ended up going south instead of east in the fog. After we both catch up on sleep and kids and work, lunch before students return. My treat.

I'm still gathering my thoughts on the outcome. Maybe after a few more diet cokes, I will be coherent enough to put them into print. For now, here are a few photos of the final hours with Team Edwards, Strafford County, and the 2008 New Hampshire Primary.

Oh, one final word. When I explained to the kids that John Edwards didn't win, Griffin said "he can try again tomorrow!" I love that optimism, he seems to be right on track with the campaign's strategy, too. Then I explained how it is time for other states to have their vote, then he asked "why can't every day be voting day?" My answer: "Because Justin needs to sleep."

Thanks again, everyone! Just three more year!!

Check In: 4:00pm

2008-01-08T16:16:00.001-05:00

What a gorgeous day in NH today! Great weather, overwhelming turn out, high energy, and loads of civic engagement.

I just finished up my afternoon of phone banking (at least until the general election, maybe). I had the list of supporters and leaners again, so it was a pretty good way to end my time as a Primary Activist. I thanked a lot of people for voting, no matter who they voted for. I met some fun people from out-of-state, and hung with some very loyal supporters I met this summer & fall.

The energy in the Dover Edwards office was excellent. I took a few pics which I will upload tomorrow. Folks are tired to be sure, but they never waivered. As I left they were gearing up for the visability for the evening commute (I need to go get my kids, feed them, etc.), and last minute GOTV for the working folks.

I've decided to drive to Manchester, which means I won't be on-line again until tomorrow.

So we shall see...New Hampshire: What Say You?

2008-01-08T13:20:00.000-05:00

Noonish check in from Team Edwards, Dover NH:

Turn out is unbelievable all over NH. And the first results are in off course. Dixville Notch, home of The Balsam's Resort (grand hotel) has a tradition of opening their polls at mid-night. They are a small town & everyone votes at that time. Well, the big news from my perspective is this: NO votes for Hillary on the Dem side. That's right, Obama 1st, EDWARDS 2nd!! This is by no means representative, but it sure is symbolic.

Back to Dover. I took the kids voting around 9am. As much as Annie likes Obama, she switched back to Edwards this morning. On the way to the polls we saw a sign for Duncan Hunter. Griffin said, "Who's that? I've never seen him!!" Listening to them today made me so proud. They understand that voting is important, that our leaders values matter, and that being in New Hampshire means you pay attention to what's going on in our country. I always get a little choked up when I take them voting. Then they start hiding in the curtains, and it's back to my regular mom-voice.

One of the many things I LOVE about voting in NH is that we do NOT use any electronic voting devices. Paper & a writing implement!! It used to be pencil, and was a big deal (to me anyway) when we went to felt-tip marker. At one point we drew a line to complete an arrow pointing at the chosen candidate. Now we fill in the oval, SAT style. What a feeling of satisfaction. I love handing it in, and marching over to the booth to change my status back to UNDECLARED immediately.

The Edwards office, BTW, was buzzing all morning with hoards of canvassers & callers. I had the good fortune of being assigned a call list of strong supporters and leaners. My calls were quick & upbeat: THANKS! My big news now is this: An NH group call "Draft Al Gore NH" decided to endorse EDWARDS.

At this rate, I am now, at 1:28pm, seriously considering driving to Manch-Vegas tonight to attend the Edwards Party. Hopefully, it will be a celebration!!

OK, back to my duties. See you tonight. Watch for us on TV.

Good Morning, New Hampshire!!

2008-01-08T07:58:00.000-05:00

It's finally here, NH Primary Day 2008.

I'm already greiving! And polls just opened (it's about 8am).

No time for that! Up at 4:30am to get to the office at 5am. Let it officially be known that I found something I hate more than phone banking: canvassing. Too dark, too creepy, too invasive. But, boy is the Edwards team organized about it. Good think I had Laura with me for company.

One house on my list belonged to my friend, Jenn. She's got triplet boys, and I knew enough to tip toe to the door & do my drop unheard. I was scared that a neighborhood dog would get a sniff of me and I'd inadvertantly wake the kiddos. My fear of dogs and waking up babies put an end to that quickly. Phew.

We did what we could between 5:30am and 7am, which wasn't much, then I had to go back home to get the kids, and wake the visitors. Next, I'm taking the twins voting then off to school. Annie wants to wear her "I'm a health care voter" shirt today. And she said, as much as she likes saying and reading Obama, she'll still vote for Edwards.

I'll be checking in a few times today when I need a break.

GOTV!!

Twas The Night Before...

