Bernie Sanders at the New Hampshire Convention: Progressive Voice

The crowd went wild for Bernie Sanders.   It was a liberal group.

The kinds of people who show up at Democratic conventions, including the 1000 or so college students who were  bussed in from New Hampshire and Massachusetts, like strongly progressive candidates, and Bernie is their man.   I have included a few video clips, which you can access there on the upper right.

The cheering for Bernie Sanders was louder and more fervent than the chanting for Hillary.   More people, more signs waived, more applause.

He never said a single word about Hillary Clinton, never spoke her name.   But in his 30 minute talk he described several positions in which he differed from Hillary:
    He opposed the Iraq war.
    He opposed the end of Glass Steagall
    He opposes the lack of prosecution of Wall Street malefactors
    He opposes the Trans Pacific Partnership and NAFTA

He mentioned Obama's name a couple of times but in the area of opposition, he did not phrase it in terms of his disagreement with the President--or Clinton either.--by name.   He disagrees with Clinton and Obama in some areas, but discusses the policy, not the proponent of the policy.   I didn't hear any future Republican sound bites to appear in anti-Clinton ads.  Bernie was protecting the Democratic brand, and did not want to be used as a bludgeon to attach the potential future nominee.

A brand new Hillary. Tough and fierce as Trump

Details to come, since this is written just after she left the stage at the New Hampshire convention hall.  She was as intense as Carly Fiorina in the 2nd debate, as fierce as Trump in asserting her views, and she went nose to nose with Trump's "make America great".   America IS great, she said, and we are going to make sure the greatness is available to everyone in America.

The quiet thoughtful "listening" Hillary was being overwhelmed by the Trump energy and call for bold, forceful leadership.   But this is a different Hillary.

She was forceful.  Pugnacious.  Certain. Powerful.  Unapologetic for being a woman.

Time elapsed.   I am back at my office, six hours later, and able to post some photos and video clips, plus put the day into some perspective.

The thrust and comparison in my previous comments on Hillary was that she was presenting herself as a cooperative facilitator, in contrast to the Republican candidates who are sharp in denouncing Obama, Hillary, the state of the economy, etc., and that Trump has positioned himself as a persuasive and very powerful leader.   He is unapologetic for not being a policy wonk.   He doesn't bore people with legislation.  He asserts bluntly that when there are problems he will knock heads and get things done.

But today is a new Hillary, every bit as forceful as Trump.  The A-student is also a pugnacious leader herself.

It is easier to show it than describe it, so go to the video link there on the upper right.  It brings you to short clips from today's speech, each of which are about a minute.

Hillary at the University of New Hampshire, regarding College affordability

11:00 a.m. On a Friday, and a young crowd-- undergraduates, mostly women, and lots of them.

They booked a room that held 150, so the crowd spilled over into an overflow room holding about 250 students.

The crowd leaped to its feet when she entered the room and nearly everyone had a smartphone pointing at her.   This is the new look of political events--a camera in every hand.

Mine, too.

Hillary spoke to college affordability, saying we needed:

   More state and federal support of higher education

   Student loan interest reduced to the current low interest rates.  

   Caps on student loan payments of 10% of income

This event is a continuation of the Hillary theme from yesterday: that there are serious problems in the world and that serious discussion of practical and well thought out solutions are the answer to them.  She presents herself as a facilitator for positive change because she is a hard working student doing her homework.  Plus she has a generous and compassionate attitude toward people struggling to have a good life and fulfill heir own American Dream. 

The event helps clarify how different is the style between Hillary and Trump.   Trump expresses that the solution to problems in America is strong, energetic leadership.   It isn't listening or doing homework; it is strength and will and no nonsense leadership.   He expressed what he will do if he runs into a problem: "you're fired!"    He isn't the A student; he's the star quarterback.  

And when people say he is a bully he recognizes the are paying him a compliment.  Trump dominated his event; Hillary Clinton listened at hers.  Who gets elected student body president, the jock or the valedictorian??   

Hillary and Trump. The Trump rally

There was no place to park within an hour before the event.   The high school band was playing football game type songs, intermixed with America the Beautiful.

The room seated about 2500.   The crowd was white (but so was the Hillary event, this being New Hampshire.)

The event had some 2500 people jammed into a high school gym.  It was raucous and hot and airless in the over-capacity space.   Trump said the things in the same way he does in his multiple Town Hall events.   I had a chance to talk to two TV reporters at the end of the event, making the point that the important thing that happened at the event was the non-answer to the Obama-Muslim question.  Neither reporter seemed to think that was an interesting observation, although by the time I got back to the motel at 9:30 p.m. the cable news networks had picked up that as the main story.

The only insight I would add is that there is a good reason why Trump may not perceived the question as one he needed to address McCain-style.    It is that the raucous crowd did not give any hints of being surprised or offended by the question.   No one shouted “idiot” or “sit down” and no one booed or hissed.  The general crowd noise, audible in the tape, stayed the same as before and after.  Donald Trump is very attuned to the crowd, engaging it constantly.    

The proverbial cue of what did not happen, the dog in the night that did not bark, is not that Trump failed to do a McCain.   It was that the crowd he is speaking to, both in that stuffy hot gymnasium and in the wider public among Trump supporters, was that they were not particularly disturbed by the question.   The crowd was the silent dog.   The crowd was not surprised to hear someone say in a disgusted tone that Obama is a Muslim and is not actually an American.

