I voted in NH today - met Hillary at my polling station

[HughMoran]

Wow, what an interesting morning it was. I drove up to the polling station this morning and I couldn't even get into the parking lot of the polling place - traffic was backed up onto the main road. Finally, I made it into the parking lot and saw a huge purple bus with "Hillary" on the side. Now it all made sense - I know the turnout will be big today, but this explains the exceptionally long line of cars. I walked over near the entrance to the polling station and there was the whole entourage - there were literally more cameramen, reporters and secret service than there were voters - what a zoo! Hillary was speaking to the cameras when I walked up. I was more interested in the secret service guy holding the door of the black Suburban open as it was rolling ever so slowly. Hillary then walked toward the entrance to the polling station blocking the entrance due to all the reporters and secret service. I followed behind and heard some fellow yell something about the war to her. Then some Romneyzombie yelled that people wanted to vote and that she was blocking the entrance. Next thing I know the whole group passed me by as I stood there. Suddenly (it seemed), I saw Hillary walking right by me all by herself so I said "hi Hillary" in a quiet voice (I'm shy). She turned and smiled and held out her hand and gave a nice greeting as we shook hands.

I just thought that was a cool moment so I had a big smile on my face as I walked toward the polling station. I then saw Chelsea standing in front of me and just to my right and I gave her a big smile (I don't care what anybody says, this ugly man thinks she's cute.) She did the most adorable thing I've ever seen in such a situation - she shrugged her shoulders and said very meekly "sorry". She was apologizing for blocking the entrance to the polling place. I think she may have been thinking that she was leading her mother to a place on the side of the building where they would be out of the way, not realizing that the entrance to the polling station was on the side of the building. Anyway, I thought her gesture was really cute - youthful timidity is one of the more enjoyable things in life (I have younger kids myself.)

The reporters were attacking anything that was breathing - one Japanese reporter cut in front of me and started interviewing someone holding a McCain sign who was behind the barricade. I was corralled after I left and asked who I voted for - I politely declined to say and bolted! :)

I just thought I'd share my somewhat "out of the ordinary" experience at the polling station today.

[ccpup]

1. thank you for sharing that

It's nice for people to learn that Hillary isn't exactly the blood-stained wretch people sometimes make her out to be. I've met and worked with her and her family several times and have always found them to be warm, funny, intelligent and surprisingly ordinary.

[surfermaw]

56. I don't know about you, but if Edwards get out, he says he isn't

My vote will go to Hillary, she has been tried and tested, and another thought, she looked beautifull for her age in the N.H debate. Edwards looked the best of all but he is a little younger than most. and my very first pick ever since he entered the race of N.C.Senator, what a man that can beat the HElMS machine

[Deep13]

2. I met her twice. I found she has a really captivating gaze.

She also looks older in person than on TV.

[debbierlus]

4. She is a scorpio.

Scorpio sun signs & rising signs are known for their intense gaze & presence.

[rodeodance]

21. For me--your post ruined a beatiful story

[iconocrastic]

28. More like a scorpion. nt

[emilyg]

35. Go do something useful.

[Name removed]

42. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DaveinMD]

3. I love Chelsea

I have always been impressed by how she's handled herself. She's grown into an impressive young woman. You can criticize the Clintons for a lot of things, but they did a great job raising their daughter.

[BenDavid]

9. well with SOME of the obama and edwards folks saying hrc is

the devils spawn, chelsea knocks that hatred down. Just goes to show that hrc and wjc did something good.....

[DaveinMD]

10. I'm an Edwards person

these are all fine people that we have running. I'm proud of all of them.

[GalleryGod]

18. Not ALL of us...

My wife & I gave Clinton/Gore the federal maximum allowable in 1992 and 1996.

[Ilsa]

13. Amen. She's an awesome young lady. A real lady. nt

[HughMoran]

44. So do I

Her humility today just reinforced my positive feelings about her.

