Taking Shape

One of the challenges in planning a trip to New Hampshire for primary season is coordinating our schedule with that of the various candidates. We made our reservation for our room in Manchester back in April. Candidate schedules are fluid, changing sometimes by the hour. We had sketched out the framework for our days in the state, but the details are being filled in only this week, right before departure. It was always a possibility that every candidate would abandon New Hampshire for the week in favor of Iowa or some other early voting state. That was the risk I had to take in choosing the dates for the trip 8 months in advance. I was trying to predict where the political winds would blow each presidential hopeful. Have I guessed correctly?

Some good early news: Bill Richardson, John McCain and Mike Huckabee have committed to attend a conference on global warming this Friday and Saturday. The conference is not only in Manchester, it is being held right in our hotel! The current schedule has speeches by McCain and Huckabee Saturday, and we should be there in time. Might miss Richardson. After the conference, we can follow Huckabee to a gathering about 20 miles away, hopefully for more close up time. McCain is staying in the state through the 14th. Can't afford to leave probably.

Hillary and Barack are in the Granite State beginning tomorrow, so the odds are they will be gone by the time we arrive. We'll see. The 3rd place candidate and his wife, Elizabeth, are planning to be in the state, but no schedule has been released.

Kucinich and Gravel, pulling up the rear in the polls, are confirmed to speak to the NH Committee for an Independent Voice - perfect for those two characters, since they have been marching to their own drummers for years.

And then there is everyone's favorite Republican, the darkest of dark horse candidates, Tom Tancredo. He'll be picketing a 7-11 all week. OK, that's a joke. He's around Wednesday, so perhaps we'll see what kind of a crowd he attracts. I'll keep Marra close.

The rest of the hours at this point will be filled with campaign headquarters drop-ins (most are located in Manchester), collecting political bumper stickers, signs and other wacky memorabilia. We'll ask questions, interview volunteers, discuss policy, process, and cheap local eateries.

GOP debate tomorrow - stay tuned for Fred Thompson's coming out party. Should get ugly early.

JS