Thursday, November 29, 2007

Ben Cohen Sweetens Up Budget Discussions at College Conference

Manchester, NH -

There is no better time than lunch time to hear a speech from an ice cream magnate, especially when it is accompanied by free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream bars. But what is the deal with hearing that speech at a college political conference bookended by Presidential candidates? The deal is that Ben Cohen is no ordinary dessert baron.

Cohen leads a group called Business Leaders for Sensible Budget Priorities, whose chief goal is to “change US budget priorities to reflect a national commitment to education, healthcare, energy independence, job training and deficit reduction -- at no additional taxpayer expense -- by eliminating funding for unneeded Cold War era weapons systems.”

It also happens that members of this group have been among the most visible interest groups on the campaign trail this year here in New Hampshire. At nearly every candidate’s stop you are likely to run into someone from the priorities gang handing out fliers, pens and cookies illustrating the US budget in a pie graph and driving around vans with the same pied logo painted on the side. So for Cohen, who sold Ben & Jerry’s to Unilever in 1999, this convention was the ideal venue for him to sell his latest venture, prioritizing our national budget.

Speaking to a group of college students, themselves presumably worried about their current grades in Urban Sociology and Stats 451, Cohen began his speech with a tone of great humility. Ahh, college, he fondly remembered. “I Went to Colgate, dropped out. Then went to Skidmore, dropped out. Went to NYU, dropped out. Went to the New School, dropped out.”

Meanwhile, his boyhood friend and now famous partner in crime, Jerry, had applied to thirty medical schools and was rejected across the board.

“We were, kind of, two failures,” said Cohen. “The only thing we really liked doing was eating so we decided on having a food business and ended up picking ice cream.”

He then told the story of taking a correspondence course through Penn State to learn how to make ice cream, and struggling to sell frozen desserts in a less-than-tropical Vermont winter. Slowly but surely, Ben and Jerry’s became an important brand in ice cream culture, and when Ben began to worry about the negative social effects of business on culture and the environment, a local mentor gave him the advice that would shape the rest of his life.

“If there’s something you don’t like about business just do it differently.”

Cohen has lived by those words ever since. Now that he is out of business, he has transferred them over to the world of citizenry. He doesn’t like the way that government is doing business, so he is trying to get them to do it differently. Today, he hoped that the gathering of college students would see it the same way.

Referring to social problems like hunger and disease Cohen said, “I was brought up to believe that those problems have always existed. They will always exist. I’m here to tell you that’s a myth. That’s a bunch of BS.”

So went the call of action from an old, sweet-toothed hippie. But Cohen wasn’t content with a mere warning. Ever a fan of visuals, as evidenced by his colorful pint containers, Ben then turned the presentation into a veritable free-for-all of props not seen since the days of Gallagher.

Anyone can tell you that the United States’ military budget is immense, but Cohen felt it more appropriate to show it with a bar graph made from replicas of oreo cookies. Each cookie represented ten billion dollars, and he stacked them up to compare our military budget (more than thirty) to that of education (4 oreos), world hunger (1.5 oreos), children’s health care (5 oreos), energy independence (.25 oreos), job training (.75 oreos), and reducing the deficit (0 oreos).

This really had the crowd going, as Cohen climbed up on a ladder, much like Al Gore in An Inconvenient Truth, to illustrate the height of the military budget.

“I think he was very entertaining and he made some very good points,” said Danielle Brazil, a junior at Salve Regina University. “I loved that he had visuals. I think that’s so important, andI loved the oreo idea. I think that’s funny.”

Cohen continued with his oreo model to suggest how we might cut the military budget by at least six oreos (sixty billion dollars) and transfer funds into more needy projects. After all, Russia, China, Iran, Libya and North Korea combine for a mere 200 billion in military spending.

“I liked how he compared the US Defense spending to Russia and China,” was Salve Regina junior Emila Shosho’s reaction. “I think its important he emphasizes that our defense spending is still higher after we cut it.”

Still not finished with the crowd-pleasing demonstrations, Cohen implored the students to close their eyes for his finale. He dropped one bb into a tin can as the crowd sat hushed while he explained that it represented the nuclear power of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The single bb made a loud ping.

“Now listen,” he said, “to what our current nuclear arsenal sounds like.”

Ben then poured an entire container of lead pellets into the empty tin can, causing a riotous noise into the microphone that resonated through the large, otherwise silent room. After ten seconds of rattling, the bbs finally stopped, and the crowd stood up in a spontaneous standing ovation.

“In business,” Cohen said, “if you don’t shift directions fast enough you go out of business. In government, its not exactly that way. Our country, the last remaining super power on earth needs to measure its strength not on how many people we can kill, but on how many people we can feed, clothe, and care for.”

In Cohen’s mind, with the vast difference in guns and butter, providing delicious ice cream flavors like Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Phish Food and Cherry Garcia just isn’t enough. The students in the room seemed to agree.

Week 13 NFL Picks

Manchester, NH -

Here are the picks for Week 13

DALLAS over Green Bay
TENNESSEE over Houston
INDIANAPOLIS over Jacksonville
San Diego over KANSAS CITY
ST. LOUIS over Atlanta
MIAMI over NY Jets
MINNESOTA over Detroit
Seattle over PHILADELPHIA
WASHINGTON over Buffalo
OAKLAND over Denver
CAROLINA over San Francisco
CHICAGO over NY Giants
Cleveland over ARIZONA
NEW ORLEANS over Tampa Bay
PITTSBURGH over Cincinnati
New England over BALTIMORE


Week 12: 12-4
Season to Date 74-40

College Convention 2k8

Manchester, NH -

We will be blogging from the New England College Convention 2008 all day today. I'm listening to Ben Cohen from Ben and Jerry's right now, and Sen. Mike Gravel is up next, followed by Steve Marchand. I hope to put up three or four small entries throughout the afternoon, and a longer one about Mike Gravel later on. Right now the Senator is at the table behind me drinking a glass of milk and listening to Ben tell his story.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

GOP YouTube Love Blog Part 4

Manchester, NH -

Candidates are getting called out for Don't Ask Don't Tell policy by a retired Brig. General.

McCain continually dodges questions about policy by saying we have brave troops and the best army ever. Just a note.

Huckabee just suggested Hillary be on the first space trip to Mars. Wild applause.

Tancredo points out that we can't be spending money going to Mars when our deficit is so big.

Anyone else see the irony in Rudy talking about how to attract African-American voters? isn't he the most hated politician by minorities in America?

A question about the confederate flag? Anderson misspeaks, calls it stars and bars

Looks like that last question has Romney pandering anew, but at least he rails against the Confed. flag.

Paul's video is awesome. Footage of rallies and supporters and freeway overpass signs.

Giuliani just whined when he got challenged.

"This country is in a revolution. They're sick and tired of what they're getting. And I happen to be lucky enough to be part of it"- Paul

Classic, they end with a stupid baseball question. Gimme a break.

Also, I should mention that I am at a college conference and there are only ten people watching the debate. I'm off to find an after party. See you later.

BTB

GOP YouTube Love Blog 3

Manchester, NH -

Question about repairing relations with Muslim world
Rudy: let's stay on offense!
McCain: Let's win the war in Iraq. No Surrender.
Hunter: I will never apologize for the United States of America.
(translation: we can beat them into submission!)


Romney doesn't think it is wise for candidates to say what techniques they would specifically use.

"Well, governor, I'm astonished that you haven't found out what waterboarding is." - McCain.

Ooh, some guy just whipped out a chart. He wants permanent bases in Iraq. United World of America! Woo!

I think Ron Paul just pointed at the crowd while they were cheering down McCain. Maybe I'm wrong. McCain and Paul are fighting again. This is awesome. "Wolfowitz even admitted that one of the major reasons al-Qaeda was organized because of our bases in Saudi Arabia." Paul, the ideologue, is unflappable.

Thompson just jokes about a cartoon Cheney, "I thought that was me." Not exactly a comparison you want to be making, Fred.

Hunter's commercial starring Chuck Yeager! Does anyone even know who he is anymore?

commercial

GOP YouTube Love Blog part 2

Manch

Giuliani just got loudly booed on a gun question. Man, he's getting trounced tonight.

...
Just left for ten minutes to go hear Joe Biden speak. He's earnest as hell today.
...

What should the punishment be for abortion for women and doctors?
What a stupid question. Old West. Dodge City.

Another abortion question. Giuliani just said he wouldn't sign a federal abortion ban, he's send it to the states.

"I would welcome a circumstance" where that happened. "I'd be delighted to sign it" - Romney
What a pander.

Death Penalty: What would Jesus Do?
"It was the toughest decision I've ever made" - Huckabee, yet goes on to stand up for the penalty. Tries to explain how that works with pro-life stance. "Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office."

Do you believe every word of the bible?
Giuliani, no.
Romney: "absolutely." He is trying as hard as he can to be the anti-Rudy.

commercial break.

GOP YouTube Love Blog

Manch, NH -

I'm late! A scheduling error had me planning on a 9pm start time for the debate, but alas it was 8. I high tailed it down here for 8:30.

As soon as I walked in the door Mitt and Huck were really getting after each other about illegal immigrant children. Then it was talk about spending.

The styles of these candidates are markedly different.

Paul just clowned on McCain. "I came to Washington and Washington didn't change me." Just got a lot of applause for saying we should bring the troops home. It's a First! Yeah!

Huckabee just got a bunch of applause for fair tax. "More people in this country are afraid of an audit than they are a mugging and there's a reason why."

Oooh, McCain is on the attack! Ron Paul is just nodding like "bring it on."

"He doesn't even understand the difference between non-interventionism and isolationism" - Paul on McCain. Boo ya.

Grover Norquist just asked a question. If Chris Dodd is "too famous" to do so, why isn't Grover?

Rudy just got asked about the Politico scandal. He looked nervous.

Tancredo's video is hilarious. Entirely about Hillary, except when it cites that he took on Geraldo.

WOW, Fred Thompson's video was entirely an attack on Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.

and commercial

Everything's On Sale!

Snow Pond, NH -

Attention Holiday Shoppers! Get your gear for less!



This is the second round of e-mails I have received from the Obama campaign advertising their line of Obama-related t-shirts, hats, and stickers. But this, obviously, is the first holiday-themed e-mail. Look at those cute snowflakes! Gets me all cuddly inside, makes me crave some hot cocoa and a nice Hope t-shirt!

Yeah, right. I want a bourbon hot toddie and my old wool sweater. But luckily for Team Obama, there are millions of people out there who are suckers for glossy ad campaigns. Why wait for the Sunday paper supplementals when your e-mail inbox delivers for you on a Wednesday morning?

This idea of a political campaign product advertising gives me mixed emotions. On the one hand, it disgusts me. It furthers the trend of over-consumption in our society, and plays us for patsies who can be swayed by pretty colors and minor discounts. Can you imagine someone who Barack's policies are ostensibly trying to help, a young women just out of college with very little income and high debts, putting a t-shirt purchase on her 25% interest credit card because she doesn't get paid for another week and a half? And what if someone has already maxed out on donations at $2,300 and then buys $200 worth of Obama beanies for all of his grandchildren at Xmas? Does that create a legal problem for the campaign?

On the other hand, I have to give it to them because it is a pretty brilliant idea. Where a lot of people would recoil at giving their hard-earned money to a political campaign, even one that they believe in, spending 20 bucks on a t-shirt is normal. Inserting colorfully logoed products helps to bridge the gap between today's consumer society and political activism which, these days, relies almost entirely on how much money you can give to the campaign coffers.

Most important of all, everything's on sale! So not only are you helping to change the political direction of our great nation, you're also getting more for your money. Now don't forget about that summer clearance! And don't get me started on the fact that they have seasonal clothing lines.

Final Prediction, circa 2016:
RNC and DNC Credit Cards. 1% of every purchase goes to the political party you support the most. Get cash back on all purchases from party-endorsed corporations! Save 5% on party donations when you use the card! Your choice of three great designs!

The RNC and DNC Credit Card: Purchase Power to the People

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

The Cookie Primary

Snow Pond, NH -

This morning, when I sat down at the table overlooking the pond, I got a little cra-zayyy with the maple syrup in my oatmeal dish, bringing it to a level of sweetness usually reserved for things like cake and ice cream and, well, cookies. So it was quite the coincidence when, moments later, it came to my attention that Dublin, NH's Yankee Magazine is holding a cookie primary, where all the candidates were invited to share their favorite cookie recipes for Yankee readers' approval in an online poll leading up to a taste test from a panel of experts on December 14. Candidates have until then to submit, but here is a sampling of what is on the docket so far.

DEMOCRATS

Joe Biden - Senator Joe Biden's Favorite Oatmeal Cookies
Certainly the most self referential of all the offerings. But of course.

Hillary Clinton - Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Props to Clinton for being the only one to offer some sort of chocolate chip cookie. Hedging bets with the quasi-health conscious community with the oatmeal, but I guess ol' Bill needs that stuff for his heart. Hillary also goes so far as to tell us how long to cool the cookies on the cookie sheets (2 min.) before removing them to wire racks. Thanks for that!

Chris Dodd - Dodd Family Christmas Cookies
Name is pretty anonymous, but they have a little bit of chocolate, a little bit of clove, a little bit of cinnamon, some lemon rind."This recipe makes a lot of cookies. They will keep a long time in a tight container." Sounds an awful lot like the "experience" cookie to me.

Mike Gravel - Great-Grandma Gravel's Biscuits a la Creme Sure
For all of us non-French speakers, that means Sour Cream Cookies straight out of the French Canuck New England roots. Worth noting that "According to the recipe they don't last long in the cookie jar." At first I was going to make fun of Gravel for not knowing that from experience, but then I remembered, Duh! What kind of idiot lets a batch of cookies last beyond the afternoon! Way to chow down, Mike!

Barack Obama - Michelle Obama's Apple Cobbler
Uhh, Barack, that is not a cookie. But major props to Michelle, who says "I've been making this cobbler for a long time, so I usually just eyeball how much needs to go in." As the girls I have consistently cooked for over the last four years can attest, this Dude doesn't abide by recipes. Going back to the cobbler thing, what else did you expect from Obama. We don't need somebody who can play the cookie game better, we need a new cookie game.

Bill Richardson - Bill and Barbara Richardson's Biscochitos
From the man whose fundraising goals are done in chili peppers comes the official state cookie of New Mexico. That's some good state pride. Tight, part 1: recipe calls for table wine. Tight, part 2: last clause of the mixture recipe says "add more wine, if necessary." Also, requires lard and includes anise seed. That is what we call trying to incorporate red states and blue states.


REPUBLICANS

Mike Huckabee - Mrs. Huckabee's Snickerdoodles
Fitting that Mike Chucklebee would serve up some snickerdoodles. Simple directions say to "mix dough and chill." First of three candidates (all Republicans) to refer to their wife, in the recipe title, as "Mrs." Also, if we are to believe Huckabee's diet, he doesn't eat these things. This is also probably why Dennis Kucinich, a vegan, chose not to submit a cookie recipe.

John McCain - Mrs. Cindy McCain's 3-Minute No-Bake Cookies
3-Minute No-Bake? Although you do win the hyphen award, I gotta say it - way to be lazy, Cindy! I'll return the favor on my review. Worth noting, Second of Three candidates (all Republicans) to refer to their wife, in the recipe title, as "Mrs."

Ron Paul - Carol Paul's Apricot-Coconut Balls
No comment on obvious fruitcake/nut joke. Good, simple and principled recipe just like the campaign. Apricots, coconut, condensed milk and pecans. Avoids flour in protest of high government wheat subsidies, avoids baking in protest of nuclear power subsidies. Worth noting that Paul's internet army of bots have dominated the online voting so far, with 95% of the early returns according to a source at Yankee.

Mitt Romney - Mrs. Romney's Welsh Skillet Cakes
Could there be a more boutique-y sounding cookie? My answer is no. From what I understand Wales is pretty rustic and rural, and it certainly doesn't have any Bourgeois cities like Paris, but I just can't get over the fact that anything Welsh just sounds really effete and arrogant. But I will say that this recipe is pretty complicated, and even includes exclamations about how to roll the dough. So about that Republicans-who-watch-Martha-Stewart-vote? Romney just nailed it! Worth noting, Romney is the third of three candidates (all Republicans) to refer, in the recipe title, to their wife as "Mrs."

Tom Tancredo - Jackie Tancredo's Frosted Chocolate Drops
To paraphrase the immortal words of South Park's Chef, "suck on my Frosted Chocolate Drops. (Put 'em in your mouth!)" It is how they do out in Colorado. But back to the cookies, we've got some butter, some chocolate, some nuts, plus the frosting, which Mrs. Tancredo doubles? I like it a lot. Coincidentally, the runner-up recipe in the Tancredo recipe choosing contest: mexican wedding cakes.

Fred Thompson - Jeri Thompson's Grandmother's Sugar Cookies
The nice thing about this recipe, although arguably the blandest offering, is that the directions are numbered in five easy steps. No need to actually read a paragraph. That's too much work when you're cookin'. But points are lost as the directions call for frosting, but there is no recipe for it. What, you want us to use store-bought? For shame. As an aside, I wonder if Fred Thompson went to high school with Jeri Thompson's grandmother.

Obama Set List, Laconia 11/20

Obama Set List
Laconia, NH
11/20/07

Steal My Kisses - Ben Harper
A Kiss to Build a Dream On - Louis Armstrong
Unintelligible Norah Jones song
Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder

Obama: Voice of a New Generation?

Laconia, NH -

Tuesday night, just before Thanksgiving, was dark, cloudy and cold. The inch and a half of snow on the ground from that morning’s flurries, bright and reflective in my headlights, was all that kept the small state highways East of I-93 in North Central New Hampshire from being dangerously invisible. In other words, for all intents and purposes, winter had reared its ugly head here in the Granite State.