:loveya:

[jlake]

58. Yes, she has. They did something right for sure.

[Adelante]

5. Nice story

Thanks :)

[Colobo]

6. Nice story. Hillary seems to be a very good person.

[Meldread]

7. I'm curious to ask...

...did having Hillary there influence the way you voted?

A candidate wouldn't even bother showing up to where I cast my vote, so I don't know what it is like, but I always have the feeling that if they did I'd feel more inclined (or at least somewhat conflicted) to vote for them.

[HughMoran]

26. Well..

I really hate to admit this, but I was beside myself trying to decide who I liked best or if perhaps I should hedge my bet due to the unknown quantity of Obama. I ended up voting for Hillary (which I was not planning on doing, so yes, that little push was just enough to give her the "hedge" vote from me. Kinda sad, I know - but I like all three of the top three for different reasons and would like this to be competitive right through Super Duper Tuesday.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

29. You're not an ugly man IMO

based on this wonderful story you shared.

[HughMoran]

57. :o)

:hug:

[Glenda]

60. he's cute as a button

don't ask me how I know ;)

[HughMoran]

61. ooooh!

I am getting compliments from a Viking Witch :rofl:

[Glenda]

62. you know it baby!

:loveya:

[emilyg]

36. Good!

[ronnykmarshall]

46. YES!!

Thank you!

I got my ballot yesterday and messed it up so I have to get another.

I can't wait to vote for Hillary!

We are moving prior to the primary and I guess I'll make myself known in my new neighboor hood with my Hillary sign in the front window. I'm moving from a condo to a house, but I don't think I'll have time to get a yard sign before the election. With all the moving and crap, we lucky we can vote absentee in time.

Thanks again! You made my day!

[Egnever]

8. pretty cool

And I think chelsea is cute too

[harun]

11. Cool story, thanks for posting (n/t)

[demnan]

12. It's exciting to meet the candidates

I've met a couple of them myself (Edwards, Kucinich) and you're always thinking, wow that person impresses me differently than when they're on T.V.

For Kucinich when I met him, I didn't realize how charismatic he was. He doesn't strike you that way on TV where you might focus on him being short. But in person he is very charming. And oddly, Edwards is less so. Edwards is far more reserved than I would have thought.

[dugggy]

14. Thanks for sharing your experience n/t

[GalleryGod]

15. Great Report...meanwhile back in my New Jersey suburbs...

I planted 8 OBAMA lawn signs in my neighborhood...officially "OBAMA-ville"

4 weeks...and counting.

[HughMoran]

59. There are hundreds of signs up here

...and I'm just talking about the few streets I see on the way home. Funny thing, they are mostly planted in snow - which is melting like mad now!

[TreasonousBastard]

16. Neat story-- every place I've voted it was boring...

and no one ever showed up.

Sometimes, not even voters.

[last_texas_dem]

17. Cool story

Sounds like you had a very interesting morning. That is awesome; running into a presidential candidate while going to cast your vote in the state primary. I enjoyed reading about your experience.

[Bitwit1234]

19. In my opinion the voting is more for the media than for the candidates.

[Vanje]

32. Your opinion

A mysterious, and dark and murky place.

[Cameron27]

20. Very cool!

Aww Chelsea, such a nice woman. Thanks!

[tridim]

22. I met her once in 1992 at my campus.

I was carrying a sign that read "Clinton in 92" on one side and "Jerry Brown in 96" on the other (this was a few days after Bill Clinton won the nomination). She laughed and said that she was glad they at least had my support for 4 years. :)

[Tom Rinaldo]

24. A good quip. It's a shame Hillary's sense of humor hasn't been given more play

I don't know if that's her fault, her advisors' fault, or the media's fault. Probably some of each.

[HughMoran]

40. You have to wonder

...if much of our (DU's) promotion of the character assassination of Hillary is due to our fear of the Republican smear machine & thus her ability to get elected. If that is the case (and I'm almost sure it is), then many of us here have been really bad people recently.

