The party's over.
The New Hampshire Primary started slowly almost a year ago as guests began to arrive and it ended with a bang on Tuesday night.
And now it's clean up time.
Campaign staff are cleaning up and while some may be heading home, others are off to the next party in another state. .
NHPR's Dianne Finch reports on the day after.
(Elms Street Traffic)
Things seem a bit too quiet on Elm Street in Downtown Manchester.
A few national news trucks, reporters and photographers are still out and about.
But the chanting, horn honking and overall campaign excitement have disappeared.
And it’s just as quiet inside John Edwards’ campaign office on Hanover Street.
There staff were packing up boxes, tearing maps and posters off the walls – and talking about what they will do next.
(Sounds of packing up)
Just outside, Beth Silbey, an attorney and campaign volunteer – sits in her red minivan about to take off for Washington D.C.
She says she enjoyed Manchester and will miss it.
But she’s ready to go to South Carolina to work on the Edwards’ campaign there.
SILBEY: “It’s been a big roller coaster ride going up and down. And you know it’s very emotional. When you put your life into something.. and I have for a long time put my life into John Edwards, and I still believe in him and we still have a lot of time to go.”
The mood is similar at Mitt Romney’s office on Elm Street.
A few staff members were quietly talking on phones.
One volunteer packs up hundreds of small campaign fliers that say “January 8th” across the top.
Jim Merrill, Romney’s Campaign Director, says he plans to use those fliers anyway.
MERRILL: “Sure we can. I’m a yankee. I live in Manchester. I’m from New Hampshire so you know I think this fall it would be very easy to slap a label over the top of that and just reuse it. Absolutely the message is the same we’re talking lower taxes, fixing illegal immigration and changing a Washington that’s broken so..”
Down the road at one of the mill buildings along the river, John McCain’s staff are just hanging out.
They don’t seem too concerned with packing – though some of it has been done.
One sits with his legs up on the desk – and another tosses a football.
They’re both smiling…looking tired, but quite relaxed.
(“like the Superbowl baby”)
(Football tossing, catching)
In an adjacent room, the walls are still lined with “Mac is Back” posters.
One young volunteer, Dan Shorts, says he’s feeling pretty good and he plans to help out in South Carolina.
SHORTS: “Tired, a little exhausted, but ecstatic. I mean everybody around here has been working around the clock. I mean yesterday I was here at 6 in the morning and I don’t think I got to bed until 1 in the morning. Just all day long all night long making calls going to houses. Everything. Anything and everything we could do to pull off the victory we did, and obviously we were successful so..”
Staff over at Hillary Clinton’s headquarters on Fir Street look equally tired, but happy.
Staff and volunteers haven’t done much packing yet.
Clintons’ state campaign director, Nick Clemens, says the campaign still has a lot of work to do.
(staff chatter..)
CLEMENS: “I don’t think that we can look at the returns and say by any means that this was a blow out in New Hampshire. But comparing to the exit polls and the polls leading into this we made up a considerable amount of ground. It was a long night we were waiting for the returns to come in. When you’re in a situation like that you want to make sure that you get it right.”
It’s hard to believe that just two days ago the streets of Manchester were bustling with candidates, their staff and supporters, a few movie stars, and lots of reporters.
It’s now back to normal.
(Elm Street)
But in New Hampshire, the quiet won’t last for long.
Another election is always right around the corner.
For NHPR News, I’m Dianne Finch