In the place that holds the first-in-the-nation primary, winter historically means crunch time. When you think of the iconic moments of the NH Primary, you don’t think of beautiful summer days on the stump in rural hill towns and seacoast lobster bakes. You think of candidates shaking hands in the snow on city streets and outside of factories, of Ed Muskie allegedly crying in the sleet. When you think of the history of the New Hampshire Primary, you think of winter.

So I found it a little ironic that my first snowy event of the year would coincide with the one candidate who, more than anyone else, establishes himself as the purveyor of the new style of politics. The crusty old snowy primary victories of Al Gore and Richard Nixon, if you’ll believe Obama, ought to come to an end. Washington’s game plan is passe, and a fresh start is long overdue.

If that was the case, then on Tuesday night new met old when the Barack Obama faithful, clad in parkas and wool hats, walked through the gauntlet of advocacy groups standing outside the main entrance to the local middle school and squished into a gymnasium made hot by the cluster of bodies in direct opposition to the cold night air.

The crowd’s chatter was already loud by the time I arrived at 7:45PM for the 8 o’clock event, and the seats were full with nothing but stragglers still walking through the door and looking for a place to tuck in among their friends and neighbors. I set up shop at a table in a roped off area designated for the media, where I would be spoiled with my own electrical outlet and campaign-provided wireless internet. New politics, indeed.

I sat and waited, snapped a few photos of the scene, and then at 8:08 the traveling press came in like the torrent of a dry creek newly flowing with spring rainfall, rushing toward me from the back of the gym looking for the most direct route to get prime position on the press riser.

Within seconds of my noticing their arrival, Paul Hodes, one of New Hampshire’s US Representatives and an early Obama endorser, bounded into the center of the room, took the mic and immediately sought to charge up the crowd. He quickly went through his remarks, handed off to another local politician to say a few more things, and then cue the music for the main event.

The crowd began to rhythmically clap to summon the Senator, and within moments Obama walked on the stage. With his slim figure and smooth voice, which the Red State Update folks recently called “loud”, Obama read from his list of local dignitaries to thank for their presence and, once he was through with that, did something fairly unusual out on the campaign trail. He thanked his field organizers, his interns, and the volunteers who were doing the grunt work to make his campaign successful. These are the people, after all, who make sure the gyms are full when the candidate comes to town.

Obama then ran through the things people in the audience can help. He implored them to fill out supporter cards, become precinct captains, and be a part of something bigger.

The candidate then recounted how when he moved to Chicago after law school “to help steelworkers that had been laid off, it was the best education I ever had because it taught me that people can get together to do great things.”

But before he passed the buck too heavily onto the audience, he gave us a prediction.

“I intend to be so dazzling tonight,” Obama boasted with a grin, “that all of you feel compelled to give all your organizing cards to the organizer.”

With that, he went into his stump speech where he says that people tell him they are taking an interest in his campaign because they want an end to the Bush admin, and are tired of the way things work in Washington.

“We don’t need someone who can play the game better,” he tells us. “we need someone who can end the game plan.”

In addition to a brief overview of his policies, and a touch on the relevant political issues of the day, Obama inferred that people don’t want government to solve their problems, but instead “with all the taxes you’re paying” to merely knock down some barriers.

He brings up the experience question in a negative frame. When people in Washington tell him he needs more time in office, Obama suggests it is because “they want to stew me and season me a little bit and boil all the hope out of me. No thanks.”

This invariably leads to his incredulously bringing up the slurs of “hope monger” and “hope peddler.” Such is the hard knock life for Barack Obama among the pundits he describes.

Ultimately, Obama says he has four attributes that qualify him for the Presidency.

1) Experience of bringing people together to get things done
2) Knowing how to stand up to the special interests
3) The ability to stand up for what they believe in even when its not popular
4) A sense of impatience

None of it, however, stands up to Obama’s main theme, that it is about something larger than himself, and he is just a medium through which the desires of the many are accomplished.

“I want to lead,” Barack said, “but I can’t do it myself. I will not be a perfect president but here is what I can guarantee: I will always tell you what I think. I will always tell you where I stand. I will listen to you even when we disagree. I will wake up in the White House every single morning thinking about how I can make your lives just a little bit better.”

He said that to a standing ovation, but only mixed smiles. It is an uplifting message, but tonight it wasn’t exactly earth shatteringly profound or powerful. People were still standing and applauding when Obama spoke into the microphone over the noise to announce that he would be sticking around to answer any questions people had.

But a funny thing happened while he answered questions about homeland security, nuclear disarmament, and the farm bill. People started slowly trickling out of the gym. Fifteen minutes into the Q&A session, the amount of empty chairs became embarrassingly noticeable. When a pack of fifteen all bolted at once, Obama called them out, and encouraged them to fill out the volunteer cards on their way out the door.

Sensing a lost audience Obama hurried to finish the night, saying that a staffer told him he had time to answer one more question. Obviously, he insisted on two. As is so often the case with political rallies, the questions weren’t short. While all of the journalists, some of the voters, and presumably the candidate himself hoped that the event would find its glad tidings for the evening it just didn’t happen.

To make matters worse, Obama went out of his way at the very end to touch on a few talking points for social security policy. Did he think that the voters cared so deeply about social security that he needed to go over it? Did his handlers work him over so much that he felt obligated to mention the issue at every event no matter what? Or is he just such a wonk that he couldn’t let the night slip by without what he felt was a crucial issue?

All of those things were floating through my mind as I looked down at my cell phone to see the display light showing 9:40PM. I also made a last ditch effort to count the empty chairs in the gym, and stopped at a hundred. A quick internet search showed that the 9 o’clock network offering on the boob tube included a new episode of House. Maybe that is why people left early.

Then again, as I pondered it over Thanksgiving break, maybe these days most people just don’t have more than an hour long attention span for politics. After all there must be a reason why the debates have been whittle down to 60-second sound bytes and campaign commercials have the ability to give a candidate a five to ten point bounce with every significant media buy. The more you talk, the more you risk.

But maybe that is the cynicism Obama is trying to slay. Those who stayed for the full hour and a half, about seventy five per cent of the original crowd, were still buzzing a little on the way out the door. A few dozen lingered on the bleachers to discuss the night’s events and give their impressions of their candidate.

As I walked back up the snowy street two blocks to my car, a group of high school kids drove by me with their heads shoved out the windows yelling “Ready to go! Fired up!” at me and whoever else would listen. Obama’s new politics may not be one-size fits all, but there is no doubt that those who pick up on the message hear it loud and clear.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Horton Hears a Who

Snow Pond, NH -

Keeping with the trend of Massachusetts governors running for President aligning themselves with fugitive criminals. In 1988 it was Michael Dukakis and William Horton, who committed a crime on a prison furlough program overseen by Gov. Dukakis.

It became a major campaign commercial during the general election when the Bush flunkies called him Willie in order to be more racially divisive and Bush advisor-turned-FOX News Chief Roger Ailes saw it like this, "the only question is whether we depict Willie Horton with a knife in his hand or without it."

Now fast forward twenty years and a man named Daniel Tavares has been accused of killing two people while on bail in Washington state. Better still, the judge who granted Tavares leave was a Romney appointee, and did so without requiring bail.

Romney, not wanting to appear soft on crime, instantly called for the judge to step down, having not been the law and order type he had predicted she would be. Giulaini, meanwhile, jumped on this to further present his own image as a crime fighter.

Want some icing on the cake?

Edward Ryan Jr., a past president of the Massachusetts Bar Association, said the judge made the correct call based on state law "and for Romney to call for her to resign is nothing more than political expediency."

"If Romney had any courage, he would stand up and say this judge did the right thing," Ryan said. Prosecutors "offered no facts other than to refer to his record" in arguing for him to be held on bail.

Any courage? That's rough chatter, and far more damaging to Mitt's image than a freak accident about a criminal and a judge.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Jose's Mexican Restaurant

Plymouth, NH -

**This article marks the continuation of the Granite State Watering Holes series begun in September, a collection describing the places that voters and journalists get their booze on in New Hampshire**

Plymouth, the gateway to the North Country in the foothills of the White Mountains, is a college town without much else to it. The Pemigewasset River flows down its eastern border with the town of Holderness, and building up in every direction outside of town are mountains. It’s the kind of town where you will hear packs of students stumbling around at 9PM on a Friday tying to hit each other in the nuts (true story) and where a drunken merry-maker might puke on your door handle sometime between the hours of 11PM and 1:15AM (also a true story).

Nevertheless, there exists a tight community of professors, skiers, nature lovers and rural pickup drivers with Confederate flag decals on their rigs. The town common sits off of main street between downtown and the college, and two blocks north or south in either direction and you are back in the heights of rural Northern New Hampshire.

But in the center of Main Street, down a flight of stairs and around a dark corner, exists a remarkably good Mexican restaurant. Jose’s Bar is one of those holes in the wall that you always look for in a small town, but more often than not turn away from once you set sights upon it.

I have been into Jose’s about a half dozen times, and it wasn’t until the latest that I actually gained the courage to try their food, and it was probably the most pleasant culinary surprises I’ve had since I’ve been in New Hampshire.

Jose’s looks like a basement crash pad where high school kids get together to have parties, jam out with their beginner guitar skills, and ultimately feel like shit the next morning. Even in the middle of November, cobwebs from the Halloween party still adorned the ceiling above the bar, along with the paper bats that were glued all over the vertical support beams. The corners are dark, the floors seems dirty (even though they aren’t) and the bathrooms are down a long, dim hallway nearly a minute’s walk away from the main room.

Did I mention I like this place?

These are exactly the types of endearing qualities that make it the kind of place where you can feel comfortable. There are a three flatscreen televisions behind the bar, playing whatever the bartender or the drunkards want to watch. I have seen everything from Red Sox playoffs and Celtics games to Jeopardy, sitcoms and Monster Truck rallies.

There is also a stage in the back left section of the main room where a few different bands play every week. The décor is sparse, yet kitchy where it exists, with souvenirs like a Hawaii license plate and a wire cowboy boot sitting on the shelves, and jalapeno novelty lights strung across the liquor cabinets. There is also a locally famous four-foot tall chair in the corner next to the stage.
Jose's Big Chair

But perhaps the bar’s best attribute is it’s owner, Joe Capuzzo, known around these parts as Jose. Capuzzo has been in the business for over twenty years, first running a series of Jose’s bars down in Boston before retiring with his family to a nearby mountain town in 2005. But after a couple years off, Jose started to get restless, and decided to bring his beloved restaurant to Plymouth, although on a much smaller scale.

“Life is boring without good work,” Capuzzo told me. “It keeps you young.”

Jose’s is only open from 5PM-1AM because Capuzzo, who is also the head chef, has two school-aged children and wanted to have a larger role in their life. That role superseded the need for a lunch menu. When he isn’t cooking, Jose can almost always be found hanging out in the bar talking with customers and getting a sense for what they like and don’t like.

He is also constantly singing along with the music, whether it is the Beatles, Creedence, Tom Petty or a mixtape playlist of reggae. Just a few days ago Jose added three folding tables to the bar’s game repertoire, along with a pool table and a game of bubble hockey, so the patrons could play Beirut with water while they drank their beer.

While I was there last week one of the customers, a woman in her 40s who worked at PSU, challenged Jose to a game of Beirut. He humored her for a few shots without drinking and imparted some wisdom while he clanked his ping pong balls wide.

“Never play Beirut with any hard alcohol,” Capuzzo told his opponent with a wry smile. “You know why? Because the liquor commission doesn’t like that.”

A truer statement has never been made. I took over for him and drilled a few shots while I sipped my PBR, the taste of a delightfully sweet and spicy chicken enchilada still on my tongue. Something about the atmosphere made it feel like it was my home court. I missed twice, then hit three more consecutively to win. I’ve never played better in my life.

Jose’s has a full bar, emphasizing Mexican beer and tequila in addition to their food menu.

On Tap is PBR ($2) and Dos XX ($3.50).

Their selection of Mexican cervezas includes Corona, Corona Light, Dos XX, Dos XX Amber, Tecate, Sol, San Lucas, San Lucas Light, Carte Blanca, Cantina, Pacifico Claro, Negra Modelo, Modelo Especial, y Bohemia at $3.50

Domestics: Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite, Miller Chill, Coors Light, Rolling Rock and Michelob Ultra are $2.75

Imports and Micros are $3.50: Magic Hat #9, Heineken, Amstel Light, Harpoon UFO.

Guinness is $4.

Better still, the beer selections written on a surfboard.

They have eight different tequilas, and sausage on a stick for $1.50.

Jose’s also has the potential for a great conversation with an enthusiastic and convincing businessman. Its they kind of joint you’ll only find in a small college town, and its why I’ll be sure to head up to Plymouth a few more times before I beat trail out of the Granite State.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

January 8, 2008

Portsmouth, NH -

You heard it here first! Actually, you probably heard it here fourth or fifth, but who cares? I felt obligated to mention it even though I am hardly NH's source for breaking news. I am NH's source for heart-breaking news.

While the date of the Primary is a very important thing, I would like to direct you to something entirely unimportant. These three "Official statements" were stinking up my inbox when I just turned on the Toshiba at Breaking New Grounds in Portsmouth. Please use my comments section to guess who said what!!!


1)"I support New Hampshire's special role in the primary process, and I look forward to discussing the imporant issues in this race with Granite State voters over the next 47 days."

2)“The New Hampshire Primary plays a vital role in our Democracy. It allows voters to get to know the candidates up close—to ask tough questions and see who is trustworthy to lead this country forward. We’ve built an unmatched grassroots organization in New Hampshire, and we’re looking forward to sending a clear message on Primary Day that the American people want change they can believe in.”

3)“I am pleased that New Hampshire will retain its rightful place as the first-in-the-nation primary. I applaud Bill Gardner's work to protect New Hampshire's significance in our nominating process. The New Hampshire primary is critical because voters in New Hampshire take their responsibility seriously: they listen to the candidates, look them in the eye, ask them tough questions and size them up. In New Hampshire, ideas truly matter more than money and that is precisely why this is anyone's race.

“I look forward to campaigning across New Hampshire during the final weeks of this campaign. I have spent time in living rooms and town halls in every corner of the state and everywhere I go, I hear from voters that they're looking for real, meaningful change in Washington next November. From now until January 8, I look forward to continuing to meet with voters to talk about my plans to shake up Washington and restore the power of government to the hands of regular, hardworking people.”




Week 12 NFL Picks

Portsmouth, NH -

We have to start a little early with the picks this week, I'm glad I remembered.

DETROIT over Green Bay
DALLAS over NY Jets
Indianapolis over ATLANTA
Seattle over ST. LOUIS
NY GIANTS over Minnesota
JACKSONVILLE over Buffalo
New Orleans over CAROLINA
TAMPA BAY over Washington
CLEVELAND over Houston
CINCINNATI over Tennessee
KANSAS CITY over Oakland
ARIZONA over San Francisco
SAN DIEGO over Baltimore
CHICAGO over Denver
NEW ENGLAND over Philadelphia
PITTSBURGH over Miami

Damn, its a good week to be playing at home.

Last Week: 11-5
Season to Date: 62-36

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

November Madness

Concord, NH -

Now that we are less than fifty days away from what will probably be the New Hampshire Primary, we here at 3Q are bringing back the November Madness edition of Road to the Nomination, our NCAA Tournament-style ranking of the Democratic and Republican candidates. For some background, please see my original March Madness posts from last winter, both Democrats and Republicans.

Things have changed a lot in the last ten months on the GOP side in part due to a large number of late starters, has-beens and never-would bes. On the other hand the Dems have been almost completely static. So to mix it up we have added some commentary on how each bracket might shape up. Feel free to comment on the seedings and the wisdom. Enjoy.

Road to the Nomination - GOP

Snow Pond, NH -

click on image to enlarge

Just when you thought you had it figured out, summer happened. McCain ran out of money, co-sponsored an immigration bill that was less than hardline, and next thing you know the former frontrunner is all of the sudden struggling for mere relevance. Meanwhile, the social conservatives never rebelled against Giuliani and, if anything, they embraced him. Romney is what we thought he was: a competent businessman with a photogenic face and a questionable record of political chameleonism. Ron Paul raised an unexpected ten million and in the meantime spawned a revolution. Huckabee emerged from the dregs to become a full-fledged, Chuck Norris-endorsed contender, and Fred Thompson Marched in like a Lion and now stands to go out like a lamb if he can’t shake his reputation as a bored, sleepy old grandpa. Gingrich and Pataki never entered; Gilmore, Brownback and T. Thompson left, and here we are with just over a month until the chips hit the table. Wow.

In the 1-8 we have two tough-talking candidates who view security as their marquee issue. One served in the military, has 27 years of national service, and chaired the House Armed Services Committee. The other was the mayor of a city, lived with a gay couple after his wife left him for cheating, and prior to a coincidental event was on the verge of being one of the most despised politicians in history. Guess who is the 8 seed? That’s right, the first guy! Duncan Hunter never got off of the ground for whatever reason, and the charm and rosy 9/11 memories of America’s mayor stand to crush him before he even makes a bucket. Red State Update said it best: Come on, Duncan Hunter, that's just embarrassing, really.

The 4-5 match on the GOP side best explains why the Republicans have the most exciting race of the cycle. There is a candidate out there polling on the verge of 10% who doesn’t even make the fight. That’s right, Huckabee and Thompson are, at the same time, legitimate threats to the front runners yet barely ahead of the 6 seed in polls and fall far behind in money. Anything can happen here, folks. The best thing about the battle of midway is that it is the fight for who is the true “consistent conservative.” On the one hand you have Fred Thompson, a man that no liberal could love in spite of his long Hollywood career and refusal to legislate social issues from the Fed. On the other you have an Arkansas governor who cares about poor people, raised taxes to make good government programs work, but carries a concealed weapon, wants a constitutional ban on gay marriage and would probably sell his soul to overturn Roe v. Wade. Throw in the fact that they are the two most charismatic men in the race and we have a potential buzzer-beater on our hands. Thompson was the pre-season favorite, but despite his size and talent has shown a penchant for turnovers while Huckabee keeps drilling threes with a Jordan-esque shrug. Huck has the kind of quiet momentum that can go a long way. I see him taking this round.

