PS: Yesterday (12/30), I made a quick pass through Portsmouth NH on my way to Massachusetts. Holy Cow!! At just one intersection there were more campaign signs than my whole Tour De NH!
There were bright yellow Fire Fighters for Dodd signs, Biden, Obama, Hillary, Richardson, Romney...everyone! And of course there were plenty of Edwards, too.
If I can get out of my driveway this afternoon, I'll be in Dover phonebanking!!
And thanks for the info & update, Jess! I miss you. You are very good at your job, too!!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
I Spy Campaign Signs
We're not totally opposed to TV as parents, but we do limit it a lot. We don't have cable. And when our TV (the first TV I ever own, purchased in 1990) finally died a few weeks ago, we borrowed our elderly neighbor's spare, which has a nice, chunky turn-dial. And we certainly would never permit a DVD player in the car, even for a long drive. As a result, we get some interesting original songs, lots of I Spy, books on tape, and too much Wayne From Maine.
She giggled when I spelled Obama while her brother made rhymes with it. Kucinich became Kuchinchi. Her tally (left) was not the offical one, but it was way cuter than mine.
We've made three trips in the past 8 days, to various sites in northern NH. We've been so far north in fact, that I actually tried homemade lip balm made from bear fat & beeswax. With a dash of cinnamon. I kid you not: The North County. So, then, what do we do when we drive all over NH for various holiday gatherings & parties?
While my son listened to The Lorax (my budding environmentalist!) over and over and over, my daughter wanted to write with her new pens. "Let's count campaign signs!"
She giggled when I spelled Obama while her brother made rhymes with it. Kucinich became Kuchinchi. Her tally (left) was not the offical one, but it was way cuter than mine.Rules: I decided not to count the signs outside campaign offices here in Dover on our way out of town. We did count our own 2 Edwards signs. As I was debating whether or not to count the Hillary signs outside of Shaheen & Gordon, we noticed they were gone. We tried not to count the same signs coming & going, but we did notice that on Saturday, a whole bunch of new McCain signs appeared in Dover that we know weren't there on our way out of town Friday.
Here are our unscientific results of our travels up & down Rt 93 and Rt 89, and in & out of small towns along the way (small standard signs + XL signs=total):
Ron Paul 15 + 7 = 22
John McCain 15 + 0 = 15
John Edwards 9 + 4= 13
Mike Gravel 5 + 3 = 8
Mark Klein 6 + 0 = 6
Hillary Clinton 2 + 3 = 5
Barack Obama 0 + 4 = 4
Rudy Giuliani 4 + 0 = 4
Dennis Kucinich 1 + 2 = 3
Mike Huckabee 3 + 0 = 3
Bill Richardson 2 + 0 = 2
Mitt Romney 0 + 2 = 2
Tancredo 0 + 2 = 2
Fred Thompson 0 + 1 = 1
Chris Dodd 0 + 1 = 1
John Sununu (US Senate) 4 large billboards
Interestingly, no Shaheen for Senate signs. I also kept track of bumper stickers: My 2 Edwards (one that is homemade that just says OMG JRE) and one car with 2 Romney stickers, and a whole bunch of PrioritiesNH pie chart magnets.
Favorites: Mine is the North Country For Edwards sign, green & gold with a moose on it. The kids prefer the light-up Ron Paul for President on Silver Street in Dover. And someone, please tell us who Mark Klein (R) is!!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
What Comes Around...
On Thursday, we had a pretty snowy morning in NH. Most of the schools closed, but UNH was smack in the middle of finals week, so we had a short delay. So I went in to work. By about 3pm it was so dead I couldn't stand it anymore and left early. On the way home, I got a strange call from the campaign office: a carload of staff had gotten into a fender bender about 50 feet from my front door. Of course they could meet up at my house; I'm on my way.
By the time I got home, driving extra slowly of course, they were huddled around the kitchen table, eating leftover birthday cupcakes and Christmas cookies, looking so sheepish. And young. They were painfully sweet and polite (is that their personalities, or a job requirement?), and very embarrassed. They had gone out to lunch, dressed completely inappropriately for the weather because they weren't planning to be out long. ("Must make more calls.") But they just sat there, in no hurry. Maybe a few extra cookies or kid antics around the Christmas tree gave these exhausted kids a few moments of being home, so I let them linger before driving them back to headquarters.
Not too days later, I gave them the chance to return the favor when I locked my keys in my car in Downtown Dover, about a block from their office. Now it was me (and my son) who weren't dressed appropriately for the weather--we had just run an errand and stopped at Cafe On The Corner for cocoa. Now it was I, sheepishly knocking on their door. While I waited for a ride home, Griff played in the corner with blocks (they were our old one's I had donated but he didn't seem to notice, thank goodness) while I made a few phone calls to earn my keep.
So, this is going to sound a lot more pathetic than it really is, but I'm going to miss these guys. To all the campaign staff in NH (not just Edwards' but all you folks): Thanks, have safe travels over the holidays if you do in fact get to leave.
By the time I got home, driving extra slowly of course, they were huddled around the kitchen table, eating leftover birthday cupcakes and Christmas cookies, looking so sheepish. And young. They were painfully sweet and polite (is that their personalities, or a job requirement?), and very embarrassed. They had gone out to lunch, dressed completely inappropriately for the weather because they weren't planning to be out long. ("Must make more calls.") But they just sat there, in no hurry. Maybe a few extra cookies or kid antics around the Christmas tree gave these exhausted kids a few moments of being home, so I let them linger before driving them back to headquarters.
Not too days later, I gave them the chance to return the favor when I locked my keys in my car in Downtown Dover, about a block from their office. Now it was me (and my son) who weren't dressed appropriately for the weather--we had just run an errand and stopped at Cafe On The Corner for cocoa. Now it was I, sheepishly knocking on their door. While I waited for a ride home, Griff played in the corner with blocks (they were our old one's I had donated but he didn't seem to notice, thank goodness) while I made a few phone calls to earn my keep.
So, this is going to sound a lot more pathetic than it really is, but I'm going to miss these guys. To all the campaign staff in NH (not just Edwards' but all you folks): Thanks, have safe travels over the holidays if you do in fact get to leave.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
In The Clutch
Family and work life being what they are, I had to make a choice yesterday between seeing John Edwards at noonish with Bonnie Raitt & Jackson Browne in Portsmouth, or at 4pm in Dover. Cate was supposed to join him in Dover, so I decided to save up my vacation time, skip the concert and go to Macintosh, where I was invited to be part of the "clutch," the quickie meet and greet pregame show to thank/reward loyal volunteers.
I showed up early enough to help do some signing in at the door. It was nice to be greeted by Advance Staff with a hug and a personal welcome. They had to break the news that Cate wasn't coming. Bummer, I had a question for her regarding Prof Elizabeth Warren from Harvard Law School! But I tried not to act too disappointed.
Just as I was getting warmed up (literally & figuratively) at the door doing sign-in, I was whisked into a vacant classroom to wait with my fellow clutch groupies. We made chit chat, and there was some good-natured posturing as to who knows the staff best, who's hosted a house party, etc. We all got the Edwards Family holiday card, but only one of us (NOT ME!) was smart enough to bring it for an autograph. All the middle-aged women in the room tried to out-mother the exhausted but upbeat Field Coordinator. And I was relieved that I had, at the last minute, decided not to bring the twins.
What's known around here as "Bridge Traffic" kept our candidate about 45 minutes behind schedule, but eventually he appeared unceremoniously and with a big smile on his face. Clutch was quick as to keep the waiting crowd happy, but I got my handshake. It never fails to impress me. He seems so relaxed, so authentic. I just don't get how anyone can call him a phony.
My plan was to give up my seat for someone who hasn't seen him before, hopefully someone undecided, and hang by the door with the staff. But after everyone was seated there was a seat left next to my friend and colleague, Mark, so I scooted in lest an empty seat caught on tape! It just so happened to be, yes, in the front row.
Mark had just come from the Portsmouth event, which he whispered was awesome. He's a musician so I wasn't sure if he referred to the music or the candidate. Both. And apparently, Senator Edwards was just as passionate & on the mark for us, too. A little story-telling, a little stump speech, a little Q&A.
Each event I've attended has had a slightly different emotional tone to it. This one was full of relaxed humor, confidence, and determination. He wasn't angry as much as driven. But he was very funny. He complimented people on their questions, he laughed at their attempts at humor. There's just no way anyone can fake that level of comfort and spontaneity.
After the event, I hung with Mark so he could get his Newsweek signed. I really wanted a picture with the future president, but since I've had so many chances to meet him, I felt greedy and let others elbow in ahead of me.
Mark got his autograph and I snapped a photo of the moment, then I snuck over to the Volunteer Coordinator and wrote Mark's name and email down on the volunteer clipboard.
Next time there's an event, if there is a next time, I want company in the clutch!
I showed up early enough to help do some signing in at the door. It was nice to be greeted by Advance Staff with a hug and a personal welcome. They had to break the news that Cate wasn't coming. Bummer, I had a question for her regarding Prof Elizabeth Warren from Harvard Law School! But I tried not to act too disappointed.
Just as I was getting warmed up (literally & figuratively) at the door doing sign-in, I was whisked into a vacant classroom to wait with my fellow clutch groupies. We made chit chat, and there was some good-natured posturing as to who knows the staff best, who's hosted a house party, etc. We all got the Edwards Family holiday card, but only one of us (NOT ME!) was smart enough to bring it for an autograph. All the middle-aged women in the room tried to out-mother the exhausted but upbeat Field Coordinator. And I was relieved that I had, at the last minute, decided not to bring the twins.
What's known around here as "Bridge Traffic" kept our candidate about 45 minutes behind schedule, but eventually he appeared unceremoniously and with a big smile on his face. Clutch was quick as to keep the waiting crowd happy, but I got my handshake. It never fails to impress me. He seems so relaxed, so authentic. I just don't get how anyone can call him a phony.
My plan was to give up my seat for someone who hasn't seen him before, hopefully someone undecided, and hang by the door with the staff. But after everyone was seated there was a seat left next to my friend and colleague, Mark, so I scooted in lest an empty seat caught on tape! It just so happened to be, yes, in the front row.
Mark had just come from the Portsmouth event, which he whispered was awesome. He's a musician so I wasn't sure if he referred to the music or the candidate. Both. And apparently, Senator Edwards was just as passionate & on the mark for us, too. A little story-telling, a little stump speech, a little Q&A.
Each event I've attended has had a slightly different emotional tone to it. This one was full of relaxed humor, confidence, and determination. He wasn't angry as much as driven. But he was very funny. He complimented people on their questions, he laughed at their attempts at humor. There's just no way anyone can fake that level of comfort and spontaneity.
After the event, I hung with Mark so he could get his Newsweek signed. I really wanted a picture with the future president, but since I've had so many chances to meet him, I felt greedy and let others elbow in ahead of me.
Mark got his autograph and I snapped a photo of the moment, then I snuck over to the Volunteer Coordinator and wrote Mark's name and email down on the volunteer clipboard.
Next time there's an event, if there is a next time, I want company in the clutch!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Soap Is On The Way
I just have to get this off my chest, no offense intended (this is cross-posted as a comment on Blue Hampshire, and expanded a bit here)...
Dear Obama Supporters,
I keep reading on the blogosphere that what you love about your candidate is that he offers hope. The Audacity of Hope. But I can't help but think it's been done before. The HOPE theme in presidential campaigns is not new, not unique. Am I the only one who remembers?
To build a campaign around it as a theme to me is recycling at it's worst. Can't we Dems come up with something better? I know many Obama supporters (not all, certainly) are young, and many are clinging to this as a theme of newness & change, but don't you remember1992--A Man From HOPE--or 2004--Hope Is On The Way??
It makes me chuckle after reading Elizabeth Edwards' book "Saving Graces," where her son Jack is on the campaign trail at a hotel with his parents, getting ready for bath night, saying "Soap is on the way!"
