The candidates come to you.
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| To sit up front, arrive early. |
They don't want your money. They want your vote.
In a small room in New Hampshire four years ago then-candidate Lindsay Graham, in what was clear to everyone, including him, was a failing campaign for president, gave a name for my presence: "Peter, you are a political tourist."
I was, indeed. Candidates don't care much about Oregonians because our primary election is in May. To survive until May they need to get votes in New Hampshire. They want to see locals. This week alone seven Democrats, plus Republican William Weld, are in New Hampshire with multiple events. One doesn't need to give money or be on someone's special invitation list to see them. They advertise to see you. There are compilations of upcoming events, called "Candidate Trackers" for ones convenience. Here is this week's calendar:
I was, indeed. Candidates don't care much about Oregonians because our primary election is in May. To survive until May they need to get votes in New Hampshire. They want to see locals. This week alone seven Democrats, plus Republican William Weld, are in New Hampshire with multiple events. One doesn't need to give money or be on someone's special invitation list to see them. They advertise to see you. There are compilations of upcoming events, called "Candidate Trackers" for ones convenience. Here is this week's calendar:
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| Candidate Tracker. It uploads to ones calendar |
In New Hampshire, you just show up. In Oregon, you have to pay. Oregon influences the process only slightly and indirectly, through its affect on candidate fundraising totals, because by May it is likely the nomination is wrapped up for someone. In August, 2015 I attended Hillary's only trip to Oregon, a fundraiser. Next week I will attend a fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg. Both these events are ticketed, private, and in very nice homes in Portland. It is for donors, not the public, and candidates fly in and out. There is no use for Oregonians to complain. It is the realistic, practical approach for candidates, given our nomination process.
College classmate Christy Day lives in New Hampshire and has been taking candidates up on their offers to get up close.
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| Christy Day |
Guest Post, by Christy Day:
What a wonderful problem to have – choosing among so many qualified candidates.
These are the candidates I have seen in person:
Pete Buttigieg - 2 public events – 3/8/19 & 7/12/19 (Portsmouth & Laconia)
Kamala Harris – public event – 7/14/22019 (Somersworth)
Elizabeth Warren – house party – 4/20/2019 (Amherst)
Cory Booker – public event – 7/13/2019 (Nashua)
Amy Klobuchar – house party – 7/4/2019 (Amherst)
Tulsi Gabbard – public event – 9/22/2018 (Keene)
Joe Biden – Summer of 2007 (Milford)
Bernie Sanders – Many times in his 2016 campaign (Nashua & Manchester)
Tulsi Gabbard, John Delaney, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Amy Klobuchar walked in the Amherst 4th of July parade. There was a strong presence of supporters marching with signs for Buttigieg, Warren, Harris, Booker, and O’Rourke.
Every single one of these candidates gets it. They know what the issues are for our country and our planet, for world community, and for the environment. In my opinion, they need to explain their position on the reality of climate crisis, the gross inequities of our economy, the wretched condition of detention on our border with Mexico and other immigration and border issues, further reform to our health care system, a multitude of women’s issues, the frightening disruption of our voting process, the minimum wage battle, the need to update our infrastructure, and how to restore our democracy to reflect our American hopes and ideals.
Here’s my take on each of the candidates I have seen in person.
Pete Buttigieg: His brilliance, his focus, and his ability to learn from his mistakes (and own his mistakes) help make up for his inexperience and his age. I very much worry that black voters will not go for him.
Kamala Harris – Hers was the largest crowd by far and it was racially the most diverse. She was bold in her discussion of what the issues are and how she would address them. She is warm and friendly, and the crowd clearly loved her energy. I was interviewed by NHPR at the event and I spoke of her courage. She is on the Senate Committee on Homeland
Security and Government Affairs, as well as the Senate’s Select Committee on Intelligence.
Amy Klobuchar - She’s funny and she’s smart, but I am troubled by particular stories about her treatment of her staff. I didn’t warm to her.
Tulsi Gabbard - Despite her voting change of heart, she worked with her father and church in being vehemently anti-LGBTQ. That one just kills the deal for me.
Cory Booker - I was pretty sure that as a mayor, he would get it. When I said at his event, “Climate crisis,” he looked me in the eye and launched with policy, issues, problems, reality, funding, the future. He is impressive and he walks the walk.
Bernie Sanders: He is old and he hasn’t changed his rhetoric at all. He is an Independent. There are plenty of younger Democrats to choose from.
Joe Biden: I heard him speak when he ran for President in 2007 (he also ran in 1988 and ran afoul of himself). He is a tired old man with tired old ideas. Again, there are plenty of excellent younger candidates. He is a bit confused and he has a mixed and troubling voting record. I fear that he would be a train wreck in debates with the incumbent.
Elizabeth Warren - She, too, stands on her convictions and is brilliant with economic issues. That she read the entire Mueller report on an overnight plane within hours of receiving it and landed in Washington knowing that the right thing to do was proceed with impeachment is much to her credit.
Elizabeth Warren - She, too, stands on her convictions and is brilliant with economic issues. That she read the entire Mueller report on an overnight plane within hours of receiving it and landed in Washington knowing that the right thing to do was proceed with impeachment is much to her credit. 
2 comments:
How fun, like collecting baseball cards! It's especially exciting because the candidates self-select, they disapoear from the Senate, statehouse and city hall for 12-18 months while collecting their government salaries, and substitute selfies in NH for the governing jobs they are paid to do. Its a photo collection of the taxpayer funded political class, elites on the dole. But don't get bored yet, they are gearing up to bash the hell out of each other as racists, xenophobes, toxic moderates, faux indians, and worst of all, old white men.
When you see a band in person you may buy a t-shirt.
Campaigning is the nexus of celebrity and policy. Just as bands tour to build a fan base, public servants have to go door to door until they have captured a significant share of the electorate. If you think about it, it seems pretty much a waste of time for all involved. It certainly has no relevance to governing, yet a candidate's success on the road, their "act", is how they win elections. In a media saturated age it seems quaint.
In any event, none of this will matter much until this time next year, so until then we have the political equivalent of putting out Xmas decorations in September.
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