Live and In Person Presidential Candidates

[Yppej]

I enjoyed this four years ago so I am back at it.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr

Due to the assassinations he is nervous and spends a third of his campaign funds on private security. They wanded us all and also looked in my bag. They didn't have much left for refreshments and only gave out napkins not plates since you can't put much on a napkin without it breaking. While we waited we heard from his campaign manager Dennis Kucinich, a nice guy, and very short, something I didn't notice when he was on TV. They played jazz as if appealing to the donor class.

Due to a medical issue RFK's voice is raspy but you soon forget that because he speaks so compellingly of restoring the age of Camelot that grew the middle class and made America loved not feared. He took quite a few questions and answered them all in detail demonstrating great mastery of both domestic and foreign policy. Twice as many people showed up as expected (a couple hundred). A group photo was taken and he took selfies with anyone who wanted but I did not stay for that.

I was very enthused and then crushed when I found out he is not even trying to get onto the Massachusetts ballot. But I intend to vote and being an independent can pick either party, so on to:

Ron DeSantis

I was prepared to like DeSantis because of the way he handled covid, but things did not go well. We weren't wanded or anything, but there were a couple security guys there, not suited and polite like RFK's but thuggish, wearing short sleeves to show off their heavily tattooed and likely steroid enhanced arms, abrasive in manner, and refusing to let anyone use the bathrooms.

The wait music was odd. First was Michael Jackson the child molester, next gay Elton John, then Sweet Caroline which should have been at the RFK event since it's about a Kennedy. It didn't match DeSantis's anti-woke messaging, later reinforced when he pointedly asked a questioner if he was from the area because he got a question on abortion which he skirted. He seemed afraid he was being set up. There were lots of media present and the campaign staff were hostile to them and seem to have a siege mentality.

Although the event was in a city it had maybe 100 attendees, whereas RFK's in a small town had twice as many. I have seen DeSantis advertising for canvassers and his staff didn't appear to be local. Usually at a bigger event you might have several area politicians talk up the crowd before the candidate appears, but they only had one woman and they had to bring her in from another county. His ground game is very weak, and coming from a big state like Florida he is not good at retail politics. There are certain traditions, like you say, "We have time for three more questions." Instead he abruptly said, "Thank you folks" and left the stage after what nobody knew would be the last question. He did not stay for photos and at no point did he shake anyone's hand. Even if Trump got a heart attack and died I do not think he could win.

On substance I generally agreed with him, in part because he spoke in generalities about things like not running up the deficit. If called on I would have asked about his flip flop on Ukraine, but he made sure to mention his military credentials several times and I don't think he will risk the ire of the military industrial complex again. In the most Libertarian state in the country he offered that wing of his party little. He does not come across as a uniter but instead as a rather harsh person, one who would definitely rule the country rather than be a pawn of his handlers (like geriatric Biden) or those who flatter him (like Trump). But I think he goes overboard in the other direction and I see why people say he's not likeable.

Would I vote for him in the primary to stop Trump? I'm tired of voting for the lesser of two evils and I don't think he can win anyways, so probably not. I need to hear more candidates.

[iris lilies]

Thanks jep for the summary.

[Tybee]

I did not realize Kucinich was Kennedy's campaign manager--thanks for pointing that out!

[Teacher Terry]

I really don’t think Kennedy has to worry about being killed because he’s just not popular enough to gain any notoriety for the shooter and doesn’t have a chance.

[Yppej]

I am teeing up to hear some more candidates in person - details to follow.

One that hasn't worked out is Mike Pence.

Usually you click on a link, fill out your RSVP, and you get a near immediate email or text back with your e-ticket which I print out as I do not have a smart phone.

With Pence I skipped the phone step but they never sent me an emailed ticket. So I reluctantly put in my phone number and after hours eventually got a text not with a ticket but just saying, "Thanks for joining Mike Pence for President". I am not joining Pence for President, I just want to hear him speak. This is typical in NH where there is lots of tire kicking. So after being warned by my phone plan I could incur charges for doing so (which never happens when I text people) I texted back STOP to opt out of further messages from them.

Not impressed. No wonder he had no clue that he had classified documents in his house. Total boomer.

[Yppej]

Continuing to get occasional spam from Pence.

Rawaswamy

Turnout was about 150 people, with a diverse crowd by New Hampshire standards. His family was with him, the first time I have seen this with a presidential candidate.

I didn't learn much at his event. He repeated a lot of things he said previously at the debate or on TV. He did refer to "Zelenskyyism" as part of a host of evils he cited including wokism, but that was about it. He criticizes other candidates for platitudes but tosses them out himself, a lot of blah blah blah about restoring values rather than policy specifics.

We were told he would take all questions but didn't even get close to that and I didn't get mine in. Ironic for someone whose slogan is "truth".

The event wasn't impressive either. They had a food truck but after waiting in a long line I found out you can't get anything without a ticket and you have to give up your personal information to get the ticket. I declined. Parking was also poorly managed and I was hemmed in after the event and had to wait a while to get out.