Frankly, we could probably use soap in the White House just as much as hope these days...
There, I feel better. Thanks for letting me vent.
Dear Obama Supporters,
I keep reading on the blogosphere that what you love about your candidate is that he offers hope. The Audacity of Hope. But I can't help but think it's been done before. The HOPE theme in presidential campaigns is not new, not unique. Am I the only one who remembers?
To build a campaign around it as a theme to me is recycling at it's worst. Can't we Dems come up with something better? I know many Obama supporters (not all, certainly) are young, and many are clinging to this as a theme of newness & change, but don't you remember1992--A Man From HOPE--or 2004--Hope Is On The Way??
It makes me chuckle after reading Elizabeth Edwards' book "Saving Graces," where her son Jack is on the campaign trail at a hotel with his parents, getting ready for bath night, saying "Soap is on the way!"
Frankly, we could probably use soap in the White House just as much as hope these days...
There, I feel better. Thanks for letting me vent.
Monday, December 17, 2007
One Last UNH Event
Quickie Post:
Don't count UNH out just yet (despite our lame mock election)!
Dennis Kucinich will be on campus tomorrow, Tuesday 12/18, despite the fact that it is the first day of final exams. He'll also be at Dover Natural, a small local natural food store two doors down from Hillary's Dover office. That should be fun.
Wednesday brings John Edwards back to the Seacoast, and I hope to be in the clutch. 12:45pm in Portsmouth with Bonnie Raitt & Jackson Browne, and 4pm with Cate Edwards at Macintosh College.
Gotta run...more later.
Don't count UNH out just yet (despite our lame mock election)!
Dennis Kucinich will be on campus tomorrow, Tuesday 12/18, despite the fact that it is the first day of final exams. He'll also be at Dover Natural, a small local natural food store two doors down from Hillary's Dover office. That should be fun.
Wednesday brings John Edwards back to the Seacoast, and I hope to be in the clutch. 12:45pm in Portsmouth with Bonnie Raitt & Jackson Browne, and 4pm with Cate Edwards at Macintosh College.
Gotta run...more later.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Endorsements
Ah, I love the NH Primary...down one day, up the next! Really...inevitability is so boring!
Yesterday, I was trying to pretend that Carol Shea-Porter's endorsement of Obama didn't matter to me. But I was bummed. I like her, and her politics. I met with members of her staff once, and I like them, too. It's been so nice to finally have a Congressperson in NH whom I respect. Now, I have one with whom I respectfully disagree, too. But that was yesterday.
When I opened my email inbox this morning, it was swimming with emails and press releases: New Hampshire Freedom To Marry Endorses Edwards! Yee ha. I guess I feel a little vindicated after taking those hits from friends & colleagues I mentioned in the last post. Some may think the LGBT community isn't a big voting block, or the endorsement might not be something a candidate would want to flaunt. My experience is that LGBT folks are extremely well educated on the issues, and have a greater tendency than the average person to not only vote, but get involved & volunteer for a candidate. So, while the numbers may (or may not) be big, the endorsement could yield volunteers, canvassers, and donors!!
On the UNH campus, it's day 3 of the Wildcats Vote project. Obama is running away with it on the Dem side (results so far), but that's no surprise. John, the President of the student organization, can't possibly be doing any actual schoolwork these days. He & the group are running shuttles to the Durham Town Hall to register voters and get absentee ballots. They would be well advised to also expend some energy reviewing the campus/residence hall rules regarding solicitation and canvassing, because I hear they are breaking them all and angering some staff. Hillary's team as well. But not UNH for Edwards; they know and are actually following the rules, and that has not gone unnoticed.
No candidates have been around campus, and as finals are approaching, none are expected. It's been a disappointing cycle for me. I never got to see Mitt, or Cate Edwards. Obama only came that one time last winter. Friday is the last day of classes, and the big wrap up of our mock election. Next week the plan is to see Edwards one more time, with Bonnie Raitt & Jackson Browne in Portsmouth (12/19/07).
The end is in sight, and I'm already depressed about that.
Yesterday, I was trying to pretend that Carol Shea-Porter's endorsement of Obama didn't matter to me. But I was bummed. I like her, and her politics. I met with members of her staff once, and I like them, too. It's been so nice to finally have a Congressperson in NH whom I respect. Now, I have one with whom I respectfully disagree, too. But that was yesterday.
When I opened my email inbox this morning, it was swimming with emails and press releases: New Hampshire Freedom To Marry Endorses Edwards! Yee ha. I guess I feel a little vindicated after taking those hits from friends & colleagues I mentioned in the last post. Some may think the LGBT community isn't a big voting block, or the endorsement might not be something a candidate would want to flaunt. My experience is that LGBT folks are extremely well educated on the issues, and have a greater tendency than the average person to not only vote, but get involved & volunteer for a candidate. So, while the numbers may (or may not) be big, the endorsement could yield volunteers, canvassers, and donors!!
On the UNH campus, it's day 3 of the Wildcats Vote project. Obama is running away with it on the Dem side (results so far), but that's no surprise. John, the President of the student organization, can't possibly be doing any actual schoolwork these days. He & the group are running shuttles to the Durham Town Hall to register voters and get absentee ballots. They would be well advised to also expend some energy reviewing the campus/residence hall rules regarding solicitation and canvassing, because I hear they are breaking them all and angering some staff. Hillary's team as well. But not UNH for Edwards; they know and are actually following the rules, and that has not gone unnoticed.
No candidates have been around campus, and as finals are approaching, none are expected. It's been a disappointing cycle for me. I never got to see Mitt, or Cate Edwards. Obama only came that one time last winter. Friday is the last day of classes, and the big wrap up of our mock election. Next week the plan is to see Edwards one more time, with Bonnie Raitt & Jackson Browne in Portsmouth (12/19/07).
The end is in sight, and I'm already depressed about that.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
JRE, LGBT, and Me
I am not a very good lesbian. I never have been. Sometimes I just can't bring myself to toe the party line. And it's always been that way. My friend Leyla can attest to that; the first time we went to a gay bar together (we were grad students at Michigan State together), I had long hair and wore a bow, a la Pam Smart. In my defense, it was the 80s and the bow wasn't that big, but any dyke worth her salt had short hair then, and certainly NO bows.I'm not a one-issue LGBT voter, either. Gay marriage would be nice, but it's just not my top priority right now. "The cat is out of the bag" as my republican/lawyer brother-in-law says regarding gay marriage, so I think it will happen eventually and therefore I don't want to make it a polarizing campaign hot button issue and risk another four years with a republican president. I just don't need it to happen right now. Other issues--more global issues--are more important to me than marriage: Universal Health care, global warming, poverty, Darfur, repealing NCLB, and THE WAR.
So, as soon as Edwards announced his candidacy & I announced that he was at the top of my short list, I immediately got crap about his stance on gay marriage (not in favor) and was considered a traitor. Luckily, it's a position I've held before so I didn't care much, but I did secretly cross my fingers and hope JRE didn't say or do anything to embarrass me in the next 12 months.
Here we are, 12 months later. No embarrassment whatsoever. Edwards is the ONLY first tier candidate to meet in person with the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition, as reported in Bay Windows. Edwards released a list of list of endorsements from the gay community. He has released policy statements on HIV/AIDS. Cate Edwards and her mom Elizabeth have come out in favor of gay marriage and publicly disagree with the candidate.
His recently released 80-page policy booklet has a 2-page spread dedicated to LGBT issues. He has an LGBT section of his much-praised website. And then I found this blog: Out For Edward, making me feel even better.
And, to add frosting to my cake, the campaign staff embraced me & welcomed me. On my own I founded the LGBT Friends & Allies for John Edwards group on Facebook. As I began to get more involved, I met other members of the gay community at events or volunteering on the campaign.
As Obama defends his decision to campaign with a homophobic entertainer, and Hillary continues to be haunted by Don't Ask, Don't Tell, I'm feeling pretty good about my choice.
So, if you want to be a one-issue voter, you can support Kucinich. But as I recently heard somewhere in regard to this very issue (paraphrasing here:), "you can vote your feelings, or you can vote in a way that can create consequences."
It's nice to have the rest of the gay community catching up with me for once, sorta.
Monday, December 3, 2007
What's Your Greatest Fear?
When I was a Residence Hall Director (back in the last century) at UNH, we used to play a lot of games that helped my staff members get to know one another, and share perceptions we had of each other. I remember one board game (though not its name) that had players secretly answer questions then match the responses to the right person. One question gave me away: what is your greatest fear? Common responses were fire, death, drowning, etc. But the one everyone guess correctly was mine: mental illness.
In that job, I had the horrible experience of witnessing several students have psychotic breaks, and played a pivotal role in having a student or two involuntarily hospitalized. It's the worst feeling in the world to take someone's freedom away--basically their constitutional rights--because you think they are sick yet the do not agree.
It is intentionally very difficulty to have someone forced into receiving care they do not want or think they need. This is done to protect us all from crazy family or neighbors who might not act in our best interest. To have someone involuntarily committed, you need to prove to a judge or someone that they are indeed a real threat to themselves or others. So, you have to watch & wait for something bad to happen, and hope it's bad enough to meet the definition of "threat" but not so bad that anyone gets hurt.
This brings me to Friday's hostage drama in Rochester, NH.
I have to say (IMHO) that Rochester, NH does not enjoy a reputation as a nice, sleepy, small city with a great downtown, as Rep. Carol Shea-Porter might suggest. It's depressing, is what it is. Empty store fronts, high drop out rate, high teen pregnancy rate. Probably loads of folks without adequate health insurance, and under-employment. When I served on Strafford County Grand Jury for a year, my observations were that people just couldn't seem to get out of their own way. Crimes of sheer stupidity. If I came to NH as a volunteer or staffer, I'd be bummed if I were assigned to Rochester.
So, where am I going with this? I don't know, really. I'm pissed that incorrect names were tossed around by the media and some bloggers. I'm disappointed that the Clinton camp didn't have the foresight to see that their Hillary Saved The Day TV ad might be taken in the wrong way. But mostly I feel badly for the hostages, trapped in a room with someone so unstable and unpredictable. Watching and waiting for something to happen, but hoping it's not too bad but bad enough to get this guy some help.
On the other hand, I am impressed with Foster's Daily Democrat for holding out for a positive ID, when Fox, MSNBC, HuffPo & others were barking up the wrong tree. And I'm impressed but not surprised at how well local & federal agents worked together for a peaceful resolution.
But I reserve the utmost praise for the mutual respect and professionalism displayed by the competing campaigns.
And I am optimistic that this one crazy day will not change retail politics in NH.
In that job, I had the horrible experience of witnessing several students have psychotic breaks, and played a pivotal role in having a student or two involuntarily hospitalized. It's the worst feeling in the world to take someone's freedom away--basically their constitutional rights--because you think they are sick yet the do not agree.
It is intentionally very difficulty to have someone forced into receiving care they do not want or think they need. This is done to protect us all from crazy family or neighbors who might not act in our best interest. To have someone involuntarily committed, you need to prove to a judge or someone that they are indeed a real threat to themselves or others. So, you have to watch & wait for something bad to happen, and hope it's bad enough to meet the definition of "threat" but not so bad that anyone gets hurt.
This brings me to Friday's hostage drama in Rochester, NH.
I have to say (IMHO) that Rochester, NH does not enjoy a reputation as a nice, sleepy, small city with a great downtown, as Rep. Carol Shea-Porter might suggest. It's depressing, is what it is. Empty store fronts, high drop out rate, high teen pregnancy rate. Probably loads of folks without adequate health insurance, and under-employment. When I served on Strafford County Grand Jury for a year, my observations were that people just couldn't seem to get out of their own way. Crimes of sheer stupidity. If I came to NH as a volunteer or staffer, I'd be bummed if I were assigned to Rochester.