3-6 is where things get interesting. On paper there is no way that Ron Paul should beat John McCain. If not for some dirty tricks in February of 2000, there is a good chance that John McCain would have been the Republican nominee 8 years ago. He has already won NH once, riding the Straight Talk Express straight through George Bush’s loose asshole, and is arguably Washington’s greatest war hero. Throw in his wit and comfort with the public and he seems like sure fire in the Granite State. But wait one second, no one counted on Ron Paul raising 4 million in one day, spending next to nothing, and sitting on millions upon millions more than the freewheeling yet failed McCain nominee-to-be campaign of 2008. Sprinkle in a kooky GOP backlash to sensible immigration policy, and an American thirst for common sense and a non-interventionist foreign policy, and suddenly we have a battle on our hands. This is arguable Paul’s least favorable matchup, a tried and true hometown favorite is exactly what the crowd-pleasing Paul’s mid-major Cinderella doesn’t need. You never want to bet against Secret Service denying McCain in a state where the motto is Live Free or Die…but what candidate espouses that view better than Ron Paul? Let the early January bloodletting begin!

In the 2-7 we have the perfect storm matchup of a single-issue wannabe candidate against a vanity-based, daddy-following natural. Romney clearly has the chops, intelligence and executive experience to wipe the floor with Tancredo, but Tommy the Tanc has the just-happy-to-be-here potential that no frontrunner ever wants to see. Tancredo will viciously attack sanctuary cities like Somerville (aka Slummaville) with his frisky defense and sharp-step drive to the heart of both common sense law abiders and xenophobes, but Romney will unleash a barrage of spin moves and sweet jumpers that will bury Tancredo and his immigration policy within the first ten minutes.

The second round is a little trickier to predict up top because of the fiercely competitive 4-5 game. However, either one will provide some rough chatter for Giuliani. This game is set up to be a battle of social conservatism versus national security. In other words, Huckabee’s prayer circle at every timeout and months of teetotaling 6AM practices against Giuliani’s intimidating man-to-man defense. A few months ago, it seemed like Giuliani’s concentration would falter midway through the game, but his focus has been at championship levels lately. If he can keep it up and grind down his opponent he should pull through, but if either of the others manage to get Giuliani into foul trouble early, watch out for the early upset.

On the bottom we have the making of a real bloodbath. These two teams legitimately hate each other. McCain is the tried and true program that can’t stand watching his rankings drop precipitously below the younger, quicker, more talented upstart from the heart of enemy territory. McCain’s bag of tricks is deep, and plays with a hard charging honesty that might bewilder Romney, but we can’t forget that Romney is one of the most talented competitors out there. He moves well without the ball, and knows how to effectively move on defense, and alters his positions frequently with a haze-inducing motion offense. If his game plan plays out, Romney has the edge, but if there is one person in the race who can take him out of it, that candidate is John McCain.

Yes, break out the net-clipping scissors. Call forth the raucous crowds. Summon the heartburn medicine and find a towel for your tears. It’s the road to the nomination, baby. Primary Season 2007 is upon us.

Road to the Nomination - Dems

Snow Pond, NH -


click on image to enlarge


The donkeys positioning didn’t change much in the last six months, but the potential match-up problems have certainly evolved.

In the 1-8, Mike Gravel is certainly overmatched against the well-funded, and even better-connected Hillary Clinton. The crowd in Ames will almost certainly be at least 90% pro-Clinton, and her coffers and reputation have produced what is the equivalent of a full-fledged free agency juggernaut. Yet Gravel, though old and hobbling on a bum knee, is a gunner to the end. He may not be able to take out Hillary or even stay close through the second half, but the potential is ripe for him to expose Clinton’s weakness from the left, right and center. Please believe he’ll be bombing threes all night and bringing the hard fouls on the defensive end.

Next up on the 4-5 docket we have what has grown into the second biggest rivalry after Clinton-Edwards. Biden, a powerhouse program from the 80s that has lost its winning percentage but not its swagger and adherence to the fundamentals, has been getting snippy with Richardson for months now hoping to gain the full mantle of experience and foreign policy know-how. Going against Joe Biden as a low-seed is like playing an underachieving team coached by Mike Krzyzewski. They may seem eminently beatable, but the lingering fear subsides. But that underachieving cloud could be a big problem against Richardson. The big Governor has size and athleticism, and those are two things you can’t teach. Biden might call his plays gimmicky, but the crowd loves them, especially at home. Ultimately, Richardson’s innovative play-calling and charm offensive should be too much to overtake, but if Biden does it, it will be with defense.

Down at 3-6, Edwards has the clear advantage over Dodd. A lot of critics hailed Dodd’s 6 seed as the most overrated in the tournament, but his endorsements and experience make him a formidable candidate. Dodd may take the high road, and play the game with an ear held open to whispers of the ancients, but it likely won’t be enough to withstand Edwards. The Dems’ most recent veep choice has the intensity, talent and sweet shooting stroke that might carry him far. Edwards could rack up a few technicals along the way, and garner the ire of a hostile crowd, but it is that same chip on his shoulder that makes him want the ball in crunch time. And those kinds of scorers usually take their teams multiple rounds into the tournament.

Finally at 2-7 is Kucinich and Obama. The man detractors call Obambi for his good sportsmanship award has been finding his swagger of late after a cupcake city early schedule that had teams rolling over in deference to his charm and often mesmerizing displays of hoops acuity. Kucinich, on the other hand, commands disrespect from his opponents. Short, disheveled, and hailing from a weak conference (the US House), Kucinich never gets any calls from referees, though crowds tend to like his underdog appeal. Not as much as they like Obama, though, and even though the man they call “Kooch” can display a true interpretation of the anti-war defense, Obama’s sheer talent is too much to overcome.

In the second round of the upper bracket, Richardson’s only chance is for Gravel to wear down Clinton heavily. She is quicker, nastier and deeper than the other Bill, but if she is overly tired from her first round run with gritty Gravel, or has been exposed as too reliant on the run and gun, there is a chance that Richardson’s size and craftiness can slow down the pace and sneak by in a low-scoring game.

The next frame of the lower rung is much more interesting. Both candidates are extremely talented, and known for their respective offensive skill sets. Still, their styles of play couldn’t be further from one another. Obama is the prototypical smooth, academic good guy. His jumper belongs in an instructional video. On the same token, Edwards’ stroke is real pretty but he plays with a gritty fire unbeknownst to Obama. Barack has the talent edge, and the height advantage, but Edwards has been in the spotlight of the convention before. He has tasted it and he wants it. That said, there is no second place in politics. Could they fashion a truce and cakewalk it through the semis with the hope of facing fresh a fatigued Clinton for the sake of the bottom bracket? Time will tell, but there is no doubt they will need their shots to fall, and a few of Clinton’s to miss, if not an outright early upset, to make the big stage. But remember this is the tournament, where you never say never.

Break out the net-clipping scissors. Call forth the raucous crowds. Summon the heartburn medicine and find a towel for your tears. It’s the road to the nomination, baby. Primary Season 2007 is upon us.

Huckabee Wearing More Pieces of Flair than the Rest of the Field

Snow Pond, NH -

Let John Edwards have all the washed up rockers he wants, Huckabee has the washed up, trashy, fake fighting actors on his side. As if Chuck Norris wasn't tough enough, The Huck now was "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair pulling for him. Flair decided today to endorse the Arkansas governor, and will tailgate with him this weekend in South Carolina. As if a fist for a chin wasn't punishment enough for Huckabee naysayers, now they have the figure four leg lock to contend with if they give him too much lip.

Coincidentally, Flair was one of the most easily hated wrestlers around back in the late 80s and early 90s when I used to follow the "sport" for his over the top demeanor, general arrogance, and way-too-flamboyant robes. That said, I became a big fan once Flair turned into a bad guy, to the point that I labeled half of my sophomore year trigonometry math assignments with the moniker "The Nature Boy" instead of my actual name. Further coincidence, it would be still another three years from that time that I would become a true nature boy and lover of my own existence in the true natural form.

Does this mean that Huckabee will now support "nature boys" or enjoy increased fundraising from Arkansas nudist colonies? Does it mean that now all of the sudden men who wear flowing, sparkly robes will flock to Mr. Federal Gay Marriage Ban? I'm not saying adult wrestling fans are secretly partially gay or anything, because I think the answer to both those questions is "no". I'm just saying, I'm thrilled that my boy Ric Flair is endorsing at this stage, and furthermore that it is being covered on CNN.

In the immortal words of the Nature Boy, "Wooooooooo!!!"

This of course leaves us with two final questions.

1) Who will Hulk Hogan endorse?

and

2) Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on your candidate?

