Dispatch from New Hampshire

How it is done now.

     "Looks like a good power pose. Lean in, strong grip, deep stare into her eyes."

             

     "Stand back and lean in."

John Delaney is running for president. 

He is in New Hampshire, doing four events a day.  He has been here 77 times, doing multiple events each time.

"I have never heard of him," a political consultant told me. John Delaney hasn't caught fire yet. John Delaney is at work, trying to fix that

Delaney is meeting fifty or a hundred voters at a time. Those voters in New Hampshire are not "fans" or supporters. They are "voter shoppers," people looking over the various candidates, undecided. The audiences are curious and sound supportive, but that is a form of New Hampshire politeness. 

I am in New Hampshire this week, a week dominated by the Boston Marathon 45 miles away, people being rescued from deep snow a hundred miles to the north, and Easter. I am here for politics, to see audiences at visits from John Delaney, Jay Inslee, Eric Swalwell, and Elizabeth Warren, and more if someone else makes a surprise visit not yet on the Candidate Tracker calendars. 

I am watching how the candidates do it, trying to see what we don't see on C-SPAN or on the reported, mediated news shows.

I will write about John Delaney's substantive messages later this week. He would match up well against Donald Trump. He is "normal" and "safe." He is a bi-partisan, practical, get-things-fixed with the necessary GOP votes kind of politician. He is a self made multimillionaire, the son of an electrician, a now-retired four term congressman from Maryland who won in a Republican leaning district. More later.

Today, with cable news still talking about "Creepy Joe" Biden, lets look at the way John Delaney meets voters.

Even amid the press of crowds, it is arm out. He stands 24-36 inches away from voters. Then he leans forward and in. Then a firm shake. It is both warm and distant. He gives people their space.

I watched how he did selfies. Most of the time his hands were down, at his side. Sometimes, especially when he was in the middle of a group of three, he would have one hand on the shoulder of one of the three. His hand usually would not actually touch. It would be suspended next to the shoulder but not touching it, but if it touches his hand is up high. Much of the time his hands were crossed, in front. This was a default pose.

At events like this, at least half the audience wants a selfie. It is a routine element.

    Enter and shake hands.

    Be introduced by a local host.

    Speak for 20 minutes.

    Q and A for 30 minutes.

    Shake hands and do photos.

    Be pulled from the event by staff.

More photos from the event, advertised as a "Pancake Breakfast" at a local middle school cafeteria. Today I focus on the body language and behavior at a meet and greet.

The new rule: Keep space. Do nothing that could be interpreted as creepy.