So, where am I going with this? I don't know, really. I'm pissed that incorrect names were tossed around by the media and some bloggers. I'm disappointed that the Clinton camp didn't have the foresight to see that their Hillary Saved The Day TV ad might be taken in the wrong way. But mostly I feel badly for the hostages, trapped in a room with someone so unstable and unpredictable. Watching and waiting for something to happen, but hoping it's not too bad but bad enough to get this guy some help.
On the other hand, I am impressed with Foster's Daily Democrat for holding out for a positive ID, when Fox, MSNBC, HuffPo & others were barking up the wrong tree. And I'm impressed but not surprised at how well local & federal agents worked together for a peaceful resolution.
But I reserve the utmost praise for the mutual respect and professionalism displayed by the competing campaigns.
And I am optimistic that this one crazy day will not change retail politics in NH.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Delivery Van
More on the mushroom signs popping up everywhere. I saw my first Biden sign today on my way to work.
I've been feeling badly that I just can't take a lot of evenings off to volunteer in the Dover Edwards office, and have been trying to find ways I can be of help without leaving the kids behind. I found a way to alleviate my guilt yesterday, when a friend and colleague asked me for an Edwards lawn sign. Since I drive by the office 2x a day, I offered to pick it up after work & deliver it to his house.
So, after daycare pick up, the twins & I invaded Stafford County HQ in Dover. By now the kids know my pre-entry lecture: people are on the phone, quiet voices, etc. They go right to the back, to the Regional Field Coordinator's desk. They know where the stickers are and don them (upside in Annie's case). They also know where the toys and candy can be found. I mentioned that we were just grabbing a sign, and lo & behold, there's a list of Doverites waiting for signs. Maps, print-outs, signs are produced and me & my posse are off to play delivery van.
Each kid held a map though they have no idea how to read them. I navigated Dover's dark and wet roads. Now I understand the first responders' lament for visible numbers on houses!! We only delivered a handful of signs, but I insisted that I ring doorbells & hand the sign over after confirming that they did in fact request one.
In the minivan, Griffin insisted on holding his lawn signs up in his window, "so everyone knows to vote for John Edwards and no more guns (war)." I tried in vain to explain that there's more to his candidacy than ending the war, but he's sort of a one issue voter.
The very last delivery was the only one where the owners weren't home. Griffin climbed out of the van to ring the doorbell anyway. After we left the sign by the door, he buried his face in my coat. I thought he had hurt himself with the sign or tripped. No, he was crying quietly. He didn't want to part with the last sign. I had to promise more deliveries, and that he'd be able to hold on to one for keeps.
I wonder how, when he's older, he's going to remember this campaign...
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Signs of Winter
It's SNOWING right now in Durham NH. It seems like enough to start accumulating, too. Hooray. It's weird, because the maple trees outside my office window still have yellow leaves on them. Anyhow, happy snow everyone!
I have been thinking a lot lately about lawn signs, especially why the Edwards camp went with navy blue backgrounds. Seems like a lot of candidates went with darker signs with white letters. Who researches this stuff? Do they drive around in the day and night, sunshine and rain, to measure which signs are more visible? Well, my new JRE sign will certainly stand out in the new fallen snow, for anyone who happens down my dead end street.
Lawn signs are popping up all over NH like mushrooms. I haven't done any official counting like Cosmo did last week, but I am using them to teach my kids how to read! My son actually can tell a John Edwards sign from the others, but I'm not sure he's reading. Anyway, I am starting to see trends.
There's a small home in Dover with a bunch of Ron Paul signs that, I swear, reproduce overnight. RP, interesting enough (to me anyway) has signs with both dark & light backgrounds. Hillary, of course, has a gazillion signs up too, and more giant sized ones than anyone. The funniest positioning is the huge Hillary sign at their Dover HQ, because across the street is a giant (white, square) Obama Hope sign at someone's home. So when those staffers & volunteers gaze out the window, that's what they see. Good thing for them the windows are small & high. And what are they doing gazing out windows anyway...back to work, people!
I spotted my first Gravel sign on my way to NHIOP Sunday. There's one intersection on Rt. 101 that's a Republican breeding ground. Easily two dozen signs, mixed candidates. I've seen a few Mitt signs, one or two Huckabees on the Seacoast. And, of course smattering of Edwards in and around Dover.
The make up of the signs is curious to me, too. Most are standard rectangles, landscape layout. Obama's are square, and seem to come with attachments (Hope & graphic O only, or add the Obama name to it). No verticles. My JRE sign, like most others, is thin plastic over a wire frame. Ron Paul's are corrugated plastic--much more durable. I don't think I've seen good old fashioned cardboard ones in a long time.
My friend Julie, who lives in Iowa (and IS caucusing for Edwards!!) said she's been spotting Iowans for Sensible Priorities lawn signs in her suburb of DesMoines. PrioritiesNH does car magnets and cool watches, but I have yet to see lawn signs. Friends of the Earth made up some specialized Edwards signs, but mostly I'm seeing straight up candidate signs only.
I'm heading up to the North Country for Thanksgiving, and can't wait to see what's up there for signage. I loved the North Country for Edwards signs we spotted in North Conway a few months back--nice touch with the moose! I expect to see some Richardson signs in Whitefield, but who else? And, who for the Republican side? I don't see them going for Giuliani or Romney. Hmm, I guess I'll just have to wait & see.
Anyway...Happy snowfall, and happy thanksgiving!
I have been thinking a lot lately about lawn signs, especially why the Edwards camp went with navy blue backgrounds. Seems like a lot of candidates went with darker signs with white letters. Who researches this stuff? Do they drive around in the day and night, sunshine and rain, to measure which signs are more visible? Well, my new JRE sign will certainly stand out in the new fallen snow, for anyone who happens down my dead end street.
Lawn signs are popping up all over NH like mushrooms. I haven't done any official counting like Cosmo did last week, but I am using them to teach my kids how to read! My son actually can tell a John Edwards sign from the others, but I'm not sure he's reading. Anyway, I am starting to see trends.
There's a small home in Dover with a bunch of Ron Paul signs that, I swear, reproduce overnight. RP, interesting enough (to me anyway) has signs with both dark & light backgrounds. Hillary, of course, has a gazillion signs up too, and more giant sized ones than anyone. The funniest positioning is the huge Hillary sign at their Dover HQ, because across the street is a giant (white, square) Obama Hope sign at someone's home. So when those staffers & volunteers gaze out the window, that's what they see. Good thing for them the windows are small & high. And what are they doing gazing out windows anyway...back to work, people!
I spotted my first Gravel sign on my way to NHIOP Sunday. There's one intersection on Rt. 101 that's a Republican breeding ground. Easily two dozen signs, mixed candidates. I've seen a few Mitt signs, one or two Huckabees on the Seacoast. And, of course smattering of Edwards in and around Dover.
The make up of the signs is curious to me, too. Most are standard rectangles, landscape layout. Obama's are square, and seem to come with attachments (Hope & graphic O only, or add the Obama name to it). No verticles. My JRE sign, like most others, is thin plastic over a wire frame. Ron Paul's are corrugated plastic--much more durable. I don't think I've seen good old fashioned cardboard ones in a long time.
My friend Julie, who lives in Iowa (and IS caucusing for Edwards!!) said she's been spotting Iowans for Sensible Priorities lawn signs in her suburb of DesMoines. PrioritiesNH does car magnets and cool watches, but I have yet to see lawn signs. Friends of the Earth made up some specialized Edwards signs, but mostly I'm seeing straight up candidate signs only.
I'm heading up to the North Country for Thanksgiving, and can't wait to see what's up there for signage. I loved the North Country for Edwards signs we spotted in North Conway a few months back--nice touch with the moose! I expect to see some Richardson signs in Whitefield, but who else? And, who for the Republican side? I don't see them going for Giuliani or Romney. Hmm, I guess I'll just have to wait & see.
Anyway...Happy snowfall, and happy thanksgiving!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Bloggers Unite (updated!)
I was invited to a small group bloggers meeting with Elizabeth Edwards. I had been asked last week, and was even given the honorable assignment of doing the introduction! Knowing from attending so many events that everyone just wants to get to the featured guest, I wrote up a blurb that was probably less than a minute long. But, I never said a word. Elizabeth walked in, said hello, sat down & started talking. So much for my 15 mintues of fame (phew!). But, I did better than getting a Front Row Seat. I was more like a mute co-host on stage.Let me back up...the venue was the Reading Room of NHIOP at Saint Anselm College at 9:30am on a Sunday. (I was once scolded by a priest of high ranking that it's a SAINT not a STREET, so please do not abbreviate!). Finally, I get to peek inside the legendary building. However, I was right on time so not much time to snoop.
The meeting was for bloggers, vloggers, social networkers, and other on-line activists(professional and amatuer), of which I am now an official member. Loads of people from Blue Hampshire, though I didn't realize it at the time. Read the offical post here: http://bluehampshire.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2414Of course, my rundown of has to include the non-newsy stuff so you can get a real feeling for what it was like to be there. First thing: someone plopped a can of Diet Coke in front of Elizabeth just as we were getting underway, and it was 9:30am! Gotta love that, says the fellow addict!! Elizabeth wore a pink quilted jacket with brown slacks, and a pair of brown, comfy, stretchy shoes (I think she has the same shoes in black). Jewelry this time--just the wedding/engagement ensemble. She wore a yellow LifeStrong bracelet that she turned inside out & rightside in almost constantly. And she had a little poof to her hair that was new. She's still thoroughly approachable, engaging, easy to just chat with, and funny. It's easy to see her as the mom next door or colleague you love to run into outside of work. 
She talked for a while then took questions, but not too many because she gave such long answers. The main topic of course was on-line communities and blogs, but a few people threw in policy questions as well. My favorite quote of the day was when she said, in reference to No Child Left Behind, "There is not a woman in the room who believes in One Size Fits All." One adorable elderly woman recited a poem she wrote on the spot, called Ode To Bloggers. It seemed like everyone there knew each other, so I just kept my mouth shut. After the event (and requisite pictures), a few of us stayed behind to share and strategize, sans EE.
The most interesting comment I heard was from Jon B. of Blue Hampshire, as he sped out the door, "You must be pdinardo. You look like you write." How am I supposed to take THAT??
Other place you can read about the real content of the meeting:
(thanks to all for cropping me out of your pictures!)
Photos can be seen on Flickr, and a video of the poetry reading is out there on YouTube at
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Priorities
Remember my encounter with Kucinich last winter? He complimented my watch (a rather funky swatch that ticks too loudly), then told me I had "amazing healing energy" (it was just a fever)? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint Dennis again, but I just ordered a new watch.
I decided to get the swatch-esque one offered on the Priorities Campaign website. I was checking out their website trying to figure out if there's a connection between PrioritiesNH and Iowans For Sensible Priorities, who just endorsed John Edwards. And voila, they are in fact all connected, with the parent organization lead by Ben Cohen, of Ben & Jerry's fame. This explains why their cool vehicles all have Vermont plates, which is a running joke around here at events. So, a toast to JRE with your favorite B&J flavor (mint oreo for me).
I decided to get the swatch-esque one offered on the Priorities Campaign website. I was checking out their website trying to figure out if there's a connection between PrioritiesNH and Iowans For Sensible Priorities, who just endorsed John Edwards. And voila, they are in fact all connected, with the parent organization lead by Ben Cohen, of Ben & Jerry's fame. This explains why their cool vehicles all have Vermont plates, which is a running joke around here at events. So, a toast to JRE with your favorite B&J flavor (mint oreo for me). Am I jumping the gun to expect PrioritiesNH to announce an endorsement soon? Whenever & wherever it is, I want a front row seat! And I'll wear my new watch. I don't have the it yet, but it's coming soon along with my car magnet. Let's see if any candidates comment on this new watch.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Where The Boys Are
You may recall a few posts back, I blogged about a conversation at a campaign with a Boston Globe reporter who was observing that all the students in attendance were female (diagram THAT sentence!). Some colleagues and I, along with a few UNH students, chewed on the subject for a while, and all came to the conclusion that this is not only the case at most UNH events, it's becoming the norm at most colleges & universities. But, the question was unanswered: "where are all the guys?"