Elizabeth and the Bloggers

Manchester, NH -

Is blogging the next realm of populism, where every voice speaks true to the cause of real people? The Edwards campaign seems to think so. Or so it would seem as Elizabeth Edwards added some niche marketing to her latest New Hampshire swing this weekend by presiding over a NH bloggers roundtable at St. Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

A dozen or two of the Granite State’s most prominent bloggers--plus me--were invited to chat with the would-be first lady for a little while over Dunkin Donuts and coffee early Sunday morning. In fact, it really wasn’t that early, but after a rare night out with a place to crash in Manchester preceding the day’s events, 9:15AM felt about as close to 6:15AM as it ever had. It didn’t help matters that I refrained from drinking the DD coffee on principle.

Ms. Edwards was happy to talk about blogging in the close confines of the conference room, where we sat in a rectangular arrangement of plush seats directed toward her desk near the door. Elizabeth began the chat, and it really was more conversational in tone that an actual press avail or group interview, by touting her old skool ‘net cred.

“We got on first with Prodigy, when prodigy and CompuServe were the first two internet providers,” she said, referring to the earliest incarnations of the internet superhighway back in the early nineties.

She continued on to joke, “Then we switched to AOL early enough that I probably could have got the address elizabeth@aol.com. I was even on internet news groups that argue about grammar.”

Icebreakers aside, Ms. Edwards moved into an impromptu speech about the importance of blogging in our political culture. With the decline of local gathering places in our busy society, she suggested that blogs were beginning to fill the void.

“Where is the town square any more?” Edwards asked. “Well, its on the internet.”

Edwards also spoke to the color blindness of chat rooms and blog avatars.

“You are connected on some issue that is important to you,” she intoned, “and the things that are different about you disappear. Its really a great way to make social connections because all of our prejudices are eliminated.”

She became even more animated as she continued with her crescendo of ideas. “Because there are so many ways to participate,” Edwards said of the internet, “it has actually become the most democratic media that can be devised. That is why net neutrality is so important.”

With that she realized she had been speaking for a few minutes, abruptly stopped, and welcomed questions from the audience. With the bloggers at the helm, many of whom were supporters, or at the very least just al little bit awestruck, the conversation was pretty tame. Questions mostly dealt with issues near to New Hampshire, the home schooling of the Edwards children, and the role of the media in the campaign.

Edwards again spoke of her appreciation for decentralized news, and compared it with the place of the New Hampshire primary as a more intimate venue than the potential of a national primary, which she said would be “depressing.”

She also used these questions as a platform to dispense what was likely a subtle dig at the Clinton operation.

Asked about a smear campaign in Iowa of the Edwards campaign providing false rumors about their campaign to gin up sympathy she said, “our job is to provide you with the positions with where we’re going to be. Its not to manage you. That would be completely contrary first of all to everything we believe in and secondly to the spirit of the media.”

Edwards’ responses to the New Hampshire-specific questions about issues like job loss and education were much more theoretical than your standard candidate town hall. Such is the nature of campaign surrogate visits. No matter who speaks, it is not the candidate. If Ms. Edwards were to say something groundbreaking about education, it couldn’t be attributed to her husband. Likewise, if she says something inflammatory it can be swept under the rug much more easily.

She said neither this morning, although credit is due for her statement on No Child Left Behind. “I don’t think NCLB was ever meant to fix the public schools,” she wisely mused. “I think it was intended as an excuse to go to vouchers.”

As a former NCLB Title 1 school teacher, I can’t do anything but wholeheartedly agree. But as the policy questions mounted, and the full day’s schedule of visits awaited, Elizabeth’s advance staff began to call for a wrap up to the morning’s event.

The session closed with a poem written by an elderly woman who was standing in for her son, a blogger who was unable to make the event. She recited a poem she had written about bloggers set to the tune a song from Guys and Dolls extolling the virtue and prominence of today’ internet ponderers. We all reacted with smiles and applause then closed our laptops to share websites and shake hands with people we had previously only known from a username on the screen. If that’s not the reincarnation of a town square, I don’t know what is.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Huckabee and Norris, redux

Concord, NH -

I am at school right now so I can't watch the video nor properly post it, but the mere description of Huckabee's latest move has compelled me to post something, ANYTHING, to get this out there.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/thank-you-chuck-norris

Video and text are in that link. Let's face it, folks, somebody from the union needs to look into the accusation that Huckabee has hired scabs off of the Hollywood screenwriters picket line.

Myth: Chuck Norris' tears can cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.

Fact: The myth of Chuck Norris is now officially out of control.

All the MSM buzz is that this was a mistake on Huckabee's part. Having just seen the light of the front of the pack, they surmise, a hokey ad like this will only keep voters from taking him seriously. That was my first instint as well, but after a few moments of martial artist-style concentration, I think this could be sort of like Jesse Ventura's ads from 1998 that portrayed him as a wrestling action figure fighting special interests. We all know how that turned out.

"But this is for President," the MSM says with a smug whine.

Ah, yes, but it is also only the Iowa primary. Think about that one.

***Update***

Serving the Secret

Snow Pond, NH -

Sometimes it is the little things that make voters choose a candidate. I wonder if one of those little things will be what The Trail reported from John McCain’s recent North Country trip.

"It's my intention, if we win this nomination, to reject Secret Service. Why do I need it?"


Exactly. Why? I have actually thought of that question myself a few times this fall, whether it was during a room clearing dog sniff exercise at an Obama restaurant gig or watching the SS guys stare down war protesters at Hillary rallies. Is it really necessary for that security all day every day?

More importantly, doesn’t it ruin the candidate’s life? That politicians reside in a bubble of wealth, controlled meetings and yes-men supporters is one thing, adding a safety net of hard looking men in dark suits and sunglasses that surround their every move is a step beyond. McCain seems to agree, and when it comes to his own safety, here is the money shot:

“The day that the Secret Service can assure me that if we're driving in the motorcade and there's a guy in a rooftop with a rifle, that they can stop that guy, then I'll say fine. But the day they tell me, 'well, we can't guarantee it,' then fine, I'll take my chances.”

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Bill's Big Hands

Manchester, NH -

Yesterday at the Young Democrats of America Fall National Conference here in Manchester, Bill Clinton was one of the keynote speakers. That's hardly news. But worth noting is his choice of words.

"When I took office, the average weight of the cell phone was five pounds, now I can't even get my big hands on one. So we had to do really rudimentary things like go on MTV. It was unbelievable, young people gave the energy, the drive, the thrust to our campaign."

BIG hands?

THRUST to his campaign?

I wonder what kind of shady shit went down at the Radisson last night?!

Week 11 NFL Picks

Manchester, NH -

Here are the Week 11 NFL Picks. Go nuts!

Cleveland over BALTIMORE
JACKSONVILLE over San Diego
PHILADELPHIA over Miami
Oakland over MINNESOTA
INDIANAPOLIS over Kansas City
GREEN BAY over Carolina
DETROIT over NY Giants
ATLANTA over Tampa Bay
HOUSTON over New Orleans
Arizona over CINCINNATI
Pittsburgh over NY JETS
SEATTLE over Chicago
St. Louis over SAN FRANCISCO
DALLAS over Washington
New England over BUFFALO
Tennessee over DENVER


Last week: 6-8
Season total: 51-31

Bring back the pain!

Friday, November 16, 2007

Snow Change A Comin

Plymouth, NH -

Last night’s debate was like an early season high school basketball game for four reasons.

1) All the excitement came in the first quarter, when everybody was hustling and gunning and shots were falling.

2) Immediately after, their fatigued legs started to slow them down, shots started rimming out, and all I could think of was how exciting the first fifteen minutes were.

3) By the end, everybody realized the clock was almost up, and they wanted to leave at least some impression for the morning’s box scores.

4) Wolf Blitzer’s moderation was not much better than a ten-dollar-an-hour, retired middle school coach, glasses-still-in-the-shop small town high school referee. After he realized that the debate was starting getting out of hand (which held the potential for wild entertainment) he made a bunch of touch calls that helped to grind everything to a halt.

The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. I stuck around the Barley House for a while after, chatting with some fellow politics revelers and hoping for a post-debate spark. They were all nice people, and there were even enough Washington roots to allow for a brief discussion of Columbia River shipping capabilities, but nothing was going to make me feel good about the debate.

Not that it was a total train wreck. It is just that placing seven people up on stage and choosing one person to dictate their tone and frequency is yet another control placed on an already message-driven campaign. It doesn’t help that most of the candidates up there are trying their hardest to make mountains out of molehills in terms of gaffes and policy discrepancies. Does this really help us make a good choice about our President?

Much like the NFL playing a regular season game in Europe, or the NBA’s China pre-season spectacular, the goodhearted reasoning behind this geographically diverse and debate heavy primary season is to increase the breadth of people paying attention to the game. But sometimes I fear that, like the NFL and NBA, there is a hell of a lot of money to be made when for doing those same things.

….

I woke up early this morning to a phone call from the high school asking me not to come in to teach, after all. It allowed me to sleep in for a couple of hours, which is always nice when unexpected, and spend the late morning and early afternoon cleaning up my bedroom and doing some the dishes that had been haphazardly left in my car earlier in the week.

As I tidied, the wind steadily picked up, and by the time 1 o’clock rolled around I could hear it loud and clear in my bedroom above the Lyle Lovett cd playing on my computer. Wind always represents change to me. I wonder what the candidates think about that.

That same wind, which would later blow my car around in its lane in Interstate 93, did its job to bring the clouds where they ought to go, from one part of the landmass to another, and with those clouds came some precipitation.


Today it snowed for the first time since last winter in New Hampshire. I decided it was a change worth driving for, so I hopped in my car and journeyed up to the banks of the Mad River in the White Mountains to make sure I could see the flakes up close and feel them on my face.

Off in the distance, the tops of the higher mountains were covered in white, and I knew things had changed around here, in both the seasonal climate and the political climate. I can’t speak for the politics of it all, but I sure can tell you that the seasonal change was beautiful, cold and refreshing. Mostly, it was nice to just get out.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Vegas Debate Live Blog aka LOVE Blog Part VI

Barley House, NH -

*Clinton "blah blah blah Bush. blah blah blah Bush." Ahh, the spoils of the frontrunners.

*"This is the sort of thing I would expect from Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani. Using terms like a trillion dollar tax cut [increase]. This is the top 6% this is not the middle class." - Obama re: Clinton's refusal to bump the SS tax cap.

*There have been some wack ass commercials during the debate. Maybe I just don't watch enough tv, and most commercials are like this...but I'm consistently creeped. out.

* "I want someone who ran for dog catcher." Biden re: Supreme Court justice "The next person on a Biden bench is going to be a woman."

*Kuci "A president has to be a healer...we can make abortions less necessary if we have a healer in the White House."

*Clinton does well to liken right to privacy to free speech and religion. Then she sucks up to Biden. Good strategy.

*Obama does well to say that the court protects those who are vulnerable.

*It is so crucial if you grew up like I did in the segregated South...judges who had some backbone (fifth time saying backbone). That's the kind of courage the strength we need in a Supreme Court Justice." JRE

*"Republicans are afraid of taking on Bush. I'll bring 'em around. I've done it." - Biden

*"All my life I've brought people together." Richardson also calls it "this administration." instead of mentioning Bush by name.

*And we close with a diamonds v. pearls question? BS! At least throw out a Prince reference.

*Well, its all over. I liked that CNN went 10 minutes over time to make up for the late start. Instant reactions aren't always the best, and I don't have too many.

Clinton was better than last time, returning to her style of speaking clearly and
directly and attacking her opponents. She also benefited from fewer questions. Obama was up and down with a few great points and a few weak points. Edwards didn't go over well, it sounds like nobody really wants any highlighted differences. Richardson talked his way into more time than he was given, tacked left a lot, but seemed to do better than he usually does. Biden is always strong, and was probably even stronger than usual. Dodd was also up and down. Kooch throws bows, but probably only with the potential of gaining 1-2%.

Vegas Debate Live Blog aka LOVE Blog part V

Concord, NH -

Looks like we got some chairs for part two. Bring on the leg crossing. They just showed a nice moment between Dodd and Kuci. Sweet. Also, for those not watching, warrants mentioning that after Kuci called Edwards a trial lawyer, Edwards retorted "I don't know what that has to do with anything" and Kooch yelled from across the way "product liability." "Cute, that's cute." was Johnny's reply. Hey-o!

*Bold, a 3-tour vet just said "our troops need to come home now." How will they react? Can Kooch and Rich capitalize??

*Biden is blaming it on the process. Calls for impeachment if Iran happens.

* Ooh, Hillary just stood up for her Iran vote. Bold again. "You were in Iraq, you know that the Iran national guard helped to kill Americans."

*Edwards "we've seen this movie. We know how it turns out."

*Obama is the only one talking about troop families and the burden they bear. Duh!! That is part of war. Everyone should cite this. Kudos to him. He is again trying to reiterate that he is different than Clinton on talking to leaders.

*They skipped Rich and Kooch on that last one. Unbelievable. What a softball. Way to make it look like a big referendum and then only ask the people who are only quasi-anti-war. Bullshit, CNN.

*The next woman, btw, I think is a hard Richardson leaner if technically undecided.

*Kucinich "thats because I read it." re: being the only one on the stage who voted against Patriot Act. Wolf just asked him again if others bear responsibility. Clearly, Kooch already said that. "Just imagine what it will be like to have a President who is right the first time."

*"facts are funny thing, they get in the way" - Biden...oh, Biden you should have turned that into a joke. Kuci just sits there with smug satisfaction.

*Richardson just missed a chance to speak Spanish. But he did just crack a joke about HMOs being more popular than congress. "We should stop demonizing immigrants." He snuck in his "maps to border crossing" jokes.

*Yes, Dodd nailed it! Spoke DERRRRTY Spanish.

Vegas Debate Live Blog aka LOVE Blog part IV

Conc-y, NH -

*These debates are really awful forums for discussion on the issues. Fact.

*Biden "its not the agreement its the man. What are y'all talking about? Enforce the agreement."

* Barack: Don't keep assuming that we can't do something. Slaps Wolf Malthus.

*Richardson calls for tech solutions for nuke waste and calls on ending the subsidies for non-renewals. Tells us to sacrifice.

*Man, the debate has been a lot more boring in the last half hour. "They're not attacking me because I'm a woman, they're attacking me because I'm ahead." "I feel very comfortable in the kitchen." Clinton Clan screaming in the back.

*Edwards looking for every chance to call Clinton a corporate Dem. Just got booed. Must be a lot of corp. Dems in the crowd!

*We are at commercial now for the debates. This is certainly the most disjointed one yet. No one's "attacks" are really sticking, a lot of the answers seem to just drift into the desert wind. The audience reaction is definitely the highest it has been, and mostly pro-Clinton from the Obama heckler early to the Edwards jeers late.

Vegas Debate Live Blog aka LOVE Blog Part III

Conc City, NH -

*What a big mess over this illegal immigrant driver's license thing. It has been 5 minutes long.

*Gotta love Kooch saying "thank you" for his applause.

*Dodd just put the teacher merit pay thing very well. Also, props for advoccating for an entire education debate.

*Kooch "I'm the candidate of workers...I remember where I came from."

*Richardson puts some more heat on Ed. Him and Dodd are the only ones who actually seem to know anything about education.

On a side note, hearing this shit pisses me off.

*Biden argues against merit pay based on "who makes the decision?"

*Richardson is tacking hard left tonight. He just said he would put human rights ahead of security. He also traded his budget priorities pin for a US Flag. Probably because they endorsed JRE. "If we're on the side of Democracy and human rights, then US interests are preserved." Great line. Howard Dean is loving it. "Our strength as a nation is our values."

Human Rights vs. Nat'l Security
*"The concepts are not contradictory. They are complimentary." - Obama. Bout time someone said that.

*Clinton again brings it back to Bush.

*Richardson's tone has changed since the last debates, too. Less wooden, more emotional.

*Koochie's dropping bombs. Does America really have a tin ear? Richardson's one dead American is too much didn't get much of a response, either.

*The fact that we have gone from horrific violence to intolerable violence is not acceptable - BHO

*Kucinich calling on everyone to take responsibility for their votes. Too bad no one believes that. Regarding Chinese trade act "You're a trial lawyer, you knew better. This is a fact. I'm not backing down from this."

*First point for Wolf: "was Ross Perot right?" re: NAFTA. Clinton tries to joke it off.

Vegas Live Blog aka LOVE Blog Part II

Concord, NH -

*What a silly start-up, asking Clinton what she thinks about being called a "parser". Oh, thats not a wool jacket, its sparkly Vegas style! She's even got some shiny bling on her neck. Even her lipstick sparkles. Vegas, baby!

*Blitzer just asked Obama now to clarify Clinton. Ooh, this is rough. This is more of a gotcha question than we've seen. Barack is semi-prepared to answer. He spun it back to new politics, which is his best bet.

*Clinton glares and now gets the chance to respond. Zings him on not having universal health care in the frame of the 4 early states. Brings it back around to her as the fighting candidate.

*Obama gets cheers for shutting down the mandate thing on HC. Damn, now it is just a two-man fight. I bet Edwards comes in swinging. I guess its good that we are weighing health care, but this seems like a waste of time. Hillary looks pleased.

*Edwards repeats his claim about people not being perfect from last debate. He also talks about returning truth to the Presidency. That, ironically, is Bush in a good way.

*This is about to get out of hand! Biden just got some screen time. He is completely incredulous. Clinton is calling everything mud, claiming attacks to be out of the Republican playbook.

*Biden "don't let me speak! American people don't give a darn about the things that are going on up here." Talks about the real worries of the American people. Uh oh, he just said "Who among us" 3 times. Yes! John Kerry all over again. At least he didn't say "who among us does not love NASCAR?"

*Edwards gets accused of being a flip-flopper, brings it back to poverty. People in the bar are groaning. They must be rich.

*Biden is scoring points by having everybody refer to him. Also, everybody has red eyes. Dry desert air, or they hotboxed the prep room.

*Richardson just calls Edwards for starting a class war, Obama a generational war, Clinton won't end the war. "Give peace a chance." What were the Vegas odds on Kucinich not being the first person to say that?

*Edwards plant joke bombed. Yes! Kucinich supports with reservation.

Vegas Debate Live Blog aka LOVE Blog, Part I

Concord, NH -

Greetings from the Barley House here on beautiful and wide Main Street in the heart of downtown. Conc City was booming tonight, and I had to park two blocks away. Let me tell you, folks, the mercury has dropped hard in the last few hours. This afternoon I was sweating on a 5-miler with nothing but shortie shorts and a tight t-shirt, and just now I went coatless from car to bar and I'm still making typos from shivering so much. O Granite Winters!

Bruce Hornsby is on the speakers here. I'm officially psyched!

Speaking of icons, happy birth anniversary to Ol' Dirty Bastard aka Dirt McGirt aka Ol' Dirty Chinese Restaurant.

Also, happy birthday to Bill Richardson. (in case you haven't noticed, I've started typing a few minutes before the debate is starting).

We've just been overcome by a slew of Obama people. I don't know if they are staffers or volunteers or what, but there are at least ten of them, all wearing "O" logo stickers. Pretty diverse crew. We'll see how rowdy they get.

WOOOOO We're On.

Gotta love the Edwards pursed lip smile and stiff-armed wave. Textbook Edwards move. Textbook!

They are introducing all the candidates one by one with a handshake. I like it.

Clinton really sticks out in the gray wool jacket. Isn't it like a hundred degrees in the desert? Meanwhile, CNN just cut over to a talking head. Fuck you, CNN, just let the people talk.

Ok, next blog will start it.

Where's the Love?

Concord, NH -

Back by popular demand, it's the return of the... "Ah, wait, no way, you're kidding, he didn't just say what I think he did, did he?" Live Blog aka LOVE Blog of the Dem Debates. Tonight! Live from the Barley House. Follow along, and see you on the boob tube.

Where's the Love?

Slow Hump Day

Snow Pond, NH -

Greetings from an unseasonably warm November night. I spent much of today picnicking, running, worrying, and trying my hand at fiction writing. Unfortunately, that last bit really sucks away the reporting time. That said, here is some more Huckabee gold from CNN. Apparently Mrs. Janet Huck likes to fire grenade launchers. This solidifies the rap new slogan:

I"m Huckabee, Don't Fuck Wit' Me.

More Importantly, the Sonics got their first win o' the season tonight! Huzzah!

And them ol'Red Staters are back up with their Youtube questions.



Pow, right in the kisser!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Huckabee: Running Down a Dream

Durham, NH -

Long distance running is often referred to as the most solitary of athletic pursuits. In order to become a marathoner, for instance, one must habitually log runs of fifteen or more miles, and without the comfort and camaraderie of a team within easy reach, those long runs can be awfully lonely. Here in New Hampshire, they can be awfully cold, too.

But when you run with a Presidential candidate sitting at more than ten percent in the polls, the loneliness is cured before it even starts. About twenty-five runners and another dozen spectators braved the 30-degree temperature early last Saturday morning to come out to the University of New Hampshire for a 5k fun run with Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

Huckabee, arguably America’s most famous marathon runner who runs ten minute pace, was in good spirits on the sunny weekend morning. The run started and finished at the TKE fraternity house just off of Main Street in Durham, and Governor Huckabee showed his TKE pride, himself a brother at Ouachita Baptist back in the early 70s, by wearing a red hat with the same three Greek letters as the ten UNH TKEs who were out for the run. He was also decked out in running pants and a windbreaker from the New York City marathon he ran in 2006, and an Under Armour mock turtleneck for warmth.

The Governor joked with the participants as they waited around for the 8:00AM gun, asking questions about college and teasing his staff for wearing suits and pea coats when there was a race to be run. He also diligently and repeatedly asked who was leading the way, and if they knew the course for sure. I guess when you have a full day of events ahead of you, and a taping of Face the Nation, getting lost on a fun run with a bunch of college kids is not an option.

Sure enough, one of Huckabee’s local organizers knew the course. And time, the eternal enemy of the true 5k runner, brought about the call of the 8AM start. We all headed into the center of the road, where an elderly Huckabee supporter started us off with a clap of her hands.

Like and old pro, the Governor instantly started his watch with the gun, and the pack darted off into the empty early morning streets of Durham.

The runners were all pretty clearly feeling their nerves running with Mike Huckabee. Before the race, worries were flying left and right about hoping to finish the 3.1 mile course without having to walk, and now that we were all on the road, the timid students and curious voters kept their distance from Huckabee, leaving him to run mostly next to his staffers and the two college journalists covering the event with their handheld digital cameras.

They asked him how he felt about the campaign, and tried to prod him into comparing his campaign to a running race. Huckabee gladly obliged, telling how he preferred to run marathons to 5Ks because of the strategy and iron will it takes to complete the 26.2 mile course. He was particularly proud as he recounted anecdotes about passing cocky youngsters in New York who had failed to properly train, and by mile 6 were keeled over and sucking wind.

“Mile 6,” he said with disbelief, “they had twenty miles to go and already they were already done!”

I presume he wasn’t referring metaphorically to Tommy Thompson.

But speaking of rivals, he was invariably asked how his competitors would do in a 5k fun run with the Governor. Huckabee took this question and ran with it, so to speak.

“I challenge every candidate to a 5k race. I guarantee you none of them will show up.”

The tedious middle miles of the race were broken up nicely by surprise appearances from Huckabee’s staff. They were following the race in a car, and would drive ahead every half mile or so to jump out and cheer the runners on as they jogged toward the finish. Huckabee never missed a chance to tease them about joining in the race. Needless to say, none of the suits succumbed to the peer pressure.

About halfway through the run Huckabee started talking about his plans to run the Boston marathon. He has already registered for the race, and at this point all that he needs is for the training to follow the goal. We chatted a little bit about the Boston course, and he told us how much more difficult the Little Rock course was than the famed Marine Corps route. When he asked a supporter and me just how tough Boston’s “heartbreak hill” was, I suddenly wondered how on earth he thought he could simultaneously run for President and put in the mileage necessary to successfully complete a marathon.

After all I’m only covering the race, a far cry from running in it, and finding the time to put in more than a meager twenty-five miles a week is a constant challenge.

“Governor,” I asked with an incredulous smirk, “do you realistically think that you can train for Boston during the campaign?”

The look of sheer disbelief on my face must have struck a chord. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “That’s the plan. We’ll see how it goes.”

I should have expected nothing less from the man from Hope who has moved from a nobody to a threat in this race, and who, until very recently, could neither catch a break from the media nor raise a buck from the voters.

Later, at the two and a half mile mark, Huckabee was asked how he thought his Presidential rivals would be doing at this point in the race.

“They would be about a mile and a half back.”

“Probably giving a stump speech,” one of the runners tried to joke.

“No,” Huckabee interjected with his classic acid wit, “they’d be bent over a stump and puking.”

That last line came at the beginning of an extended hill and, even though it was the course’s only hill, still brought out the gripes in force for the runners. Even Huckabee started dropping faux threats to his staffers for planning it into the run. Luckily, as soon as we got to the top, we took a quick left and a quick right and then we were back at the frat house and the finish line.

The campaign staff, the curious voters, and the out of shape supporters all cheered as we came across the finish line. Huckabee, of course, finished first. He immediately made fun of his staff once again for not running with him.

With the race completed and the sweat beginning to evaporate, Huckabee headed to the refreshment table for a bottle of water and a banana. Earlier he had spoken some runner mumbo-jumbo about glycogen and hydration, and here he was showing that he really believed in it.

He saw a family next to the table and started chatting with them. The true test of good people, he explained to the mother and her young daughter, “is how babies and dogs react to them. Dogs and babies like good people. That is how you test the candidates. I promise that if you bring the other candidates around the dogs will bite and the babies will cry.”

Speaking of dogs, after his brief post-run chat with the average folks, Huckabee was compelled to do a brief press availability with the members of the MSM who showed up during the run to catch some soundbytes from the sweaty Governor. He reiterated, this time to a new crowd, his preference for the willpower and diligence of the marathon to the talent and preciousness of a 5K, and even brought up his sympathy for America’s sick in contrast to his own former obesity and current ability to run marathons.

But then, as the MSM started to press and press for negativity through of subjects like Bernie Kerik, Huckabee began to sour. After the second or third gotcha question his tone became firm, and finally he took a big bite out of the rest of his banana, glared at the cameras and said, “are there any more questions or do you just want to watch me eat my banana? It’s good footage.”

Huckabee’s communication director then stepped in and corralled the governor over toward the lawn for a photo with his younger TKE brothers.

As evidenced by his chatty pedestrian shuffle throughout the earlier five kilometers, his ease in standing among babies and dogs, and his instinct to make fun of his inactive staff members, Mike Huckabee is more “one of us” than he is “one of them”. This was clearer still when he gleefully picked a fraternity photo op over the cameras of CNN.

Yet the question remains, as it did while we pounded the pavement and discussed Boston marathons vs. active Presidential campaigns, can a regular Lava Soap Joe like Mike Huckabee beat the odds and win the Presidency? By doing things in his own country way, Huckabee certainly believes the answer is yes.