Rubber Chicken and Few Candidates

My husband and I went to the New Hampshire Democratic Party's Jefferson & Jackson dinner last Thursday night. I was hoping that it would attract some of the candidates, but in fact, only Wesley Clark showed up. There were, however, throngs of supporters waving signs outside the Center of New Hampshire and wearing buttons for their chosen candidate inside. The crowd was told that it was the largest dinner in recent history.
I almost felt strange because I wasn't wearing someone's button or badge. Those who hadn't chosen a candidate were certainly in the minority in the hall.
We were seated next to another couple from Nashua. The woman had actually lived in Vermont for several years and had story after story about Howard Dean. It was all positive for the most part, but in the end she admitted that he could use more experience in international affairs, but might be a good choice for vice president.
Terry McAuliffe, the head of the National Democractic Party, was the featured speaker. He had one basic message for the crowd: support who you wanted in the primary, but when things got serious and a single candidate was selected, a united front on the part of all Democrats was the only way that Bush could be defeated.
It was an interesting evening. There's certainly a sense of excitement that's growing about the primary. It's becoming more evident every day.