I FOUND THEM! Friday afternoon, before a long weekend no less, they all seemed to be packed into the Strafford Room of the MUB, listening to Ron Paul. The room was filled to capacity with them. Not your typical clean cut Young Republican types. But averages joes, disheveled fraternity brothers, right along side Free Staters & rabid Ron Paul supporters.
Ron Paul arrived amazingly on time. Actually, as I exited my building at 2:15, I saw him at the base of the MUB driveway, walking up to greet students holding signs. He looked like your average faculty member to me, and I sensed that the students were trying to figure out if it really was him, just walking up the sidewalk with one or two others. He gave a 30 minute talk--not really gifted in rhetoric, but got plenty of supportive nods and occasional applause--then took questions. Not a single specific answer in his arsenal, but loads of one-liners about freedom, civil liberties, etc. One of the biggest applause lines (especially for the Lambda Chi brothers around me) was about making marajuana legal.
At one point, he talked about repealing the 16th Amendment, without saying what it was. Inspired by Kucinich during my visit to DC last month, I actually picked up a pocket copy of the US Constitution and stored it in my purse, so I looked it up (suppressing a giggle). It's about Congress levying income taxes, but I bet the frat brothers didn't know that.
So that's my analysis. He talked over a lot of scruffy nodding heads, spoke about a lot of general principles, and said a whole lot of nothing. I tried to grab a sticker or something for the collection after the event, but they were all out. Sorry, Joe & Marra!
PS: An hour after posting the above info, I left my office to head to my car in Lot B, cutting through the MUB as usual. Who should I run into than Dr. Ron Paul himself, and a very small crowd of supporters! They were standing outside the Strafford Room, and all I caught of the conversation was him saying "we never would have had WWII without WWI." I chuckled, took a picture, and went on my way.
Only in New Hampshire!
I FOUND THEM! Friday afternoon, before a long weekend no less, they all seemed to be packed into the Strafford Room of the MUB, listening to Ron Paul. The room was filled to capacity with them. Not your typical clean cut Young Republican types. But averages joes, disheveled fraternity brothers, right along side Free Staters & rabid Ron Paul supporters.
Ron Paul arrived amazingly on time. Actually, as I exited my building at 2:15, I saw him at the base of the MUB driveway, walking up to greet students holding signs. He looked like your average faculty member to me, and I sensed that the students were trying to figure out if it really was him, just walking up the sidewalk with one or two others. He gave a 30 minute talk--not really gifted in rhetoric, but got plenty of supportive nods and occasional applause--then took questions. Not a single specific answer in his arsenal, but loads of one-liners about freedom, civil liberties, etc. One of the biggest applause lines (especially for the Lambda Chi brothers around me) was about making marajuana legal.
At one point, he talked about repealing the 16th Amendment, without saying what it was. Inspired by Kucinich during my visit to DC last month, I actually picked up a pocket copy of the US Constitution and stored it in my purse, so I looked it up (suppressing a giggle). It's about Congress levying income taxes, but I bet the frat brothers didn't know that.
So that's my analysis. He talked over a lot of scruffy nodding heads, spoke about a lot of general principles, and said a whole lot of nothing. I tried to grab a sticker or something for the collection after the event, but they were all out. Sorry, Joe & Marra!
PS: An hour after posting the above info, I left my office to head to my car in Lot B, cutting through the MUB as usual. Who should I run into than Dr. Ron Paul himself, and a very small crowd of supporters! They were standing outside the Strafford Room, and all I caught of the conversation was him saying "we never would have had WWII without WWI." I chuckled, took a picture, and went on my way.
Only in New Hampshire!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
JRE at HoCo, UNH
I had a personally downer-0f-a-day on Tuesday 11/06/2007, so I decided to treat myself to a campaign event without kids, to lift my spirits and distract me. Good thing my guy was on my campus, in Holloway Commons (aka HoCo) to be exact.Holloway Commons is the home of the newest & fanciest of the three dining halls on campus. Few students are aware, however, that underneath it, on the 2nd level, are a number of nice function rooms. The 2004 DNC Debate used the same room for press filing & spin (that was the time I was assigned to the Gephardt Rapid Response Team, and scored the now infamous Dean Deck playing cards). So, students in general didn't know exactly where to go. It wasn't a room they ever "happen upon," and therefore there wasn't a lot of buzz in the adjacent crowded MUB. So, student volunteers were dispersed to various high-traffic areas to lure spontaneous attendees, ie "visibility."
The Piscatacqua Room was set for 300 chairs, most of which were filled. It was a nice cross section of students and "grown-ups". I helped out a member of the Press from Voice For America who wanted to interview some students, but that's about all I was good for that day. Unbelievably, Edwards was running AHEAD of schedule. My pals on advance asked me for estimated travel time from Portsmouth to UNH--20 minutes but bridge traffic can make it 40 during the evening commute. They seemed pleased with themselves as they spread the word that he was on his way & on time!
Front Row Seat again, this time tagging along with the Co-Presidents of UNH For Edwards. I had signs for them, of my photoshopped UNH graphic. Edwards wasn't on fire, but he was focused and intense. And damn he looked good--calm, in shape, comfortable in his own skin. Those jeans are hot and I love how he wears the same comfy shoes every time. At one point he scratched his head, temporarily messing his hair. Two seconds later, on its own, it just fell right back into perfect place. So, I am a living witness to dispell the myth that he's not all hairsprayed and coiffed!!
The ceiling in this room is low & I found myself wondering if that has an impact on crowd or candidates. The crowd showed support but not enthusiasm. It was very thoughtful. Anyway, plenty of hand shaking & picture taking after the Q&A. Sarah, one co-pres, swooped in and with Isabel, the other on the opposite side, introduced the both of them, and Edwards' response was "Oh, cool!" and he immediately took hold of part of their sign and turned to me who was poised with cameras in hand. And that's how we got the picture.
Next time, it's with the Wildcat if I have any say.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Hillary, UnSweetened Venues, and the UNH Wildcat
I managed to bank my lunch hour and sneak over to the ugliest venue on the UNH campus to catch the bulk of Hillary's visit yesterday (11/01 around 3:30pm). She was running late so I had some time to chat with faculty, staff, & students in the crowd.
I will mention the dare that I came up with & challenged the College Dem leaders to: get a candidate to take a picture with supporters, by our new UNH Wildcat Statue, which is outside the Whittemore Center Arena. I don't care who (well, I hope it's my guy but anyone would be fun!), I just threw down the gauntlet and will see if any one takes me up on it. Dare Ya!! I think it would be fun. I love the sculpture, and though students initially thought it was a waste of money (I believe it was privately funded), it's now very popular, judging from the photos I've seen on Facebook.
Interestingly, there was no seating except for the chosen ones behind the speaker's podium. I don't know how students got chosen for those seats, but the bulk of them looked like they just rolled out of bed or out of the gym. The student activists were outside doing visibility, then slowly joined the roped off section beside the stage where they got a lousy side view of their candidate.
I mostly chatted with three or four members of the UNH College Dems about who's coming to campus (not Obama any time soon, to their dismay), what venues are open (very few apparently), and what classes are they taking next spring (can they get Scala's class or not). The consensus was that Obama is being over-handled, and Richardson is loosing support. Everyone has a soft spot for Kucinich.
But back to Hillary. The venue was really unfortunate. And worse, it was not even close to being packed. I strolled right in and got pretty close, even though doors opened at 2:30pm. That's very unusual for her. Secret Service seemed low key and less visible, thankfully. Hillary's staff, as expected, was calm and professional: no frantic running around at the last minute acting self-congratulatory. They certainly are the best dressed staffers I've seen.
She had a prepared speech that was nicely peppered with references to campus teams and academic initiatives to flatter the locals. Of course she praised UNH then mentioned it is the most expensive public institution in the US! But I think she was a bit flat (as was her hair). She targetted Bush rather than her rivals. I didn't stay for Q&A, so I know my anaylsis isn't complete. I had to get back to the office.
I will mention the dare that I came up with & challenged the College Dem leaders to: get a candidate to take a picture with supporters, by our new UNH Wildcat Statue, which is outside the Whittemore Center Arena. I don't care who (well, I hope it's my guy but anyone would be fun!), I just threw down the gauntlet and will see if any one takes me up on it. Dare Ya!! I think it would be fun. I love the sculpture, and though students initially thought it was a waste of money (I believe it was privately funded), it's now very popular, judging from the photos I've seen on Facebook. It's nice to finally have some buzz around here. Dodd today, Edwards & Ron Paul next week. Maybe I can snag a front row seat again, or at least a ride in the Topsy Turvy Bus. ;-)
Thursday, November 1, 2007
More Action for Carsey Institute at UNH
This just in (to me anyway) from UNH Media Relations:
Senator Dodd to Talk Education at UNH Carsey Institute Co-sponsored Event
The Every Child Matters Education Fund and The Carsey Institute are holding a presidential forum with Sen. Chris Dodd, Friday, Nov. 2, from 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. in Huddleston Hall.
Every Child Matters NH is a collaboration among Every Child Matters Education Fund, Early Learning NH, and PlusTime NH. Together, they are letting presidential candidates know that Every Child Matters in New Hampshire. Hear what Senator Dodd would do for children and working families if elected the next President of the United States.
Space is limited and admission is by invitation only. RSVP: Katie Brissette, kbrissette@earlylearningnh.org or call (603) 226-7900.
Seems like the Carsey Institute is going high profile. Invitation only...interesting strategy. Hillary's event later today, however, will be a free-for-all. Should be fun!
Update: I just had the pleasure of chatting with the Students for Ron Paul tablers at the MUB. Their candidate is coming to UNH next week, most likely Friday 11/12 (Friday before a long weekend, hmmm). Maybe MUB theaters, stay tuned.
Senator Dodd to Talk Education at UNH Carsey Institute Co-sponsored Event
The Every Child Matters Education Fund and The Carsey Institute are holding a presidential forum with Sen. Chris Dodd, Friday, Nov. 2, from 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. in Huddleston Hall.
Every Child Matters NH is a collaboration among Every Child Matters Education Fund, Early Learning NH, and PlusTime NH. Together, they are letting presidential candidates know that Every Child Matters in New Hampshire. Hear what Senator Dodd would do for children and working families if elected the next President of the United States.
Space is limited and admission is by invitation only. RSVP: Katie Brissette, kbrissette@earlylearningnh.org or call (603) 226-7900.
Seems like the Carsey Institute is going high profile. Invitation only...interesting strategy. Hillary's event later today, however, will be a free-for-all. Should be fun!
Update: I just had the pleasure of chatting with the Students for Ron Paul tablers at the MUB. Their candidate is coming to UNH next week, most likely Friday 11/12 (Friday before a long weekend, hmmm). Maybe MUB theaters, stay tuned.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Trick or Treat!
Even though today is officially Halloween, New Hampshire (or at least parts of it) like to fiddle with it and make official "trick or treating" on different nights. Seems very un-NH to me...too much gov't intervention, etc., but it is all about "local control." Anyhow, last night, 10/30, was Dover's night. We spent so much time out in our neighborhood that we never had a chance to give out our candy. So rather than keep all the chocolate where two four year olds (and their moms) can devour it, we did a little reverse trick or treating and brough some treats to the staffers and volunteers in the Dover John Edwards office.
Like most nights, the room was packed and phones were busy non-stop. The staffers were excited because they could officially announce the upcoming visit to UNH (Nov. 6th, in Holloway Commons, or "HoCo"). So my kids went right to the back, to busy desk of the Regional Field Director Mike, and handed over a big cupful of candy. They love Mike and couldn't wait to show off their costumes, and I swear the Reese's cup he devoured was the first thing he ate all day. And I walked away with a new NH Carpenter's for Edwards long sleeve t-shirt. As we reloaded the minivan, Stacey commented on how much weight all the staffers have lost, and that she was going to send me in with real food for them. Then she asked, "do they ever get discouraged?"
Fast forward to 8am this morning. I missed the latest Dem Debates last night & was eager to listen to Morning Edition on NPR and check my usual favorite news sources and blogs. I had half a dozen emails from friends and Edwards supporters quoting this or that pundit who raved about JRE's performance. THEN, to add icing to the cake, came a note on my Facebook account from the state staffers: NH SEUI Endorses Edwards.
Discouraged? Are you kidding? A major endorsement, a stellar debate performance, a successful local visit (Oyster River High School in Durham yesterday) ALL IN ONE DAY! And a campus event to plan and fill for next week. No, Mike & his butt-kicking team in Strafford County, New Hampshire are tired and hungry, but they are never ever discouraged!
Like most nights, the room was packed and phones were busy non-stop. The staffers were excited because they could officially announce the upcoming visit to UNH (Nov. 6th, in Holloway Commons, or "HoCo"). So my kids went right to the back, to busy desk of the Regional Field Director Mike, and handed over a big cupful of candy. They love Mike and couldn't wait to show off their costumes, and I swear the Reese's cup he devoured was the first thing he ate all day. And I walked away with a new NH Carpenter's for Edwards long sleeve t-shirt. As we reloaded the minivan, Stacey commented on how much weight all the staffers have lost, and that she was going to send me in with real food for them. Then she asked, "do they ever get discouraged?"
Fast forward to 8am this morning. I missed the latest Dem Debates last night & was eager to listen to Morning Edition on NPR and check my usual favorite news sources and blogs. I had half a dozen emails from friends and Edwards supporters quoting this or that pundit who raved about JRE's performance. THEN, to add icing to the cake, came a note on my Facebook account from the state staffers: NH SEUI Endorses Edwards.
Discouraged? Are you kidding? A major endorsement, a stellar debate performance, a successful local visit (Oyster River High School in Durham yesterday) ALL IN ONE DAY! And a campus event to plan and fill for next week. No, Mike & his butt-kicking team in Strafford County, New Hampshire are tired and hungry, but they are never ever discouraged!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Finally!
OK, no more whining about the dry spell at the University of New Hampshire! Welcome back!!
Hillary Clinton will be on campus 11/01/2007 in the indoor track known as the Sweet Arena. Not a pleasant venue, but workable. I am pretty sure I can attend, I'd love to see if she's different on campus than she was at Dover High back in the spring (where the crowd was very much blue collar and older). And my favorite past-time, beside watching staffers and press, is to compare what I think is important, in her speech, to what the local papers report as important.
And, now we're on a roll. Rumor has it that the following week John Edwards will be on our campus, too. No details yet but I can assure you that I'll be there for that. Let's hope it's not the Sweet Oval!
Hillary Clinton will be on campus 11/01/2007 in the indoor track known as the Sweet Arena. Not a pleasant venue, but workable. I am pretty sure I can attend, I'd love to see if she's different on campus than she was at Dover High back in the spring (where the crowd was very much blue collar and older). And my favorite past-time, beside watching staffers and press, is to compare what I think is important, in her speech, to what the local papers report as important.
And, now we're on a roll. Rumor has it that the following week John Edwards will be on our campus, too. No details yet but I can assure you that I'll be there for that. Let's hope it's not the Sweet Oval!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
On The Ground at UNH
Well, I'm clearly NOT in any front row seats lately. The candidates are in the area but not in the right place at the right time for me. (I missed Obama in Dover yesterday, even though the time changed to be 4pm instead of 11am!) So, instead, I will give you the round up of visibility...besides visits, what's happening here in the Granite State & at UNH.
Our school newspaper is called The New Hampshire. That's about as uncreative as one can get with a title, so it's referred to as TNH around here. Over the past few weeks, one candidate has had a full-page ad in almost every issue: Ron Paul. I tell ya, he's going to surprise a lot of folks come election day. Anyway, it's a pretty cool ad, full color. And they ain't cheap!
Facebook Flyers directed within the UNH Network have been purchased by Mike Gravel, touting his position on lowering the drinking age. So every time I get on Fb, I see his smiling face in a small ad on the left of the screen.
"Tabling": This isn't unique to UNH. A registered student organization can "rent" a table in our well-trafficked student union (the MUB), and attract interested students, hand out literature, build a mailing list, etc. At UNH in Durham, Hillary & Obama have been most frequent, followed by Ron Paul. Team Edwards is at it today. I was at UNH-Manchester yesterday and Obama's team was there, and reportedly they are the only ones who show up at UNH-M.
Campus Canvassing: UNH has strict rules about what can be posted in on-campus housing, and soliciting & blanket canvassing are not permitted. It would be nice if certain front-runner status candidates told their students to follow the rules.
Bumper Stickers: No notable changes or increases, really. I park next to someone with a Hillary sticker almost every day. I spotted someone with an old Kerry/Edwards sticker half peeled off, with a Richardson sticker next to it the other day. I saw a few PrioritiesNH pie chart magnets in Lot B, and am eagerly awaiting mine!!
Lawn Signs: No change, unless you count the overwhelming number of local officials running for school board and city/town council.
TV/Radio: Our 20 year old TV died while I was in DC, so I can't report on who's advertising on NH or Boston stations anymore. As far as radio goes, I only listen to NPR so I'm not help there, either. I was nice to hear an Edwards staffer call in to the NHPR pledge drive yesterday, though! (For the record, she didn't identify herself as a staffer, she just said she loves the primary coverage.)
Red Sox: Not one person that I have talked to would even consider routing for the Yankees, so Rudy can just go someplace else. Folks are loving Chris Dodd's response on behalf of Red Sox Nation!
Our school newspaper is called The New Hampshire. That's about as uncreative as one can get with a title, so it's referred to as TNH around here. Over the past few weeks, one candidate has had a full-page ad in almost every issue: Ron Paul. I tell ya, he's going to surprise a lot of folks come election day. Anyway, it's a pretty cool ad, full color. And they ain't cheap!
Facebook Flyers directed within the UNH Network have been purchased by Mike Gravel, touting his position on lowering the drinking age. So every time I get on Fb, I see his smiling face in a small ad on the left of the screen.
"Tabling": This isn't unique to UNH. A registered student organization can "rent" a table in our well-trafficked student union (the MUB), and attract interested students, hand out literature, build a mailing list, etc. At UNH in Durham, Hillary & Obama have been most frequent, followed by Ron Paul. Team Edwards is at it today. I was at UNH-Manchester yesterday and Obama's team was there, and reportedly they are the only ones who show up at UNH-M.
Campus Canvassing: UNH has strict rules about what can be posted in on-campus housing, and soliciting & blanket canvassing are not permitted. It would be nice if certain front-runner status candidates told their students to follow the rules.
Bumper Stickers: No notable changes or increases, really. I park next to someone with a Hillary sticker almost every day. I spotted someone with an old Kerry/Edwards sticker half peeled off, with a Richardson sticker next to it the other day. I saw a few PrioritiesNH pie chart magnets in Lot B, and am eagerly awaiting mine!!
Lawn Signs: No change, unless you count the overwhelming number of local officials running for school board and city/town council.
TV/Radio: Our 20 year old TV died while I was in DC, so I can't report on who's advertising on NH or Boston stations anymore. As far as radio goes, I only listen to NPR so I'm not help there, either. I was nice to hear an Edwards staffer call in to the NHPR pledge drive yesterday, though! (For the record, she didn't identify herself as a staffer, she just said she loves the primary coverage.)
Red Sox: Not one person that I have talked to would even consider routing for the Yankees, so Rudy can just go someplace else. Folks are loving Chris Dodd's response on behalf of Red Sox Nation!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
View From a Distance
There's nothing like being away from your routine to get you out of a funk. I'm in DC for work, so I naturally figured I'd be away from the blog for a while with nothing to report. Alas, you can take the voter out of NH, but you can't take NH out of the voter.
I flew out of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (formerly just Manchester Airport) on Saturday, and I hadn't been there in a while. I was hoping I'd see a candidate or entourage maybe, but no luck. So I tried to view the tiny airport from the perspective of someone like my fellow blogger, Joe at
www.newhampshire2007.blogspot.com, who's coming to NH from VA to experience a week or two in a front row seat. (We didn't plan it this way, but we've basically switched places for a week.) Biggest thing I noticed were the advertising displays. One from SEIU, another from that Chronic Disease foundation, and others, suggesting questions to ask if you run into a candidate in NH.
On Saturday afternoon I played tourist in DC a bit & visited some Nat'l Monuments & gift shops. They seem to have more tacky souvenirs related to the primary & election than you can find in NH. Most candidates are represented, but you can guess who is represented the most. HINT: there's a bobblehead of her for sale. After I saw that and was moping around thinking "is this really preordained?" I was walking by the USDA, where there's a TREE dedicated to her AND another tree she "planted." Back in my hotel room I was ready to give up when I read some NH websites & listened to a bit of NHPR and regained my hope. I don't think folks in NH are really ready to roll over and crown another legacy candidate so quickly. [To answer GraniteProf's rhetorical question about democratic primary voters & the upset victory: NO, we haven't lost our stomach for it...please!] The words "sense of entitlement" came up, along with annoyance that Hillary seems to be skipping the NH Primary and is running a general election campaign already. That gave me a great deal of hope.
Two more things happened to pull me out of my own doldrums: First, on my walk to my meeting (which took me past the Whitehouse), I spotted Friday's Washington Post. Topic of headline article: Bill Gardner & the setting of the NH Primary date. (great article!) Then, as I was participating in my meetings, it became the joke of the room full of folks from all over the country, when we repeatedly had to introduce ourselves to various presenters, that "My name is Paula, I'm from the University of New Hampshire, and no, I do not know when the NH Primary will be held." Everyone wanted to know how it was going on the ground, and what the main stream media was missing. When I relayed some reports of events I have attended and candidates I've seen or met, I was even surprised to hear many say that they were impressed with the level of questions Granite Staters ask, basically supporting the NH Primary as First in the Nation, because they didn't think their home state average joes would ask such tough questions or make the candidates jump threw so many hoops and shake so many hands. For example, when I told them of the popularity of Ron Paul, I got more than one "who's that?"
And besides, someone will always have to go first, and everyone agrees that it should not be a big and powerful state. In the famous words of Johnny Damon, when he was part of Red Sox Nation: Why not us??
OK, I'm back...and I'm ready to go home now.
I flew out of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (formerly just Manchester Airport) on Saturday, and I hadn't been there in a while. I was hoping I'd see a candidate or entourage maybe, but no luck. So I tried to view the tiny airport from the perspective of someone like my fellow blogger, Joe at
www.newhampshire2007.blogspot.com, who's coming to NH from VA to experience a week or two in a front row seat. (We didn't plan it this way, but we've basically switched places for a week.) Biggest thing I noticed were the advertising displays. One from SEIU, another from that Chronic Disease foundation, and others, suggesting questions to ask if you run into a candidate in NH.
On Saturday afternoon I played tourist in DC a bit & visited some Nat'l Monuments & gift shops. They seem to have more tacky souvenirs related to the primary & election than you can find in NH. Most candidates are represented, but you can guess who is represented the most. HINT: there's a bobblehead of her for sale. After I saw that and was moping around thinking "is this really preordained?" I was walking by the USDA, where there's a TREE dedicated to her AND another tree she "planted." Back in my hotel room I was ready to give up when I read some NH websites & listened to a bit of NHPR and regained my hope. I don't think folks in NH are really ready to roll over and crown another legacy candidate so quickly. [To answer GraniteProf's rhetorical question about democratic primary voters & the upset victory: NO, we haven't lost our stomach for it...please!] The words "sense of entitlement" came up, along with annoyance that Hillary seems to be skipping the NH Primary and is running a general election campaign already. That gave me a great deal of hope.