2008-01-07T22:50:00.000-05:00

Quick update before bed: It's Primary Eve!!

10:30pm: I just got finished working at the Dover Elks Edwards Rally. It was packed, and great. Tons of undecided there who left pretty well decided. Edwards was on fire. He looked great. No one told him he's third in the polls; that man is driven. Only once could you tell he was tired. He repeated one story and sort of got into a loop. But he kept on firing away. Luckily, he also had Elizabeth, Cate, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, and some actor from Desperate Housewives that I've never seen before.

The talk beforehand, however, was all about Hillary getting teary today in Portsmouth. Was it genuine?? Is it good or bad? Remember Muskey?? Will it hep humanize her, or will the spinners call her a weak female. I guess we'll know soon enough. Her campaign just does not know how to be anything but 30points ahead. I think some humble pie will do them all good. I'm pretty tired of the arrogance, and being asked, "when will you come over to our side?"

I also had the good fortune to be introduced to Wallace & Bobbi Edwards tonight as well. Susie Whitlock was so kind in making sure I was introduced to them personally. What sweet people!!

As soon as I got home & got my PJs on, the office called & asked if I could take an overnight crasher or two, volunteers from out of state. I thought they'd send us a college kid who could crash on our couch. Instead, I got two older women, 50-something maybe. One is from NYC and/or Poland, the other from Maine. One promptly wiped out on own temporary ramp (still renovating the porch!). Ooops. Welcome to NH! They are settling in now, getting to know each other, and I'm trying to prepare them for our morning routine with twin five-year olds. This should be interesting.

I'm taking tomorrow off & giving myself over to Team Edwards. I was planning to do the 5am literature drop, so I guess we'll see about that.

Sunday Afternoon

2008-01-07T10:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Sunday, I did a short shift at the Edwards office in Dover. What a difference in energy and activity from just a few days ago. It was buzzing, and though the staff is tired, they were fired up as well.

First I learned that some of those New Yorkers I passed in my neighborhood where in deed canvassing for Edwards. One of them came down my little dead end street and spoke to a neighbor. I met a bunch of volunteers who travelled to NH from Maryland, NY, NJ, CT, and even one from Iowa!! It was weird to see so many new faces in the mix. In a good way, totally.

I happened to be there around dusk, which was good and bad. The good part was that canvassers were coming in for the evening, and I could hear their reports and see their smiling faces. Man, are they ever glad the weather has improved in NH!!

The bad part was that it was getting close to supper time, and New Hampshirites have had just about enough with the phone calls. I was quick every time to say that I was also a Dover resident, and "I know we're all getting a lot of calls right now but...." Unfortunately, I had the bad luck to have this guy on my call list. Sorry, if I had read this first, I would have skipped the call!

And now, the robo-calls have started, too. Kucinich first on Saturday, then yesterday one from a Pro-Choice activist for Hillary. I don't mind them, and usually I do listen out of curiosity and to see if they identify themselves properly or violate any laws. It's a hot topic in NH following the GOP phone jamming case in 2004. But I have to wonder: is there any real data out there to suggest that they are helpful? Most people I know feel that they annoy more then help no matter who they are from.

Most folks I know only complain quietly, for they know it will be over very soon. But more importantly, if we want to keep the New Hampshire Primary First in The Nation, there is a price to pay for it. And remember the next time your phone rings: it could be me or someone else like me, just trying to change the world, one little phone call at a time.

PS: If you want a prediction now, I just don't have an exact one. Edwards & Obama are splitting the usual "elite" camp while Clinton is really not doing much to firm up her usually tried & true "establishment" voters. Accusations are flying about who's playing dirty and who's not. However it goes, I know it's not the end, but only the beginning.

Invasion

2008-01-05T14:39:00.001-05:00

Quick post in between Saturday errands and a trip to the library:

Holy Cow, Dover has been invaded! There are canvassers all over our little city. It started with a lost pair witih NY plates at the end of my little dead end street. I pointed them in the right direction, then told my son in the back seat that when I organized canvassing packets at the Edwards office last week, we included maps that I double checked and gave my locals-approval. So, we know it wasn't an Edwards team.

"How do you know they are canvassing, mommy, and what is canvassing anyway?" Well, Dover is a great city for walking, with awesome granite-curbed sidewalk (that are covered in huge piles of snow right now), but it's usual to see so many pairs of people, with be-stickered clipboards, walking around, without a dog or stroller. And, to be honest, it's not everyday that Dover has so many people of color strolling around.

Stay warm, canvassers. I hope you get to enjoy a little bit of NH while you are here.

We're off to the library now...maybe more later!