Reply #7: it's even crazier than you think

[maxanne]

A lot of folks hate us - and envy us for our access to candidates. I understand that. We have a level of access to candidates that is remarkable - but it is only possible in a small state. It's also a little different this time -with the advent of the big rock star campaigns of Obama and Clinton. Neither of them have done much hanging out at the corner diner.


The mailings. The robocalls. The phone calls. The polls. The canvassers.

NH voters are involved, and aware, in ways that may differ from other states. We also have incredible access to our own state elected officials. There are 400 members in the NH House of Representatives. It's damned hard not to know at least one of them! Heck, you trip over 'em at the supermarket. It is not unusual to know a state senator or two, or even the governor. Our state is small enough that it's also not bizarre to know one of our Congresscritters.

One of the aspects that isn't ever discussed is what it does to us - NH political activists. The 2003-2004 primary caused incredible divisiveness - people who were friends, even relatives had rifts that aren't healed to this day. This election has some of that taking place again. We all peel off to support the candidate of our choice - and then things can get really ugly as time goes on. I'm hoping that we'll all find a way to come back together - because we have important NH elections coming up, and we need to find a way to reunite.
With the length of the whole process, every 2 years now, as soon as the scab is healed, we rip it off again. It's really difficult to deal with being pitted against one another in this way.