When most New Hampshire voters come out to hear a presidential candidate, they want to hear about their positions on a wide range of issues. But there are others who come with a more specific agenda. These people call themselves ?bird-doggers?. They?re activists who ask questions about a particular issue, in an effort to influence a candidate?s position. New Hampshire Public Radio?s Raquel Maria Dillon met some bird-doggers in training.
Liana Foxvog has recruited a couple dozen high school students to spend a Saturday afternoon learning about trade policy. She?s a youth organizer with the American Friends Service Committee and she?s teaching them how to be birddoggers.
FOXVOG :10 ?pin them down on the issue. A yes or no question is good. ?If elected president will you commit to opposing the Free Trade Area of the Americas?
She?s coaching these students to engage in grassroots politics, New Hampshire style. Today, they?re learning how to ask the presidential candidates about trade policy. Foxvog says this will force the politicians to take their concerns about free trade seriously, and state clearly their position on the Free Trade Area of the Americas.
FOXVOG :12 We?ve really seen through this whole process of bird-dogging, and asking questions, they?ve become more informed and they?re talking more about because they know we care about these issues.
Foxvog has talked to six presidential candidates so far, and she says it works! She asked Howard Dean about the Free Trade Area of the Americas at several different events.
FOXVOG :10 the first time I asked him about it. He didn?t even know what it was. He said I dunno what that agreement is about, I?ll have to get back to you.
Several months later, she followed up.
FOXVOG :13 I got the first question in after he did his wrap. He said yes, I?ll do that and even more. Then he did this rant?
The trick she says, is to be bold, to research a candidate?s record, and to ask direct, yes-or-no questions. The students tried out their new skills on a pretend candidate. Veteran local organizer Arnie Alpert entered the room wearing a oversized blazer and a red tie?
ALPERT :07 I just wanna make short comments about my candidacy for president, see if you have any quick questions?
Alpert has the candidate routine down ? he?s has the courtroom hand gestures John Edwards?, the calm smile of John Kerry, and the fast-talking energy of Howard Dean? A young woman took a stab at trade policy?
STUDENT :24 would you be able to resist the interests of big corps who are trying to outsource labor by not signing the FTAA?
ALPERT I?m gonna be president of the people. Another question? Hehehe?
STUDENT can you give us a yes or no answer? You?re being vague? are you going to stop the neo-liberalist strategies?
ALPERT What liberalism? I?m proud of being a liberal!
Alpert and Foxvog hope this rehearsal will serve the students well at a real campaign event. They say bird-doggers educate the candidates, the public, and the media all in one fell swoop. Veteran bird-dogger Jamie Contois of Keene shares a few tips she learned in the field.
CONTOIS :17 don?t ask a candidate how he feels about something. Because they?ll give you open ended answers about when they were a kid and they?re gonna be the candidate for human rights and labor laws when their record shows they?re not.
Birddogging isn?t particularly new, in fact the campaigns have come to expect it. Karen Hicks, New Hampshire campaign director for Howard Dean, used to be a bird-dogger herself.
HICKS :08 birddoggers are part of NH political tradition, people are free to come and ask whatever?s on their mind.
At their bird-dogging workshops, the American Friends Service Committee organizers say anyone can read up on an issue, compose an intelligent question, and build enough confidence to speak up in a public forum. That takes some time. That?s why AFSC is training students and seniors.
One of them was waiting when Joe Lieberman visited Havenwood Senior home in Concord a couple weeks ago.
LIEBERMAN :06 I?ll take one more question?
86-year-old Irene Irving was ready with her question.
IRVING :18 if elected president, what will you do to get our country on a course towards non-proliferation, arms control??
LIEBERMAN Good question, I?ve spend more than a decade Senate armed services committee? stay strong?
Afterwards, Irving evaluated Lieberman?s answer?
IRVING :15 he wasn?t as specific as I would like him to be. But he agreed that we should go back to the treaties. I think he said that. I would have liked more detail.
Whatever the birddogers take away, it?s not simply for their own personal satisfaction. Many post reports on their campaign trail exploits at a web site.
For NHPR News, I?m RMD.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo