Someday on C-SPAN2

It was time for the tricky part of our trip to New Hampshire - navigating around the state. Prior to leaving Virginia, I had an idea about various scheduled public events by using http://www.nh2008.blogspot.com/. This site posted updated candidate schedules regularly, and it became my favorite site in the days before departure. Campaign stops were listed with the date, time, candidate and physical address. What could be easier, right? I had already spent an evening on Mapquest and Google Maps to plot a logical course by day, avoiding events at 11 AM in the North Country followed by 1 PM events in the south. So, like most stereotypical men, I had a "sense" of where we were going. That was going to have to be enough. A tired and hungry 11 year old was counting on me.

The first event on our agenda after the Global Warming Conference was a Mike Huckabee House Party. It was billed as a walk through of a Green House featuring the latest recycled materials and energy efficient design. It was not, as Marra first thought, a traditional green house filled with flowers and trees, which she told me would have been too hot for her. Global warming was hitting home in New Hampshire on this fall day, with temperatures in the upper 70s, sunny and clear. It felt warmer, probably since we were all pumped up with the adrenaline of our first day in campaign mode.

The Green House Party was the lone address that Mapquest and Google Maps could not recognize before we left Virginia. I was going to be dependent on some kind New Hampshirites or knowledgeable campaign flunkies to help us get there safely. We found two members of the Huckabee staff, eager to help two lost potential donors find their way. It turns out that the address doesn't exist yet, because the neighborhood is under construction. The Green House does not exist in cyberspace. On the last day of the trip, this might have deterred me. But not on opening night! I will find it. The staffers asked me a question I would hear throughout our stay in the Granite State: "Do you have a GPS?" If only...

Directions in hand, we headed out in the fading light due north, approximately 25 miles. This was my first opportunity to debrief with Marra in an uninterrupted setting, just the two of us. I asked for her impressions. She had several questions about nuclear power, a topic that was raised by each candidate, and was the subject of a question to McCain and Huckabee. Both McCain and Huckabee favored more nuclear plants in the US, calling it a safe and efficient option to help us break our dependence on foreign oil. Both reminded the crowd that France meets 80% of its power needs using nuclear (ironic that France is the model we should look to for energy policy, but not anything else, like "socialized" medicine ideas). I explained to Marra that disposal of the waste from nuclear is still an open issue, and that many fear nuclear plants would be prime targets for those wanting to harm America. I also told her that the last nuclear plant in the US was chartered 20 years ago, so it had been an energy source on hold for a number of years. I did not tell her that I attended the No Nukes Concerts in 1979 in NYC, featuring Bruce Springsteen and Jackson Browne, and that my screams can be heard on the recording of Bruce's "Devil with the Blue Dress" medley. That would have been brainwashing, and she had gotten enough of that listening to Kucinich for 20 minutes. (I will never forget the gleam in his eyes when he said, "I believe in public ownership of a lot of things.")

The event seemed further away than 25 miles, a feeling I would have repeatedly during the week, but we did find it without incident. None of the other houses on the street were occupied yet, all were in various stages of construction, but mostly finished from the exterior. There weren't too many cars parked nearby, and I took that as a positive sign. We were there for access to power, and the fewer people the better. Huckabee might have disagreed. His problem was that his candidacy, like the Green House, was not yet on the map. He needs a break through event, and time is running out.

Marra and I walked into the house like it was ours. Like Damon said in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High, "You don't just walk into a room, you walk." I had to show her that we belonged...and I didn't want to get thrown out of our first party. We met a nice young woman at the door behind her draped card table, and she greeted us warmly. I was only half listening, since Gov. Huckabee was about 12 steps to my left, talking to other average citizens with C-SPAN cameras capturing every movement, every exchange. At that moment, I knew I had succeeded. Marra and I were in New Hampshire, in a private residence with a few dozen people, rubbing elbows with a major party candidate for the Presidency of the United States. They'd have to drag me out.

We signed in (yes, I used my real name and real address, although I did hesitate), and headed to the kitchen and Huckabee. He was slowly making the rounds, and headed straight for us. "Marra, stay right here," I said, "Don't move." I felt for the camera. Check. It was ready for the money shot when our prey turned to us. As we waited our turn, I strained to hear the answers to the questions he was getting from other attendees. Crowd noise or old age, but I couldn't understand most of what was being said.

Then, just when it was our turn, the hostess of the party sidled up and told us, "We need to stay on schedule, so I will need to take the governor over to meet these people next." I controlled the urge to tell her our sad story of 550 miles of travel that day just for this one moment with our future president, but I was polite and reserved. We'll get another chance. Huckabee then turned and was face to face with Marra and me. "Hello, I'm Mike Huckabee," and he extended his hand. Nice shake, firm, not too hard, single pump, he lingered in the hand embrace just the right amount of time. Obviously a professional.

I introduced Marra, and told him about our travel plans. He asked Marra what grade she was in, and I think she answered correctly. I asked for the photo with Marra, and he happily complied. It came out great, both Mike and Marra looking happy without red eye. What a special moment.

Mission One accomplished, we weaseled our way to the food. They had sandwich wraps with turkey, roast beef, and chicken salad. There was cut fruit, chips for dipping, and an assortment of beverages, including beer and wine. I was drunk with the proximity to power, and we had one more event to see that evening, so I stuck with water, thank you. Marra and I filled plates and found an open bench seat built into the bay window. We sat comfortably, and soaked it all in.

It interesting how unobtrusive the cameras and microphones became after only a short time. Those C-SPAN guys must know what they're doing.

Twenty minutes into the event, and Governor Huckabee came to the front of the living room to deliver a few words of thanks, and give us an abridged version of his stump speech. He set up to deliver his remarks about 3 feet from where Marra and I were sitting in the picture window, and as it happened, we were directly across from the C-SPAN cameras. Should this particular house party event end up being broadcast on the show "Campaign 2008", Marra and I will be featured prominently. If it never reaches broadcast, here's what you'll miss: Marra chomping away while the governor is speaking; me leaning over and telling her to starve if she has to, but stop eating while he's speaking, it's very distracting; Marra spilling her cup of water on the seat cushion and her own leg; Marra attempting to rub her leg over and over during the talk to dry up the water; me sliding further away, in case people think we're together. Oh well, it was too neat to be in the room to let any of that really affect our mood.

During his remarks. Huckabee told a famous New Hampshire primary joke that I will share with all of you, since I found it to represent a truism of NH politics:

A reporter walks into a barber shop and asks one of the patrons, "So, do you plan to vote for {insert candidate name here} in the election for President this week?" The patron responds, "How should I know? I've only met him twice."

The whole process has such an intimacy there, that it is true that everyone discusses not only a candidate's positions, but their demeanor, their persona, their openness to the citizenry.

So Huckabee finishes his speech, and turns again to Marra and me. We shake hands again, and I tell him that I wish we had more time to hear about his Fair Tax proposal. He would replace all taxes on earnings with a national consumption tax, the theory being why tax earnings, just tax spending. This would encourage saving, simplify the tax system, and remove the disincentive to invest money. I'd like to hear more.

Marra and I then stalked one of his staffers, who laid out the Huckabee path to the nomination. Be competitive in Iowa and New Hampshire (top three in both), then offer himself as the truest conservative in the race...oh yeah, and hope one of the front runners stumbles.

Now that I've met him, I hope he sticks around. He's unassuming, which is nice in a house, bad on a national debate stage. Of all the candidates we saw in NH, I thought his message was the most coherent and most consistent. He was a great first course in our political meal.

But red meat was just ahead. We were off to a John Edwards Town Hall Meeting next. Our first day in New Hampshire was not over yet.

JS