The presidential primary seems to get started earlier every time it rolls around. This year, there are open races on both sides with at least twelve candidates between the two parties. It’s a complicated picture and to help sort it out, NHPR is going to watch as the citizens of one town wrestle with their choices between now and whenever the New Hampshire primary takes place.
The town is Exeter, population 14,704 according to the latest census.
New Hampshire Public Radio’s Jon Greenberg has the first in this ongoing series.
The primary is this state’s equivalent of the running of the bulls – an event that expresses local identity in the one way that seems to draw attention from the rest of the world.
CUT: DEM Thank you for coming tonight, welcome.
A year before the big event, Rockingham county Democrats are getting ready. Tonight, about 30 of them are meeting at the Loaf and Ladle, a homey restaurant in downtown Exeter and one of the regular pit stops for visiting candidates.
Chairwoman, Lenore Patton, a small woman with short white hair, wants to be sure the candidates feel welcome.
CUT: DEM if you would be willing to host a house party, put down your names and contact information and let us know the number of people you can have in your house.
It’s early days yet and only a few dedicated activists have chosen their favorite. Exeter is almost evenly divided among Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Politically, it is contested ground -- that seems to draw more people into the fray. The primary is a background hum here that doesn’t necessarily demand immediate attention, but on the other hand, won’t go away.
Chris Moutis grew up in Exeter and owns the Townlyne Grille – an upscale restaurant with a decent sized lounge.
CUT: TWO: 9:22 Nobody's going to admit right now that they are looking forward to it. They're going to moan, Oh my God, how could you, it's over a year away and shut up already, I don't want to think about that. But of course that doesn't stop them from talking politics in the bar.
Exeter gets its share of visits from candidates, perhaps a little more than its share. The Phillips Exeter Academy, one of the country’s top private schools, is a huge presence in town. The academy tries to get every presidential contender to speak in its 1,000-seat auditorium.
In 2000, Chris went there to hear Democrat Bill Bradley. Chris is an ardent Republican but political gate crashing is a popular sport here.
CUT: FOUR6:19 it was jammed to the rafters .. it was super bowl Sunday and when he opened with a joke, one woman called out, just tell us why you want to be president.
Exeter voters, like others in New Hampshire, tend to treat presidential candidates with the deference they normally reserve for town selectmen.
From Chris’s lounge-side vantage point, the mood of the two parties heading into this primary is quite different. The last election left Democrats emboldened but edgy about their gains. On the Republican side, the partisans are flummoxed.
CUT APRIL both in NH and in the country we are a party that needs to reestablish who we are and who we are not.
April Mason is an Exeter Republican who lost her seat in the house of representatives in the last election, along with many others in her party. For her, this primary is all about finding the person who can lead them out of the wilderness.
CUT: APRIL as voters we are acutely aware of the need to pull back the layers. (You want a clear spoken champion of a Republican image)
That’s correct. And I'm not willing to sacrifice that for who I think will win.
April hasn’t seen a candidate yet who does it for her but she will certainly have her chance to examine her choices. And talking with her, you can almost begin to feel some sympathy for the candidates as they try to win people over. April is looking for a straight shooter
CUT: APRIL I think you should be who you are .. you know, the party of Ronald Reagan is who we are.
And she knows who she is.
CUT: APRIL I'm pro life, I don’t' support same sex marriage, I do support civil unions, people deserve protections.
But if you’re beginning to get the sense that April doesn’t fit neatly into any one political box, it gets even more interesting.
CUT: APRIL I'm pro life, but would vote for someone who is pro choice .. all about ability to lead the country.
In Exeter, there’s a lot of sloshing around --- of values, emotions -- visions of the country. It isn’t just something that plays out between Republicans and Democrats. It also happens within individual households.
On a cold February night, Neal Kimball and his wife Barbara are driving in their Isuzu Rodeo to hear Barack Obama speak at the University of New Hampshire. Neal is a Democrat – a pretty active one, he’s secretary of the Exeter Democratic Committee.
CUT NEAL/BARBARA Myself I'm definitely a Barak guy.
How can you say that, it's so early
Yeah but you know the story
The story is, Neal’s father was a firefighter in southern New Hampshire who, after about 15 years, went back to college, got his degree, applied to Harvard Law School and much to his surprise, actually got in. Barack Obama was a classmate.
CUT: NEAL/BARBARA He came home and said I think I've seen the first African American president.
Neal’s father was so impressed with how Obama handled contentious issues at school, when he appeared on the national scene, the whole family got behind him.
Neal is salesman for a company that helps other companies set up big computer systems. Barbara teaches English at Thomas Aquinas, a Catholic high school in Dover.
Barbara is an independent, but she’s really as much of a Democrat as Neal. Right now, she’s leaning toward Hillary Clinton. Part of the run up to the primary involves the committed, like Neal, trying to persuade the uncommitted, like Barbara. Driving around, looking for a parking space, is as good a time as any and Neal presses Barbara on Hillary Clinton .
CUT: NEAL/BARBARA
she's so wired in, she's so politics as usual, doesn't it concern you at all?
Yeah, especially the politics as usual ... Bush Clinton, Bush Clinton
Yeah, it's so late Roman Republic
but I think at the same time, she has experience. and she is smart.//
So your main issue with Barack is the lack of experience
That's it, one of the issues
Where has experience gotten us in last 6 years .. gov. of large state.. the experience of Dick Cheney.. I think experience is over rated. what we need is wisdom.
I think Hillary has wisdom..
This debate between Neal and Barbara went on and hearing Obama didn’t change things much. To Neal’s disappointment, Barbara left saying she felt Obama answers could have been more to the point. She said he was still working out the kinks.
And meanwhile, she, along with all the other voters in Exeter, have plenty of time to out the rest of the field.
For NHPR News, I’m Jon Greenberg.
