The NH "earthquake".

[Raven]

I am told by people who know a lot more about national politics than I do that the vote in NH this past November was like an earthquake inside the beltway for both Republicans and the Democratic establishment. I don't have to quess why the Repubs are nervous but I can only conjecture that the Dems were shocked that Shea-Porter pulled off an upset with very little support from them.

My group is continuing to talk to NH voters and will begin canvassing this spring. The three main things on people's minds up here seem to be the war, health care and education (generally in that order). We are in a strong position to influence the outcome of the primaries...as one of the candidates said recently on a visit here "As NH goes, so goes the world." An exaggeration? Not really!

[maxanne]

1. the Democrats

didn't give CSP much support at all. The DCCC gave Jim Craig a boatload of $$, and in spite of
it all, CSP beat him handily in the primary. I think the Democratic Party establishment was shocked
to find that a grassroots candidate can win with less than half a million dollars.

The people at the grassroots level are always way ahead of the party gatekeepers, but they
never seem to want to listen.

Health care is definitely the #1 domestic issue. It's important for all of us to go to candidate events
and ask tough questions.