Lindsey Graham a Meet and Greet in Nashua NH

Here is the conference room scheduled and just barely filled for Senator Graham's visit.

Things are different in New Hampshire.   Senator Lindsey Graham, who I have watched on Meet the Press and the other Sunday shows about three times a month for a decade, schedules a meet and greet in a law office in downtown Nashua (population about 100,000) and he draws a crowd of almost no one.  I suppose I count as one, but I vote in Oregon.  The host attorney and his father, plus a few employees of the law firm filled most of the 14 seats.  There were perhaps 5 total people who were legitimate curious voters and who were not paid employees of the host law firm.

This is retail politics in New Hampshire, and why I am here.  I wanted to see this up close.

Senator Graham came right on time by campaign standards: about fifteen minutes after scheduled.   The meeting room was a small conference room.  In the law firm lobby I was greeted warmly by a firm lawyer and told I was more than welcome, the more the better.

I was the only non-NH resident.  All of us were asked to introduce ourselves.   A  reporter for the Boston Globe thought it curious that I introduced myself as a "political tourist".  I told him I was here to see where all the money raised in Oregon went to be spent.

He spoke for about 20 minutes, then took 30 minutes of questions.

Amongst the policy talk of re-engagement in Syria and Iraq, the need to deal with the demographic challenge to Medicare and Social Security with something like Simpson Bowles, a need for comprehensive immigration reform to allow residents to get legal in their immigration status (and help solve the demographic financial problem, by providing more young workers to help service and fund the retirement off the baby boomers, he addressed his plausible path to election victory.

He says he needs to get third or fourth place in NH, which makes him credible, then win in South Carolina, his home state. That would leave him among the surviving four or so candidates.  Then he will get the media attention he needs to make his case, as the reliable, pro-defense, strong military Commander in Chief.   And the guy who understands Congress and who can get deals done.   In the meantime he hopes to attract votes a few at a time, so there he was in a small conference room.

He has a charming way of framing Trump and Trump's advantages, saying he had a great TV show, one Graham said he enjoyed himself, so no wonder Trump is all over the media.   He is a celebrity.  But eventually New Hampshire people will settle down to the serious business of choosing a president.