Two more things happened to pull me out of my own doldrums: First, on my walk to my meeting (which took me past the Whitehouse), I spotted Friday's Washington Post. Topic of headline article: Bill Gardner & the setting of the NH Primary date. (great article!) Then, as I was participating in my meetings, it became the joke of the room full of folks from all over the country, when we repeatedly had to introduce ourselves to various presenters, that "My name is Paula, I'm from the University of New Hampshire, and no, I do not know when the NH Primary will be held." Everyone wanted to know how it was going on the ground, and what the main stream media was missing. When I relayed some reports of events I have attended and candidates I've seen or met, I was even surprised to hear many say that they were impressed with the level of questions Granite Staters ask, basically supporting the NH Primary as First in the Nation, because they didn't think their home state average joes would ask such tough questions or make the candidates jump threw so many hoops and shake so many hands. For example, when I told them of the popularity of Ron Paul, I got more than one "who's that?"
And besides, someone will always have to go first, and everyone agrees that it should not be a big and powerful state. In the famous words of Johnny Damon, when he was part of Red Sox Nation: Why not us??
OK, I'm back...and I'm ready to go home now.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Anticipation
I'm afraid I'm loosing my enthusiasm for this primary, but it is NOT because it started too early or that I've got "Primary Fatigue." That would never happen! More likely, I'm not getting enough of it at the right time or in the right place. Besides being distracted by life (work, sick kids, sick mom), there's another reason I'm bummed: the primary will come too early yet end too soon.
Yes, too early, meaning that early January, when UNH is NOT in session and campus is dead. I thank Laura Jones of the UNH College Dems for planting this question in my head (when she reported asking it in POLT 600). Of all the colleges in NH, only Dartmouth will be in session in early January. How does this affect campaigning? Will anyone come to campus now? Will the whole point of my blogging from UNH be obsolete?
Many pundits & candidates will say (off the record, sometimes) that the youth vote doesn't amount to much. College-aged voters just don't vote in any big numbers to make it worth a candidate's efforts. I strongly object. Each cycle it gets crazier on this campus with student organizations and activism, huge get-out-the-vote efforts, and long debates over if a given student can/should vote in Durham or their hometown/home state. Ask Laura about voting rules in New Hampshire; she knows them inside & out. But anyway, will candidates & spouses skip the campus visits now??
No students means no long lines at voter reg or the polls in Durham; no fired up, passionate students; no fired up candidates trying last inspire undecided students. No election-eve or election day rallies, last minute visits (which is how I saw many candidates in the past). No Kucinich bus or PrioritiesNH upsidedown van circling campus. No CNN or GMA broadcasting live from UNH on election day. Debates were too early and too far away; there's no drama left!
End too soon...that means that I fear this will be the last of the NH Primary as we know it. I can thank Justin for that; telling me we're spoiled in the Granite State. I've heard all of it before but I do think some sort of change is on the horizon & I don't have a good feeling about it.
Anticipation. That's what I'm missing. I have no more sense of anticipation. It won't reach a fever pitch around me; more likely things will just fizzle out around final exams and the holidays, then fizzle out forever. For me, this feels almost as bad as cancelling Christmas.
I think I just need to see a few more candidates, and get back on track with volunteering at the JRE office in Dover. They are so fired up there that it's hard to be glum. They will not let polls or early dates or pundits rain on their parade.
I'm off to DC for meetings on Capitol Hill to promote UNH interns in our NH Congressional offices, and to visit UNH interns in the city. I'll be missing Rudy in Durham and Edwards in Dover. But the kids asked if they can go see Edwards without me, so I guess I'm doing something right. Will the NH Primary be something they grow up with, or a funny memory of that time they were four and met all the candidates...
Yes, too early, meaning that early January, when UNH is NOT in session and campus is dead. I thank Laura Jones of the UNH College Dems for planting this question in my head (when she reported asking it in POLT 600). Of all the colleges in NH, only Dartmouth will be in session in early January. How does this affect campaigning? Will anyone come to campus now? Will the whole point of my blogging from UNH be obsolete?
Many pundits & candidates will say (off the record, sometimes) that the youth vote doesn't amount to much. College-aged voters just don't vote in any big numbers to make it worth a candidate's efforts. I strongly object. Each cycle it gets crazier on this campus with student organizations and activism, huge get-out-the-vote efforts, and long debates over if a given student can/should vote in Durham or their hometown/home state. Ask Laura about voting rules in New Hampshire; she knows them inside & out. But anyway, will candidates & spouses skip the campus visits now??
No students means no long lines at voter reg or the polls in Durham; no fired up, passionate students; no fired up candidates trying last inspire undecided students. No election-eve or election day rallies, last minute visits (which is how I saw many candidates in the past). No Kucinich bus or PrioritiesNH upsidedown van circling campus. No CNN or GMA broadcasting live from UNH on election day. Debates were too early and too far away; there's no drama left!
End too soon...that means that I fear this will be the last of the NH Primary as we know it. I can thank Justin for that; telling me we're spoiled in the Granite State. I've heard all of it before but I do think some sort of change is on the horizon & I don't have a good feeling about it.
Anticipation. That's what I'm missing. I have no more sense of anticipation. It won't reach a fever pitch around me; more likely things will just fizzle out around final exams and the holidays, then fizzle out forever. For me, this feels almost as bad as cancelling Christmas.
I think I just need to see a few more candidates, and get back on track with volunteering at the JRE office in Dover. They are so fired up there that it's hard to be glum. They will not let polls or early dates or pundits rain on their parade.
I'm off to DC for meetings on Capitol Hill to promote UNH interns in our NH Congressional offices, and to visit UNH interns in the city. I'll be missing Rudy in Durham and Edwards in Dover. But the kids asked if they can go see Edwards without me, so I guess I'm doing something right. Will the NH Primary be something they grow up with, or a funny memory of that time they were four and met all the candidates...
Monday, October 1, 2007
Filing Period & Making Reservations
I started this post about a week ago. Then I got sick, followed by my son, then both of us were outdone by my elderly mother who is now hospitalized in Massachusetts. Therefore, this isn't quite as thorough as I'd like, but here's what I was pondering a few days ago:
Our Secretary of State in NH has announced the filing period for the NH Primary. As posted on nhpols.com: "According to the Secretary of State's Web site, the filing period for the upcoming New Hampshire presidential primary will begin on Monday, Oct. 15, 2007 and end on Friday, Nov. 2, 2007. " So, the big guess now is will it be January 9th? Bummer that it won't be when UNH is in session. This is a huge bummer to me, and it will probably ensure that the campaigns will be less likely to come to campus if the majority of students won't be voting in Durham.
Everyone is eager for the Primary's date to be set so they can more forward. This got me to thinking about unintended consequences, for some reason, and the hospitality industry.
There are so many campaigns waiting for this date. But imagine if you work for one of the larger hotels in the Manchester area. There are only so many ballrooms in NH. With eight Dems and nine Republicans so far, where will all the victory parties be? Do the big campaigns have deposits down on every Tuesday night in December & January, because they can afford to?
A quick study of Manch-Vegas on-line tells me that we have seven hotels in the greater Manch-Vegas area with a three-star rating or better, and only two of them are in Manchester proper. So, who's the lucky candidate who will be spinning live from the Econolodge?? I hope someone picks one of the venues in the Seacoast region, just to mix it up a bit. Oh, the media will hate me for that, but WMUR does have a little tiny branch office in Portsmouth, practically under the Memorial Bridge!
Our Secretary of State in NH has announced the filing period for the NH Primary. As posted on nhpols.com: "According to the Secretary of State's Web site, the filing period for the upcoming New Hampshire presidential primary will begin on Monday, Oct. 15, 2007 and end on Friday, Nov. 2, 2007. " So, the big guess now is will it be January 9th? Bummer that it won't be when UNH is in session. This is a huge bummer to me, and it will probably ensure that the campaigns will be less likely to come to campus if the majority of students won't be voting in Durham.
Everyone is eager for the Primary's date to be set so they can more forward. This got me to thinking about unintended consequences, for some reason, and the hospitality industry.
There are so many campaigns waiting for this date. But imagine if you work for one of the larger hotels in the Manchester area. There are only so many ballrooms in NH. With eight Dems and nine Republicans so far, where will all the victory parties be? Do the big campaigns have deposits down on every Tuesday night in December & January, because they can afford to?
A quick study of Manch-Vegas on-line tells me that we have seven hotels in the greater Manch-Vegas area with a three-star rating or better, and only two of them are in Manchester proper. So, who's the lucky candidate who will be spinning live from the Econolodge?? I hope someone picks one of the venues in the Seacoast region, just to mix it up a bit. Oh, the media will hate me for that, but WMUR does have a little tiny branch office in Portsmouth, practically under the Memorial Bridge!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Carsey Institute Forum on Rural Issues
Another Front Row Seat! I didn't plan it, but two of my colleagues invited me to join them...
JRE did his MTV/MySpace stint at UNH at noon today (which I'm listening to now is doing fabulously), and then finally got to the more scholarly Carsey Institute by 2:30 (event was advertised as starting at 12:30!). I couldn't stay long but I was in the front row, and again: he was there and ON.
It worked like this: he spoke briefly about his RRA, then our experts on rural issues (faculty, researchers, and "demographers") questioned him. He took the questions from his seat on the panel on stage. The experts looked genuinely pleased with his answers. Then open Q&A, at which point I snuck out.
While waiting beforehand, I had lots of good chats with colleagues, students, and attendees. Everyone agreed that Edwards dominated & won last night's debates, and that's not just confirmed supporters like me. A nice gentleman from The Boston Globe wondered aloud about the students in attendance all being female. So a small group of us chewed on this a while. My take: it's true at most campus events, and certainly true in the rolls of most opportunities and academic programs. UNH is about 58% female, but the students present were more like 90% women. Fac/Staff were more evenly split. So maybe that will show up in the Globe's coverage. Maybe not.
My other observation: I ran out for my daily dose of chocolate during the waiting period. On my way, I counted the press vehicles on Main Street who did not pay the meters. Almost all of them! Some had press credentials mounted visibly on their dashes. Are they exempt, or just arrogant? Just wondering...
Another great event and great 24 hours for Edwards.
JRE did his MTV/MySpace stint at UNH at noon today (which I'm listening to now is doing fabulously), and then finally got to the more scholarly Carsey Institute by 2:30 (event was advertised as starting at 12:30!). I couldn't stay long but I was in the front row, and again: he was there and ON.
It worked like this: he spoke briefly about his RRA, then our experts on rural issues (faculty, researchers, and "demographers") questioned him. He took the questions from his seat on the panel on stage. The experts looked genuinely pleased with his answers. Then open Q&A, at which point I snuck out.
While waiting beforehand, I had lots of good chats with colleagues, students, and attendees. Everyone agreed that Edwards dominated & won last night's debates, and that's not just confirmed supporters like me. A nice gentleman from The Boston Globe wondered aloud about the students in attendance all being female. So a small group of us chewed on this a while. My take: it's true at most campus events, and certainly true in the rolls of most opportunities and academic programs. UNH is about 58% female, but the students present were more like 90% women. Fac/Staff were more evenly split. So maybe that will show up in the Globe's coverage. Maybe not.
My other observation: I ran out for my daily dose of chocolate during the waiting period. On my way, I counted the press vehicles on Main Street who did not pay the meters. Almost all of them! Some had press credentials mounted visibly on their dashes. Are they exempt, or just arrogant? Just wondering...
Another great event and great 24 hours for Edwards.
Great Night for Edwards, Great Day is Next!
Nine o'clock is my bedtime, so I wasn't planning to watch the Dem Debate at Dartmouth. But, I couldn't sleep last night so I ended up watching the debate in full on NECN, and since I was alone, I participated in the live blogging on the Edwards Blog. That wasy fun, and it sure beats watching alone in silence, talking to my TV. Whoa, go John, go. I was trying to determine if I was biased in my assessment of his performance, so I heard/sought the opinions of two colleagues. One pal whose wife works at Dartmouth and is teetering between Edwards & Obama, definitely leaned Edwards after the debate, especially on the fire in the belly on issues. Obama just wasn't "on" last night. The other opinion was gathered by listening to The Exchange on NHPR today. Thank you, Dante, for your comment, and I'm paraphrasing here: If you were just starting to tune in and didn't know much, you'd see Edwards and Biden as the two primary challengers to Hillary. Obama wouldn't even be in the picture. So, after the disappointing statewide poll released by UNH a few days ago--in which Edwards is solidly in 3rd and not tied for 2nd in NH----this was a great thing to hear. [I should be more careful about what I wish for.]
So, now today...The MTV/MySpace forum at noon in the UNH Field House. Then the Carsey Institute policy forum on the Rural Recovery Act, both starring John Edwards. He'll be on fire after such a great performance last night, so this should be awesome. I'm going to try to spend my lunch hour there...we'll see. I can at least check out the visability outside, which is always fun. Let's hope the student group, UNH for Edwards, can do some major student recruiting today. (I'm now their official fac/staff advisor, which they are required to have as a UNH Registered Student Organization, hence the new knock-off logo.)
More later...
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Scattered Thoughts, part II
Mailings: One reason I am registered in NH as "undeclared" (I love that name, as an academic advisor, and because "undecided" is just inaccurate) is so that I get mail & calls from all sides. Unlike most people, I actually like them and want them. And, since Stacey is declared as a Democrat (she just always forgets to stop off at the other table and re-undeclare), I like to use them as an unscientific research tool to see who gets what from whom. For example, she just got a super glossy multi-page mailing from Hillary entitled "Ready!" It was all about how well-prepared she is to step into office, and it ended, cleverly, with "Ready To Join"--a reply card for getting involved. What have I gotten? Three large postcards, full-color and glossy, from Rudy Giuliani. They were spaced about a week apart, and were touting his credentials as "fiscally conservative." No mention of social issues. My conclusion is that he's going for the undeclares under a safe issues and not on values. Smart. I wonder what he's sending out to registered Republicans.
Stats: I love them & I hate them. If it weren't for my good friend Bruce in graduate school, I never would have passed the class. Stats intrigue me, but make my head hurt. I know enough to get by, but not enough as I should to really dig in. But that was in my pre-computer days at Michigan State (that makes me sound so old...it was only the late 80s, not ancient history!) Maybe I just never found the right statistics to light the fire. GraniteProf's latest posts might make a convert out of me.
Union Endorsements: Like all good junkies in NH right now, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to see who the SEIU will endorse. I've never been into union endorsements before, but this election they intrigue me. My dad was a loyal member of IBEW and all that I remember of that was a long-term strike in the 70s, and going on free lunch at school because of it. NOT a good association. I tried to change my thinking by taking Todd DeMitchell's Collective Bargaining in Education class here at UNH, and it didn't help. But last election cycle, I saw how enthusiastic the fire fighters and teamsters were for Gephardt when I was assigned to assist his staff. It seemed like a good way to get energetic & commited volunteers with roots in the local
community, who'd work their collective hearts out for their chosen candidate. This cycle seems all about the little guy--hard worker who plays by the rules & still gets screwed. Enter: John Edwards 2008. SEIU is critical, because (I've been told) it's the union of the state employees in New Hampshire. Of course not every member will toe the union line, but the endorsement would be something here, and if it lands with my guy you will see the momentum I've been talking about. And, it would be nice to break the Clinton/Shaheen stranglehold on this state.
Polls: It's about time for a new UNH one, don't you think, Prof. Smith?
Stats: I love them & I hate them. If it weren't for my good friend Bruce in graduate school, I never would have passed the class. Stats intrigue me, but make my head hurt. I know enough to get by, but not enough as I should to really dig in. But that was in my pre-computer days at Michigan State (that makes me sound so old...it was only the late 80s, not ancient history!) Maybe I just never found the right statistics to light the fire. GraniteProf's latest posts might make a convert out of me.
Union Endorsements: Like all good junkies in NH right now, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to see who the SEIU will endorse. I've never been into union endorsements before, but this election they intrigue me. My dad was a loyal member of IBEW and all that I remember of that was a long-term strike in the 70s, and going on free lunch at school because of it. NOT a good association. I tried to change my thinking by taking Todd DeMitchell's Collective Bargaining in Education class here at UNH, and it didn't help. But last election cycle, I saw how enthusiastic the fire fighters and teamsters were for Gephardt when I was assigned to assist his staff. It seemed like a good way to get energetic & commited volunteers with roots in the local
community, who'd work their collective hearts out for their chosen candidate. This cycle seems all about the little guy--hard worker who plays by the rules & still gets screwed. Enter: John Edwards 2008. SEIU is critical, because (I've been told) it's the union of the state employees in New Hampshire. Of course not every member will toe the union line, but the endorsement would be something here, and if it lands with my guy you will see the momentum I've been talking about. And, it would be nice to break the Clinton/Shaheen stranglehold on this state.Polls: It's about time for a new UNH one, don't you think, Prof. Smith?
Monday, September 17, 2007
Scattered Thoughts, Gathered
I've been a bit busy with work, but today I'm home with a sick child (watching reruns of Madeline & Mr. Rogers...oy!) So, I have a bunch of random thoughts I guess I'll put into one post just to get them out of my head.Signage: Hillary's office responded to my angst, and installed two huge, obnoxious permanent signs on the Chestnut Street office. Ugly, but noticeable. But still the #1 sign I see around the seacoast of NH AND at UNH is Ron Paul. So, I am going out on a little limb here to say: you heard it from me first. He'll be the GOP surprise in NH, where Repubicanism does not equate evangelicalism. Maybe not first place, but definitely "better than expected."
Canvassing: Thank you to the Edwards staff for my two new white spruce trees. They did a statewide canvassing over the weekend, which included handing out tiny trees & a little handout about "Granite Roots" campaigning and environmental policy. I am a sucker for this stuff; who came up with that? I love it, hokey as it is. Which leads me to this thought...
Spoiled: If I gave my last $50 to a candidate I really believed in, and I lived somewhere else, how would I feel about all the spending going to NH? This thought began when Obama held his ice cream social in Dover in late summer, and now it won't go away. I wouldn't call it guilt (I gave up guilt when I left the catholic church 20 years ago), but it does feel like an awesome responsibility. As more candidates pick up gimmicks, I do feel like they shouldn't get too silly or extravagant. Trees seem ok, certainly a noble gesture. Contests are the other big thing, I guess it all started with the contest to select Hillary's campaign song in the spring. Obama gave away lunch, and now you can win a seat with Elizabeth Edwards for the debates at Dartmouth at the end of the month. So, I'm keeping an eye on this trend, and I promise to make sure all you contributors from other states see that your money is well spent.
My day job: For my work at UNH, I've been attending various classes and student group meetings to promote internships The Washington Center. That's how I got into two of Dante Scala's classes, and Profs Smith & Dorsey's POLT 600, History of the NH Primary. Oh, to be a student again. I peeked at the required texts and plan to read them in my free time. I am lucky to work for such a cool program, and I was recently named to their Liaison Advisory Board. I get to visit the UNH interns in Washington DC when I travel down each semester. If only I could enroll in their National Political Convention program. Until then, I can continue to live vicariously through my students.
And, last but not least: Another Shaheen! Yes, of course, she's in. Jeanne Shaheen, former Governor of NH and wife of Bill Shaheen, HRC's guru, is running for Sununu's Senate Seat. And immediately, candidate Steve Marchand from Portsmouth kept his word & dropped out. He's the guy all the Edwards staff & many supporters really liked. I wonder why that was? Well, for more on the very graceful step out & endorsement, I refer you to Blue Hampshire. Impressive!
Gotta go rewind a video (yes, VHS, from the library)...
PS: Thanks to Mike for the fun new graphic.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
New Poll Confirms My Gut!
This just in from NH Prez Watch, and the LA Times, but I like to credit Cosmo (vote globally, blog locally!):
New poll [http://www.latimes.com/media/acrobat/2007-09/32481597.pdf] shows John Edwards is now tying Obama for 2nd place in this state, bumping Richardson back down to 4th. It's a 10 page document, and I will leave it to the experts (and the students in POLT 600) to comb through it with more precision, but it feels real nice to have my suspicions confirmed.
Let me back up. Last night I did more phone work for Edwards in their Dover HQ. What a difference from my last stint just a few weeks ago. First of all, no one can say Clinton has a hold on female voters. All 6 volunteers at the office at the same time as me were women, ranging in age from mid-30s to mid-60s. Secondly, what everyone has said about Labor Day is so true (unscientifically, of course)! In August, everyone I called was undecided, or at least pretended to be, and didn't seem to be paying attention. Now, post-Labor Day, I had more folks say they are paying attention, reading the papers and websites, AND are committed or at least have narrowed down their field to three. Interestingly, I had a bunch of Kucinich supporters, one for Obama, a few for Hillary, and a whole bunch for whom Edwards was in the running (1st, 2nd, or 3rd).
But it's my gut that felt this change coming. Richardson had some commercials a while back on WMUR, and his polls went up immediately. They were really well done and were received favorably enough to increase name recognition & interest, I thought, but they didn't produce a lasting bump, especially after a few poor debate/forum performances. Obama seems to be loosing his traction here, to me. Sure he's been here (hosting ice cream socials), but he hasn't gotten any union endorsements that I can recall, and he seems to be shooting for the elite vote. Just try to diagram one of his sentences; you need a college degree to follow his train of thought! And don't forget arugula-gate...
Then there is John Edwards, and his greatest asset, Elizabeth. They've been in the state a whole lot, separately and together, and much more on the weekends than before. What a dynamic duo!! There has been a TV spot (the music of which was borrowed by the Clinton team for their spot later), and of course the multiple labor endorsements. This coming weekend, his national campaign chair, David Bonior, will be in the state canvassing & rallying the troops while handing out tree saplings to highlight Senator Edwards' environmental & energy plan. Edwards is a policy wonk's dream. (I'm not a wonk, but a wanna be, which explains why I loved Bill Clinton so much.) If you want to know exactly where a candidate stands or what he/she will do once elected, Edwards is your candidate. And that's where I think Obama is playing catch up.
I know I know...It's still early. But apparently, it's not as early as it used to be!
New poll [http://www.latimes.com/media/acrobat/2007-09/32481597.pdf] shows John Edwards is now tying Obama for 2nd place in this state, bumping Richardson back down to 4th. It's a 10 page document, and I will leave it to the experts (and the students in POLT 600) to comb through it with more precision, but it feels real nice to have my suspicions confirmed.
Let me back up. Last night I did more phone work for Edwards in their Dover HQ. What a difference from my last stint just a few weeks ago. First of all, no one can say Clinton has a hold on female voters. All 6 volunteers at the office at the same time as me were women, ranging in age from mid-30s to mid-60s. Secondly, what everyone has said about Labor Day is so true (unscientifically, of course)! In August, everyone I called was undecided, or at least pretended to be, and didn't seem to be paying attention. Now, post-Labor Day, I had more folks say they are paying attention, reading the papers and websites, AND are committed or at least have narrowed down their field to three. Interestingly, I had a bunch of Kucinich supporters, one for Obama, a few for Hillary, and a whole bunch for whom Edwards was in the running (1st, 2nd, or 3rd).
But it's my gut that felt this change coming. Richardson had some commercials a while back on WMUR, and his polls went up immediately. They were really well done and were received favorably enough to increase name recognition & interest, I thought, but they didn't produce a lasting bump, especially after a few poor debate/forum performances. Obama seems to be loosing his traction here, to me. Sure he's been here (hosting ice cream socials), but he hasn't gotten any union endorsements that I can recall, and he seems to be shooting for the elite vote. Just try to diagram one of his sentences; you need a college degree to follow his train of thought! And don't forget arugula-gate...
