As I have noted, New Hampshire voters get an up close look at candidates. But what they get is an unclose look at a performance that is substantially done for the benefit of the cameras at the back of the room. There are no surprise questions and original answers from the candidates at this point, except on questions that are silly and offbeat, which is why someone thought to ask about Fantasy Football.
In 2012 Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich got a very respectable 9 1/2% of the vote in New Hampshire, which kept up media buzz about them going into the South Carolina primary, which energized their campaigns. This meant each got about 23,000 votes.
A candidate who gets 20,000 votes in the Republican primary will be considered a very good prospect for becoming president of the United States.
This is the magic of New Hampshire: 22,000 votes makes you a contender. It gets you on national television.
For comparison, Peter Buckley won 20,000 votes in a state representative race for a district consisting of greater Ashland. Jeff Scroggin won 40,000 votes in a losing race for Jackson County Commissioner. Heck, this is ancient history but I got 27,000 votes back in 1980 in a winning race for Commissioner.
In my effort to get 27,000 votes I stood in front of grocery stores and post offices, I walked door to door, I said hello to strangers. It was retail politics.
If it were an imposition on candidates--or others in the audience--to secure a photo with the candidate I wouldn't do it. But the candidates WANT it. They are hoping that I would do things like post it on Facebook or a personal blog. So I will accommodate it. One of the people shown below is more likely than not to be elected president a year from now. Or not. The bigger the crowds the harder it is to get up close.
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| Kasich |
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| Carly Fiorina |
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| Christie |
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| Graham |
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| Hillary Clinton |
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| Santorum |
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