07 January 2008
Presidential Candidates Make Their Case to New Hampshire Voters
Voters show up in large numbers to hear from those running for office
Manchester, New Hampshire -- With the Iowa caucuses behind them, most of the presidential candidates are now in New Hampshire appealing to voters before the state’s primary on January 8.
If you live in New Hampshire, it is hard not to notice this -- there literally are campaign signs everywhere.
December’s record-setting snowfall did not keep campaign volunteers from covering street corners with signs large and small encouraging New Hampshire residents to vote for their candidates. Outside Manchester’s Verizon Wireless Arena, home of the city’s minor league hockey team, is a large billboard for Democrat Hillary Clinton. If a voter looks up toward the sky at the right time, he or she might catch a plane flying a Ron Paul banner for the Republican candidate.
Citizens receive flyers about a candidate’s experience in the mail and talk with campaign volunteers who knock on their doors almost daily. While watching television, commercial breaks are filled with campaign advertisements.
By the time the primary happens, many voters also may find themselves on television. With so many candidates in the state, it is difficult to go anywhere without spotting a journalist at work.
Candidates and political experts consider the first nominating events in Iowa and New Hampshire to be among the most important ones to win because victories in either state can help propel a candidate to success in later state primaries and caucuses. With only five days since the Iowa caucuses were held, the candidates are working harder than ever to make their case to New Hampshire voters.
"There's a lot of excitement living in Manchester right now," said 27-year-old resident Sarah Janas. "People are paying attention."
Janas, a registered Republican, was deciding between Mike Huckabee and John McCain. But Janas also likes Democrat Barack Obama. "He seems genuinely concerned with the people of the United States," she said.
Because she is a Republican, Janas will not be able to vote for Obama in the Democratic primary. But because some New Hampshire voters like candidates from both parties, running a campaign in the state is particularly challenging.
New Hampshire has an open primary, meaning that its 40 percent of voters who do not belong to a political party can decide on primary Election Day on which primary they will participate. This means that candidates not only are appealing to their own party faithful, but must reach those who could vote on either side of the aisle.
VOTERS SHOW UP IN LARGE NUMBERS TO SEE CANDIDATES
Since the candidates spend so much time in the state, New Hampshire voters have a unique opportunity to hear directly from those running for office. Residents learn about the candidates’ platforms at town halls and rallies held in schools and theaters.
Because so many people want to see the candidates, most events are well over capacity. Speaking at a middle-school cafeteria in Londonderry, Republican candidate Mike Huckabee jokingly said the crowd was so tightly packed people could smell those who had not showered. He then went on to speak about the importance of giving to charity and played guitar with the local high school band.
At a town hall meeting hosted by former President Bill Clinton, who was speaking on behalf of his wife, crowds were turned away at the door. Some people left angrily, shouting, “Hillary lost our vote,” while others pressed their ears up to the door to hear the former president speak about Hillary Clinton’s experience.
Iowa’s winners, Republican Huckabee and Democrat Obama, focused their campaign events on building momentum.
Obama told more than 800 supporters at a Manchester theater that his victory in Iowa signified the state's interest in seeking change. "And in two days time, New Hampshire, it will be your turn to stand up. You will have the chance to change America," he said.
Other candidates stressed their electability and leadership skills.
At a town hall meeting at a school in Salem, Republican John McCain said he had the experience necessary to restore trust in the government and stop terrorism. "I will always do what I think is in the best interest of this country, and I will never let you down," he said. McCain not only answered voters’ questions, he let people tell him what they thought of his responses. This exchange of views and ideas "is what democracy is all about," he said.
People also crowded into Manchester bars Saturday night -- but not to watch the American football playoff games. As both parties' candidates participated in debates at a local television station, people gathered around the bars’ televisions to watch. Some candidates’ supporters rented out bars to watch the debates together. Republican Mitt Romney’s volunteers got a special treat when the candidate showed up after the debate to thank them for their “extraordinary” work.
In two days time, Janas saw four presidential candidates and one former president speak. She also was interviewed by several reporters.
After seeing her top choices speak, Janas said, “I like Huckabee, he seemed genuine." She also said "McCain was very down to earth, seemed very practical in his approach to foreign policy. ... He cares about the future of the country."
Still uncertain about whom to vote for, Janas plans to research more about the candidates online.
The latest Republican polls show McCain in the lead over Romney, with Huckabee a distant third. For the Democrats, the race appears to be primarily between Obama and Clinton, with Obama in the lead. But with voters like Janas still undecided, no one knows whose efforts to win over New Hampshire voters ultimately will prove to be most successful.
