May 2007
I moved to New Hampshire almost five years ago, and I followed the 2004 primary online and on TV. While having a significant interest in political issues I also have a significant distaste for politics itself. However, after the Iowa caucuses and after Howard Dean’s ‘I Have A Scream’ speech, and shortly before the New Hampshire Primary I talked to my sister. She volunteered for the Kerry campaign and we talked about events surrounding the primary. I mentioned that I felt for Dean who was falling in the polls apparently due to a silly gaffe. I mentioned that his speech is type of event that I feel would take me out if I were a politician. It wouldn’t be corruption or scandal, I would simply do something so silly and ridiculous that no one would ever take me seriously again.
My sister described a news clip she had just seen of a lady who fainted when meeting John Kerry. The video showed Kerry standing above a pair of feet like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz after the house falls on the witch. She also witnessed part of a shouting match and/or scuffle between Al Franken and someone else not as liberal at a Democratic event. I mentioned that in the last day or two I had seen reports of numerous celebrities in New Hampshire stumping for their favorite candidate, some of whom I thought probably couldn’t have located New Hampshire on a map prior to their visit. It was with this call that I realized that while I followed the issues, the debates, and the politicians, I had missed quite the show.
So this time around I thought I would make more of an attempt to attend events and follow the race itself. I still have a distaste for politics. It bothers me that the bucolic back roads of New Hampshire become littered with political name placards, and it bothers me more that this appears to be effective in determining some people’s vote.
As an independent the two parties get on my nerves. Some of the petty back and forth reminds me of both junior high and kindergarten. The ‘I know you are but what am I,’ style fights, and the ‘Eew, a Republican touched me, he gave me cooties,’ type of disgust one side seems to have for the other is both sad and upsetting. However, I do believe in our overall system. I also think it’s smart that there are a few small states first in line to vote before the larger election blocks so that candidates actually have to meet and introduce themselves to individual Americans in order to have a successful campaign. Since I’m privileged to have a front row seat, I thought I’d pull up my chair and write about what I see.