RTWH 2016 Planning Trip: NHDP Convention

It was good fortune that my NH planning trip was scheduled for the same weekend of the NHDP Convention.  It was held at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester.  

Thousands of enthusiastic Democrats filled the arena -- and heard from all of the Democratic Presidential candidates -- as well as from NH leaders such as US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Governor Maggie Hassan, Executive Councilors Colin Van Ostern and Chris Pappas, Congresswoman Annie McLane Kuster and Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, and many others. It was electrifying.

In the interest of full disclosure perhaps I should mention that I used to work for the NHDP and have been involved in planning conventions of years past.  I must say that Chairman Ray Buckley and the NHDP staff must get a huge round of applause for pulling off such an amazing event. That has to have been the biggest and best NHDP convention - ever!

For my part, this provided an opportunity to check in with the staff of all of the presidential campaigns (and the Draft Biden movement), and with other "vendors" who were there, such as the C-SPAN Road to the White House team and the NH Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College. 

It was also a wonderful opportunity to connect with old friends and colleagues -- many of whom I will enlist to enrich this course for my students.  (I was particularly excited about the prospect of meeting with Ambassadors Dick Swett and George Bruno when we are back in January. They will be hosting a group of Ambassadors during the primary season.  I am pleased that my efforts to internationalize my courses will continue even in New Hampshire as a part of my Road to the White House class...if we can arrange a brief meeting for my students with the ambassadors to discuss topics such as US foreign policy on the presidential campaign trail.)

with Rep. Mike Rollo, Senator Bette Laske, Senator Donna Soucy, former NHDP Chair Kathy Sullivan, and Ellis Robinson (formerly of Ruth's List in Florida)

with Senator Martha Fuller Clark and Geoffrey Clark

with Chairman of the NHDP Raymond Buckley

with Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern and former Senator and mayoral candidate Caroline McCarley

Governor Martin O'Malley enters the arena

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders

RTWH 2016 Planning Trip: Candidate Events (Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Carly Fiorina)

I was pleased to also have the opportunity to see the Republican and Democratic front-runners for their respective party's nomination up close and personal, as is the way of the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation primary.


I attended the rally with Mr. Donald Trump in Rochester.  There were thousands in attendance.  Indeed, the emcee said this was the largest political event held in Strafford County. I've been to many big political events in Strafford County, and, while I am not sure if this did, in fact, set a record, I must agree that the civic center was packed.  I was interested to go to a Trump event and to see him in person. In part I was wondering if others in the crowd were curious onlookers or supporters.  My impression was that the gymnasium was filled with thousands of enthusiastic supporters.  I was sitting right next to the gentleman who asked the now-famous question about President Obama. What is less reported is that that was one of several questions about Muslims in America.  The beauty of the New Hampshire primary is that someone like Donald Trump, who may not be used to having to answer to anyone, did open up to a question-and-answer town hall style format at the rally. 

This is expected of candidates.  At coffee shops, at house parties, and at town hall meetings, NH primary voters will ask candidates tough questions -- and they will expect answers.  A far cry from Florida's paid media intensive campaigns.  All we get are the 30-second soundbites on TV.  This will be a real opportunity for my students. I am sure they will see not only their own candidates, but also they will likely see other candidates. Up close, in person, and on the spot.

I also attended the Roundtable on College Affordability at UNH led by Hillary Clinton and Governor Maggie Hassan (who endorsed Hillary that day).

At the New Hampshire Democratic Party (NHDP) Convention, I was able to see Governor O'Malley, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Secretary Hillary Clinton. (Those pictures will be in a separate post.)

And just before heading to the airport to fly back to Tampa I was able to attend a coffee with Mr. Frank Fiorina. The campaign was going like gangbusters, seizing the energy coming off the latest Republican debate (which occurred on the eve of my trip to NH).

Mr. Trump greets the band that was playing outside the event as guests arrived

the seating behind me

Mr. Trump enters the civic center in Rochester, NH

It was great to be back on the UNH campus in Durham.

Despite leaving my hotel in Salem before the breakfast was served (when part of my mission was to sample the breakfast), I could tell that when I got there (when doors opened!) that the length of the check-in line did not bode well for my getting in to the event.

the press corps coming out alerted us that we might be in for a surprise

The up-side of being the first in the line to be told that I would be in the over-flow:  being in the front row when Hillary and Governor Hassan came out to greet the hundreds of us who didn't get into the theater.

a shot of the overflow

actually, we could see and hear quite well -- and, probably not as hot as it can get when in a crowded room?

press corps

 

 

It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet Mr. Fiorina at a coffee in Nashua

RTWH 2016 Planning Trip, September 2015, Democratic Candidate Campaign HQs

At the Grand Opening of the Bernie Sanders' HQ in Manchester

I met with staff from the campaigns of Secretary Hillary Clinton, Senator Bernie Sanders, Governor Martin O'Malley, and the Draft Biden group. 

Here are a few pics of the Sanders and O'Malley Manchester HQs.  Hillary was criss-crossing the state during the days I was in NH - so I met up with members of her team on the road.

the press corps getting set up, awaiting Senator Sanders' arrival

RTWH 2016 Planning Trip, September 2015 -- Republican Candidate Campaign HQs

I stayed at the hotel that we booked for the course in Jan/Feb 2016 -- in part to make sure that it would meet our needs for the trip -- and also to learn my way around from the hotel to all of the campaign HQs and other destinations on our itinerary before everything is under a blanket of snow.

My plan was to meet with all of the campaigns' staff and to see all of the campaign HQs so that I could start making the arrangements for my students' internships.

While I let the students select their internship placements, we have always been fortunate in all of the classes I have taught that include campaign internships to have all campaigns covered.  I expect that once again we will have a diverse group of students and campaigns represented in RTWH 2016.

I stopped by every campaign HQ.  Some were just being set up, and others were not yet ready to open, so I met with some staffers in coffee shops instead.


As a Floridian teaching at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, my first stops were to Governor Jeb Bush's and Senator Marco Rubio's headquarters in Manchester.

I had productive meetings with the campaigns of Governor Jeb Bush, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Lindsey Graham, Governor Chris Christie, Mr. Donald Trump, Ms. Carly Fiorina, Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Rand Paul, Dr. Ben Carson, Governor John Kasich, (and Governor Scott Walker).

I know how hectic things are at every stage of the campaign. Knowing how completely insane things will be come January, I wanted to meet with staff now to make all of the arrangements on behalf of my students. Each of the campaigns has a different feel, a different structure, different strategy. I know that students placed in each of the campaigns are going to have truly extraordinary experiences.

While I appreciated the conversations I had with all of the staffers with whom I met, my most memorable meeting may have been with Gov Chris Christie's staffer.  He's a fellow Rutgers alum who recounted an incident with my mentor Prof. Gordon Schochet during which Gordon came to his defense, quite forcefully, with the New Brunswick PD.  Gordon insisted that this staffer (who was then the leader the Young Republicans on campus) and his friends should have the right to protest -- that there needed to be a free speech zone at the presidential campaign event. The way he described the encounter, it sounded just like Gordon. This staffer assumed that Gordon disagreed with his politics, but knew that he could count on Gordon to defend his rights to express those beliefs. I hope that my students always feel the same way about me.

Here are a few pics of the HQs: