CONCORD, N.H.-The primary structure, with so much weight on New Hampshire, is an odd system for electing presidential candidates for a nation of this size. This state with a little over one million people could be the most important battleground in this presidential race. In the past it has sunk would-be candidates like the elder George Bush and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) in 1980, while it vaulted Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Ronald Reagan in 1980 to success. No Republican has lost in New Hampshire and gone on to the Oval Office.
Last night's primary was particularly important for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), and served as a sort of moral victory for former New Jersey senator Bill Bradley. Both have struggled in national polls, but seem to have found supporters in this small, largely rural state. McCain's success could launch them from mere contender to serious rival.
But what kind of system gives one small state such control over the national outcome? The New Hampshire primary is a unique political event. During a campaign, candidates rarely are in the same state at the same time, meeting and greeting as many citizens as they can, except in New Hampshire. In our trip to the Granite State, I realized just how small a state this is, and what happens when democracy is practice d on this level.
When we arrived in Concord on the eve of the election we sat down to plan a day of tracking down candidates. In the process, I spotted the "Straight Talk Express," McCain's bus, parked on Main Street. After catching a glimpse of McCain and his entourage, we piled into our Explorer to attend a Bradley rally in Manchester.
Upon arriving in the largest city in the state - which has less than 100,000 residents - we made our way to the rally, held in what appeared to be a converted warehouse. The room was packed, with such nationally known journalists as Tom Brokaw and Al Hunt, as well as TV crews from FOX, C-SPAN, Comedy Central and a variety of others, some from as far away as Germany and Japan. The crowd swelled and became more enthusiastic, with a teen leading chants such as "2-4-6-8 who we gonna nominate? ... Bill Bradley," and "Give me a B. Give me an R. Give me an A. ..."
From there we drove on to tiny Bedford, where McCain appeared at the colonial town hall in a scene right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. An adoring crowd braved freezing temperatures to await their candidate. And while Bradley merely had a cheerleader chant, McCain mustered real cheerleaders from St. Anselm's College in Manchester, who screamed "McCain McCain GO-Go McCain."
From Bedford we drove to Amherst, hoping to hear Gore. The high school gym was full, so all we saw of the rally was a group of scraggly activists. Half of them were protesting Gore's environmental policy, and the other half wore pots on their heads and held signs proclaiming "Potheads for Gore."
There is something unusual about a system in which small towns like Bedford and Amherst wield such influence in a presidential election. On one hand, the system does bring candidates to the people. In 1996, one out of every five New Hampshire voters met a presidential candidate. One Bush supporter told me it has become so commonplace to meet candidates that voters nonchalantly shake Bush's hand and move on. Perhaps this is the way democracy is supposed to work: candidates come to the people.
Yet on the other hand, it seems unfair that Bedford, Amherst and other New Hampshire towns hold such sway over the campaign. In a way it's undemocratic that the votes in New Hampshire and Iowa count more than the votes cast in other states. These voters gain so much attention from the candidates, exemplified by McCain, who stumped in New Hampshire for an entire year and attended more than 100 town hall meetings.
This system may be unfair, but we should take heed of these results. All of the candidates spent a year in New Hampshire speaking in high school gymnasiums, attending pancake breakfasts and greeting people everywhere. The citizens of New Hampshire should know these candidates. We should take their support for McCain as a sign that name recognition and the support of the establishment does not mean a man is right for the job. Once again New Hampshire has sent a powerful message. It is a message that individuality and integrity should triumph over political legacies and institutional support.
(Peter Brownfeld's column normally appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily.)
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