Video on crowd response to Obama is a Muslim question:  Click on the video link to get a brief look at the crowd after the question from the man saying Obama is a Muslim and not an American.   I missed getting video of the question and the first part of Trump's answer but my video does show the crowd, which thought the question unexceptional.

The Hillary Clinton Event in the afternoon, prior to the Donald Trump Event

The Hillary Event

2:20 pm.   Seniors coming in early.   The venue is a former-church, now Boys and Girls club.   Basketball hoops have been pushed to the side.  A 72 year old activist Democrat who was helping make sure the twenty reserved sears up front were saved for the correct dignitaries, said sh hoped the event would be well attended.   Sears were set up for about 225 people.   TV camera are set up on small risers in the back.  Volunteers are passing around water bottles.

Then 80 minutes of discussion of drug treatment policy.

Hillary Clinton listened attentively while the Vermont governor spoke about treatment policy for the new avalanche of heroin and prescription opioid addiction; then from a police chief talking of community policing success; then a woman who runs a treatment organization; then a clean and sober  person in recovery; then a field officer doing interventions; then two grieving mothers; then a teacher who spoke to income inequality.  Hillary spoke for about 11 minutes of the 80.

Hillary appeared to listen attentively and she spoke with compassion and sensitivity about the problem and the victims of addiction.   She denounced no one.  She spoke of practical solutions and partnerships.

If serious policy is what the public wants to hear about then Hillary will be our next president.  From the size of the crowd, though, she isn't creating excited and passionate voters.

Click on the video link on the right to see about one minute of the event.  It gives a sense of the sensible tone of the event.  It is how democracy works, but it isn't exciting television.

Showdown in New Hampshire: September 17

Hillary Clinton will be speaking at a Boys and Girls Club in Manchester mid afternoon on Thursday.   The community forum is on substance abuse.

That evening in nearby Rochester, New Hampshire, Donald Trump will have a Town Hall, which have so far been free-form stand-up entertainment.

I will attend them both, and hope to capture some sound and video, which I will share in the video links you see there to the right of this page.

They are running for the office of the person who has the nuclear codes, which is as serious a job as exists.  One would presume that the public wants a serious adult in that job.  But no doubt about it, Trump is interesting.  

New Hampshire preview: One down (Perry) but still lots to see

I am told that my blog will interest more people if there is a photo of  Trump.   Here he is, crowing that Rick Perry has dropped out.   But I need not worry there will be nothing to see.   Hope springs eternal among the remaining 16 Republicans.

I am listing below the events scheduled in New Hampshire today, Sunday the 13th, and tomorrow Monday the 14th of September.   As you can see there is still lots of activity with Christie, Florina, and Graham all there at multiple events.  

The schedule printed below is a copy and paste job from a news website:   necn.com    Following candidates around and knowing their public schedule isn't rocket science.  And they aren't sneaking around.  Candidates are trying to be seen.

I could catch some of this on CSPAN, broadcast, and cable news, but I wanted to see it unmediated.    There are leaves to see if there are no candidate events, but I expect there to be more events than I will have time for.

My intention--if I were there today--would be to see what Christie does and says at the  Seafood festival before he speeds off to the Lobster House in Dover, and to follow him there.    Will traffic ruin my effort?  Will Christie run late to everything?  Will there be security confounding my effort to move around?  Will Christie eat?  Will he joke about what he eats? Will there be much of an audience?  

I don't know, but I will tell you when I find out.

Candidate
Chris Christie	9/13/2015	295 Ocean Boulevard, Hampton, NH	Visit the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, 2:30 p.m.
Chris Christie	9/13/2015	Newick's Lobster House, 431 Dover Point Rd, Dover, NH	Town Hall with Maine Gov. Paul LePage, 4 p.m.
Carly Fiorina	9/13/2015	Alton American Legion Hall, 164 Wolfeboro Highway, Alton, NH	Breakfast with Carly, 10:25 a.m.
Carly Fiorina	9/13/2015	Grace Capital Church, 542 Pembroke St., Pembroke, NH	Cornerstone Picnic, 1:50 p.m.
Carly Fiorina	9/13/2015	Glen Ellis Family Campground, 83 Glen Ellis Campground Road, Glen, NH	Gene Chandler's Fall Family Picnic, 4:10 p.m.
Lindsey Graham	9/13/2015	Milford VFW, 1 VFW Way, Milford, NH	Town Hall meeting with Sen. John McCain, 10:30 a.m.
Lindsey Graham	9/13/2015	Grace Capital Church, 542 Pembroke St., Pembroke, NH	Attend Cornerstone's God, Country & BBQ with Sen. John McCain, 2:30 p.m.
Lindsey Graham	9/13/2015	Deering Town Hall, 762 Deering Center Road, Deering, NH	Town Hall meeting with Sen. John McCain, 4 p.m.
Lindsey Graham	9/13/2015	Keene Senior Center, 70 Court St., Keene, NH	Town Hall meeting with Sen. John McCain, 6:30 p.m.
Chris Christie	9/14/2015	Farm & Flower Market, 15 Webster St., Manchester, NH	Visit Farm & Flower Market with Mayor Ted Gatsas, 9:30 a.m.
Chris Christie	9/14/2015	William B. Cashin Senior Activity Center, 151 Douglas St., Manchester, NH	Visit senior center with Mayor Ted Gatsas, 10:15 a.m.