AND THEN, THERE WERE NONE..'.
We are daily witnessing the Democrats of the state of New Hampshire go though their system of choosing a candidate who will run against incumbent George W. Bush in November of this year.
I have yet to see one who would seem to me to be worthy and who has the political power by which to make it possible. Each is lacking in one factor or the other.
At the moment, Senator John Kerry seems to be the popular choice of those in attendance, but the people of New Hampshire are individualists moreso than any other group in the country. There we find a sufficient number of independent voters to give that classification genuine meaning and kick. Voters in the Granite State stand as firm as their natural resource one they have decided how they wish things to be. They are not so easily moved as are the voters in many sections of the nation. Their independent nature makes them rather more difficult to convince, but, once they have decided, they will stand by their choice firmly. At this moment, just several days into the week-long action of choice, everything seems to be up for grabs.
It appears that John Kerry leads the field, He is a fellow New Englander and responds well to the native criteria. In many ways he thinks and acts as ety do, and that is a tremendous plus factor without effort. He has less he muist overcome.
Howard Dean , also a naive son as former Governor of the State of Vermont, has that advantage as well, but he blurred the image somewhat in Iowa with a few arrogant words delivered in an uncharacteristic tones and with violent gestures unbecoming to his usual stance of seeming stability. I can see Kerry besting him in this primary largely because of that unfortunate incident. How deeply it has hurt his overall campaign is yet to be seen, He has , it appears, accepted good advice which enables him to make fun of himself concerning the event. That treatment can win over many American voters who like that trait . They saw it for many year in comedians such as Jack Benny and who created huge evils which seemed to fall upon him so that he merited special sympathy and understanding.
I think Lieberman stands little chance in the area. People seem to know what he stands for and they do not particularly care for such package programs.
Wesley Clark will make firm inroads on the Kerry-Dean but John Edwards from the southland, will not be as readily accepted as the “chance for change” In New Hampshire that he proved to be in the mid west.
Al Sharpton and others may just as well have stayed at home. Move over Richard Gephart! Company's comin'.
A.L.M. January 24, 2004 [c479wds]