Then there is John Edwards, and his greatest asset, Elizabeth. They've been in the state a whole lot, separately and together, and much more on the weekends than before. What a dynamic duo!! There has been a TV spot (the music of which was borrowed by the Clinton team for their spot later), and of course the multiple labor endorsements. This coming weekend, his national campaign chair, David Bonior, will be in the state canvassing & rallying the troops while handing out tree saplings to highlight Senator Edwards' environmental & energy plan. Edwards is a policy wonk's dream. (I'm not a wonk, but a wanna be, which explains why I loved Bill Clinton so much.) If you want to know exactly where a candidate stands or what he/she will do once elected, Edwards is your candidate. And that's where I think Obama is playing catch up.
I know I know...It's still early. But apparently, it's not as early as it used to be!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
UNH Debate Post #3
Oh my gosh, I'm so tired. I'm too old for this, or at least for doing this and then getting up and getting twins ready for preschool by 7:30am.Anyhow, so much to report from the debate last night. I don't think I can pull off actual complete sentences & paragraphs, so I'm going for bulleted highlights for now:
- I worked press check-in from 5-11pm, then was free to roam the spin room. The only people I knew or recognized were Mora Liason of NPR (we chatted it up over the yummy UNH brownies; it pays to sit next to the food table), Brian Lawson, and the NECN reporter. And of course the official UNH Faculty Experts on display. When I compare to debates past, this one attracted a much lower status of reporters. Is that because it was Fox or GOP, or the combination?? Hmmm.
- We spent a lot of time hanging & chatting with the head of Fox News in DC. He was having a great time, and couldn't stop gushing about the great rental car he got--a Mustang Convertible--that he drove to Portsmouth every night with the top down. He loved the area, and especially loved Erika, our Media Relations Wonderwoman.
- Biggest excitement was when a well known crackpot managed to get in & eventually kicked out by the NH State Police dudes in jumpsuits and UNH superhero Deputy Chief Paul Dean. Don't mess with police who wear jumpsuits, OR Paul Dean.
- I got scolded by none other than Fergus Cullen, state GOP chair, for not giving a press credential to a McCain campaign worker, who wasn't supposed to get one.
- If you want real answers, talk to maintenance guys! My pals on the UNH Facilities crew set up their own tailgating (grilling steak tips!!) in the press parking lot. They confirmed that the Whitt is NOT air conditioned, and that it cost Fox $70,000 to bring it in for the past 2 weeks. The Hamel Rec Center, where the spin & filing rooms were, also are NOT air conditioned.
- Students working out in the weight room (which was open and is always air conditioned) were all over the press area. In fact, the bathroom that the press used was also the locker room.
- Past debates held in PCAC at UNH had a capacity of 700. The Whitt had seating for 7,000! Whoa!!
- The women of UNH Media relations are fun to hang out with! Thanks for letting me volunteer once again!
Now, about the candidates I saw in spin:
-Guiliani is a grumpy old man and his wife was wearing a fake smile & too much make up.
-McCain is paler than pale. I've never seen such white skin in my life.
-I got a handshake from Mike Huckabee (had to ask a colleague who he was). Thanks, Denny.
-Mitt looked and acted most "presidential," but he's not as tall as he looks on TV. He wins for best spouse, too.
-Our local paper reported (in the headline this morning!!) that Dante Scala is still at Saint A's. Oops, I should have given them our UNH Fact Sheet, where he was listed with our faculty experts. Silly Foster's.
(more later...the formatting & autospacing in blogspot is making me crazy.)
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Debate Day, Post #2
I just returned from a quick shift at credential check-in, so I need to keep this short (lunch hour blogging!)...
A few observations
A few observations
- There really are giant mobile air conditioning units running, outside the buildings. The AC guy had me take his photo standing next to one. Then he performed a magic trick for me.
- No one cool checks in at 10am. Just press techies, UNH student press, and the fun-loving threesome from Danish Broadcasting System.
- The filing center still uses good, old fashioned land-line telephones, with spiral cords!
- The wireless signal has been boosted; courtesy of Fox TV.
- I met the mad Ron Paul chalker; he stopped by to ask what locations people would be at so he could take his bucket of sidewalk chalk to new heights.
- Any UNH student who is going to work out at the rec center will be able to see into the filing center. No tank tops allowed.
- Everyone really is wearing black, no matter how hot it is outside.
- And, now I know why UNH isn't getting more debates: new this cycle...the sponsors have to pay 100% of the costs, up front!
Back to my day job...
Dabate Day, Part 1
Debate Dilemma #1: What to wear. This is my first debate that is not in the bitter cold NH winter. My usual rule is to try to wear as much black as possible, since wearing anything else makes us locals stick out as country bumpkins. Washingtonians seem to own nothing but 8 shades of black. But it's supposed to be 75 degrees today! And I haven't worn closed toe shoes in 3 months. Ugh, what's a woman to do! (I know; get some cute shoes like Mrs. Edwards'!!)
Unless your life revolves around sports or our Rec Center, main campus seems oblivious to the influx of media & candidates. Students just moved in this past weekends, and their minds are (for the most part) where they usually are: reconnecting with friends, buying books, perfecting their schedules. I noticed that the Ron Paul folks have "chalked" the sidewalks in and around the MUB. As I was walking to my office this morning, I told my colleague Becky about my Ron Paul/RuPaul issue, and she started in with an imitation of RuPaul that had me chuckling. RuPaul as a Presidential candidate; worthy of an SNL skit.
For the most info on the upcoming events, I humbly refer to Campaigns & Elections. There isn't even anything on the main UNH website!
I'm heading over to do a shift at press check-in. Since I don't know any TV personalities, my biggest goal is to meet Brian Lawson and maybe an NPR reporter or two. I also wouldn't mind catching a glimpse of a candidate or spouse.
So, since Brian posted what he'll be wearing, I'll do the same: Olive green shirt, black pants, black clogs, and probably my UNH nametag if I can find it.
Unless your life revolves around sports or our Rec Center, main campus seems oblivious to the influx of media & candidates. Students just moved in this past weekends, and their minds are (for the most part) where they usually are: reconnecting with friends, buying books, perfecting their schedules. I noticed that the Ron Paul folks have "chalked" the sidewalks in and around the MUB. As I was walking to my office this morning, I told my colleague Becky about my Ron Paul/RuPaul issue, and she started in with an imitation of RuPaul that had me chuckling. RuPaul as a Presidential candidate; worthy of an SNL skit.
For the most info on the upcoming events, I humbly refer to Campaigns & Elections. There isn't even anything on the main UNH website!
I'm heading over to do a shift at press check-in. Since I don't know any TV personalities, my biggest goal is to meet Brian Lawson and maybe an NPR reporter or two. I also wouldn't mind catching a glimpse of a candidate or spouse.
So, since Brian posted what he'll be wearing, I'll do the same: Olive green shirt, black pants, black clogs, and probably my UNH nametag if I can find it.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Media Relations
In 2002, I realized a huge lifetime goal of mine: I attended the Winter Olympics...as a spectator, not an athlete. They were held in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Stacey & I stayed with friends in Provo for a wonderful week of being tourists and taking in the games. We had tickets to several events: bobsled, women's ice hockey, XC & downhill skiing, and the figure skating exhibition. It was a blast, and one of my most 
treasured memories (and the reason I have a soft spot for Mitt). But the biggest disappointment was learning that, the unless you are a member of the press corp or a corporate sponsor, your tickets won't get you very close to the action. Hmm, not unlike politics, no?
treasured memories (and the reason I have a soft spot for Mitt). But the biggest disappointment was learning that, the unless you are a member of the press corp or a corporate sponsor, your tickets won't get you very close to the action. Hmm, not unlike politics, no?At every venue, there was always a big huge block of the best seats, usually color coded in purple, right behind the judges or at the finish line, for the press. And they were usually empty. It drove us crazy.
Unlike the Olympics however, at Presidential Debates, the press doesn't get front row seats. In fact, they aren't even in the same building. You'd think this would be a disadvantage, but it's not. They are all together in the Media Center. There, they watch the one video feed on a large screen, while sitting side by side with their competitors. They are free to talk, chat on phones, IM, laugh, jeer, roll their eyes. It's so fun to hear what they OOO and AHH at. They file their stories (when I first volunteering, filing was a lot different than now, in the age of wifi) and go to the spin room after where everyone is saying how they won the debate. Experts like UNH's Dynamic Primary Duo (Profs. Andy Smith & Dante Scala) also give their observations & analyses.
So, it's with a great deal of excitement that I will again be volunteering in the Fox GOP Debate Media Center here at UNH. On Wednesday, Sept. 5th, I'll be doing press check-in at 10am, and maybe again later in the day or evening. I want to be in lovely downtown Durham for the post-debate parties (it's a really small downtown, so there may be more candidates than restaurants/bars to accomodate them!). The first time I did this, 2000, I was teased by my pal Colleen for not recognizing any big pundits because I don't watch much TV. So, when Tim Russert came in, I was not all starry eyed and actually had to ask who it was. I still don't watch much TV (and I don't have cable) but this time around I hope not to embarrass myself.
I'm off now to scope out the Whitt...more later, I hope!
A REAL Front Row Seat!
On Friday I was invited to a Supporter Meeting for the Edwards campaign. It was held at our Dover office, and the headline attraction was Elizabeth Edwards. So, even though it was on a Saturday afternoon at 4pm, I was there, early of course. Early enough to get a seat in the front row.Of course, Elizabeth wasn't the only item on the agenda. The staff had a very full meeting planned, and the meeting portion was closed to the press. We went over the campaign strategy nationally, state-wide, and locally. I'm such a geek, because I do find that stuff interesting! Mike Alfoni, or Monster Mike as my kids affectionately now refer to him since he plays well with others, was the speaker, mixing motivation with guilt (more of the former than latter). But the rest is top secret, and not nearly as interesting as what transpired when Elizabeth arrived.
She's so amazingly accessible and normal, like someone you'd start chatting with in the line at the grocery store (although most people in NH don't chat much with strangers). She stood in the front of the small room of maybe 20 or so supporters & 8-10 staffers, thanking us and again motivating us to keep up our hard work. One needs lots of positive reinforcement to do phone banking! She was wearing black pants, a cute black & white striped shirt, and adorable little black shoes that looked dressy yet incredibly comfortable. (Also, check out the article in Foster's Daily Democrat. That's my pink sleeve in the audience.) And, interestingly (to me anyway), she didn't wear one bit of jewelry, including a wedding ring. No watch either. Who needs one with all the staffers keeping you on schedule?
Her job was to thank & motivate us, then to take questions about John's positions and policies so that we can better answer them in our work as part of the team. The two big topics were health care and education (No Child Left Behind). She gave so much info and detail and specifics, let me tell ya, that I couldn't even keep up. Impressive. She knows her stuff!!
I keep reading that the GOP thinks health care isn't a big issue, and that even for Dems it should not be on the top of the list, but I'm so glad it's on Edwards' agenda, front & center. And every campaign event I attend or read about is chock full of health care horror stories from average people. Sounds like folks in NH are more afraid of a catastrophic disease than terrorism to me. And aren't we one of the most affluent states?
In attendance were teachers, UNH staffers and a adjunct faculty, union workers. A few folks with disabilities (that I could see), parents, retirees. Two underage high schoolers who want to volunteer too. Regular, normal folks. No state reps or city officials, though there are some who are on board.
Lots of picture taking and hand shaking afterwards. Since I so recently got her autograph, I let others have their turn. Instead, I accosted the staff with requests for campaign buttons. Then, after Mrs. Edwards used the restroom, my friend & colleague Colleen & I debated on whether we wanted to be the next person after Mrs. Edwards to sit on the same seat. As we bickered and bantered, Laura Jones (Pres. of UNH College Dems and my son's big crush) beat us to it, I think unaware of the "seat of honor" she just took!
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