[BigDDem]

23. Good for you, thanks for sharing your story

[babylonsister]

25. Thanks for relaying that. It must be a zoo out there, for all of them.

And I hold no animosity towards Chelsea, she's a good, loving, smart daughter.

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. You know, I'm for Edwards, but that was pretty cool. Thanks for sharing

your experience. I don't have the guts to do what Hillary is doing. I'll be the first to admit it. It's easy for me to hide behind my monitor and allow my fingers to vent my frustrations on the keyboard, but I know I could never in a million years do what Hillary does every day.

[HughMoran]

30. She is so unintimidating in person...

She's relatively short and she looks quite her age - lots of makeup to look good on TV. I was also surprised at how small her hand was - silly detail, I know. Anyway, Chelsea's bashfulness about being a nuisance to us voters told quite a bit about that family. She may not win, but she has earned my respect - for all that's worth - lol :)

[The Backlash Cometh]

47. And mine.

I just wish she wasn't so stuck in the 90s.

[Catherine Vincent]

49. She has small hands? Can you imagine what they look like next to Bill's big and long hands?

LOL.

[HughMoran]

50. Lol

I forgot about Bill's big old hands - that must be an interesting sight!

[Catherine Vincent]

51. I love Bill's hands.

I think it's one of his more attractive qualities. They are not too meaty and not too thin, just right. Let me be quiet now. :)

[HughMoran]

53. They are very sensual, aren't they?

:rofl:

[goodgd_yall]

31. Nice report n/t

[lisainmilo]

33. Nice story....Thanks

Awesome moment for you.:)

[Rageneau]

34. People should not relate incidents that make Hillary look human.

We have an election to win here, people, and the memo says: Hillary is cold, calculating, cruel, heartless, mercenary and narcissistic. NOT HUMAN!!!

Now get with the program.

We can't rely on the MSM to do all our character assassination for us, can we?

[HughMoran]

39. It was reinforcing for me today

I've recently been criticizing the infighting here and have found myself unintentionally defending Hillary and Obama and Edwards at various times as I can't stand some of the irrational character assassination going on. It was nice to see that Hillary comes across as very ordinary in person and that her daughter is so seemingly humble as to be embarrassed by the imposition of her mother's entourage on us voters. It was kind of refreshing actually.

[rosesaylavee]

37. Cool story.

Thanks for posting. I too think Chelsea is a very pretty girl. Very nice smile that doesn't happen unless its genuine.

[bdamomma]

38. wow sounds exciting, I just hope the trend in voting continues all

the way up to February 5th, we have to kick butt.

[mtnsnake]

41. Thanks, Hugh, nice to see such a positive post

You are so lucky to have bumped into both of them like that. I met Hillary once, but it was after she gave a speech. She stayed afterward to meet anyone who wanted to meet her. Almost everyone in the crowd went up and either talked to her briefly or had someone take their picture with her. It took forever. She was so warm. Very petite, too. Much smaller in person, even, than what she appears on TV.

[Clintonista2]

43. Great story!

[ronnykmarshall]

45. How wonderful!

I hope I get to see Hillary again this year.

[Jersey Devil]

48. I met Hillary on a Sunday afternoon in Nyack, NY

when she was running for the Senate the first time. She was having a meeting in a local meeting hall just before my niece was scheduled to have her baby's Christening party there. Hillary's meeting went over timewise and she apologized profusely to my niece for holding up her party and took some photos with the baby. I thought she was a very nice person.

That said, I support Edwards.

[oasis]

52. Nice story. thanks.

[avrdream]

54. Thanks for the update, Hugh.

And for reminding us to keep the thread positive.

[HughMoran]

55. y/w

It was a positive experience!

[onehandle]

63. If I met the beautiful, charming, and smart Chelsea...

...I'd vote for whoever she wanted.

Nice Story.

[lynch03]

64. Great story, n/t

[HughMoran]

65. Wow, this story has special meaning for me now

Hillary actually won - wow, who knew that the little things could make such a difference.