Primary Urges

Well, the 2008 race for the White House is under way. All the buzz is on my home state New Hampshire. My predictions: Obama and McCain will win the primaries. Granite Staters, this one included, are notoriously independent. We're straight shooters, we hate spin, and we can smell political doo-doo when its flung in our faces. We New Hampshirites also like to shake things up. We voted for McCain in 2000, Tsongas in 1992, Hart in 1984, and McCarthy (that's Eugene not Joe) in 1968.

I miss not being back there for the primary. (although I was just there savoring the anticipating buzz). I'm proud of my home state's political prowess and its civic participation. New Hampshire has one of the strongest voter participation of any state. And all this crap about New Hampshire not being a good state to begin the presidential picking. Bunk! Because we force candidates to actually talk about the issues. We cut through the political spin. My home state has a long history of true democratic representation. The New Hampshire house is the third largest representative body in the free world. Live Free or Die!

And lack of diversity? Give me a break. There's more to diversity than skin color. We have plenty of diversity in NH! People of French, Irish, Scotch-Irish, Italian, Puerto-Rican, Polish, and Greek descent sprinkles the hills and old mill cities. And immigrants from Somalia, India, Korea, and China have recently been finding their way to the Granite State. NH is populated with Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Mormons. New Hampshirites, and this one included tend to be fiscal conservatives, social liberals, protectors of the environment, and believers in a strong America. We vote green, both Republican and Democrat.

We never left our roots. Its the national parties that have drifted-the Republicans with the religious right and the Democrats with the loony left. Give me JFK, Harry Truman, Scoop Jackson, Dan Evans, Warren Rudman, and pre-Watergate Nixon (Tricky Dick was one of our best environmental presidents ever) any day! We Granite staters don't care for Huckabee religion in your face or Kucinich no religion at all. We don't care much for Giuliani grandstanding or Hillary standing all over the place. Obama and McCain appeal to Granite State sensibilities.

Personally I like Obama and McCain. Obama as a statesman, McCain as an executive in chief. I think both of these men have a lot of integrity. And I do like Huckabee too, for his religious convictions and his compassion. I think he's a great guy, just not presidential material. Romney and Richardson as governors had my respect and I admit, I like Rudy faults and all. He's a New Yorker and he's a paesano! Ron Paul I agree with many of his stands but he is unelectable. Kucinich is out there but I respect his integrity-he's not a hypocrite. Edwards? Well, let's just end my analysis on a positive note, shall we?

Let the Democratic Process Begin!

(photo- NH voter Phil Germain shows his political colors!)