I am still in search of a candidate who will be on a primary ballot in my state to vote for. The host was head of the local Republican town committee and invites various candidates to speak. I did get coffee - with stevia available for it, a pleasant surprise - in his barn and saw a Pence sign there tucked to the side. Apparently he's not impressed with Vivek either.

[Yppej]

Haley

I went to hear her speak at a weekday, daytime event so the crowd was older, given that retirees can do those hours more readily. There was lots of press and two reporters approached me, but one didn't interview me because I am not from New Hampshire.

The event was held at a VFW post. About 100 people crammed into a room with anemic air conditioning and temperatures in the 90's because a lot of folks still do care about the direction of the country, and also about the divisions in it. One man asked a question on that and Haley gave a good answer about her successful effort to bring down the Confederate flag after the Charleston church murders. Another woman asked a question about Ukraine before I could, but I got one in on covid policy. She is for advisories and against mandates and did not say anything about reforming Federal agencies (or abolishing them as Ramaswamy proposed with the CDC).

I didn't realize she was an accountant and she is big on fiscal responsibility, ending earmarks, mandating a balanced budget, and putting in term limits to stop the people who make a career out of the government gravy train. She also wants a mental fitness test for Congresspeople, but isn't firm on age 75 and said it could even be 50.

Security was by a police detail not a private company. She definitely came across as an establishment candidate, and was introduced by Governor Sununu.

I could vote for her in the primary to stop Trump, but ideally I would like a candidate who is not a warmonger, so I plan to continue going north and listening to more candidates.

[Tybee]

Thank you! Was hoping you went to see her.

[iris lilies]

Thank you! Was hoping you went to see her.

I heard her guve the talk about the Confederate statue in a radio interview. I like what shed said.

[Yppej]

I really don’t think Kennedy has to worry about being killed because he’s just not popular enough to gain any notoriety for the shooter and doesn’t have a chance.

A man was arrested at an RFK Jr event after showing up armed and asking to be taken to the candidate.

[iris lilies]

A man was arrested at an RFK Jr event after showing up armed and asking to be taken to the candidate.
I read about that!

[Yppej]

Christie

This was a little smaller crowd than I've been to so far this year, about 75 people, and less press than for DeSantis, Ramaswamy or Haley, maybe because it was in the western part of the state that is less populated by media types. Quite a few students from Keene State College were in attendance which was nice to see. They were well behaved but other people interrupted Christie to ask questions when they were not called on and to argue with him. It was the feistest town hall I have been to.

I got a question in about Ukraine, and his response followed a pattern - he listens, then states his position and does not budge, and instead says that his position is the correct one because he is "honest" and other politicians are liars. He contrasts himself to Trump but seems to have a lot of the same personality traits.

To make Social Security solvent he wants to raise the age limit and means test it but not raise the cap on taxable earnings. So he is willing to look at tough issues, it's just that it's his way or the highway.

He has a sense of humor, he engaged with the audience a little like a comic might who works people present into his routine (without being mean), but he's not open to other viewpoints and he has an inflated sense of his worth. He said he didn't care how few Americans suppported funding the war on Ukraine, he would win them over to his point of view. No he won't. The trend is in the opposite direction.

Next on my list are Williamson and Hutchinson, but Hutchinson isn't for a couple weeks so who knows if he will have dropped out by then.

[catherine]

Not just because lived in NJ for 34 years, I have been interested in Christie's performances as Presidential candidate. I agree with your assessment that he shares some of Trump's traits, such as arrogance. But he was a decent governor if you disregard his Bridgegate scandal. And I love that he's taking on Trump. But because of his focus on that one issue, he doesn't have a chance in hell of doing much better in the polls than he's doing now, which is very low. At this point, I think he knows that and is simply using the debates to promote his anti-Trump message hoping he can talk some people into rejecting Trump.

[Simone]

Yppej, I really enjoy your critiques of the candidates. Keep 'em coming.

[Yppej]

Williamson

About two dozen people gathered to hear Williamson and one radio station sent a reporter. She arrived, shook everyone's hand, and took all questions including from some people who asked more than one.

Before she arrived I was chatting with a woman who said she was with AARP and they send someone to all candidate events to ask about keeping Social Security solvent. On this Williamson was the opposite of Christie, wanting to lift the cap on taxed earnings but not take other steps. She was also not a know it all like him, stating when I asked her that she has no covid policy. I can't imagine him not having ironclad views on something.

Her major focus is on reversing the transfer of wealth upwards in the country and wants to expand government - universal health care, free college, free daycare, etc.

She had trouble hearing one guy and walked closer to him, stating even with a hearing aid she has trouble. Maybe not the best contrast to the aging Biden.

Talked to her staff after and they are working to get on the ballot in all 50 states. Some people from Vermont were present and they were having them sign.

[Simone]

Williamson

About two dozen people gathered to hear Williamson and one radio station sent a reporter. She arrived, shook everyone's hand, and took all questions including from some people who asked more than one.


Thanks, Jeppy. I like and admire Williamson. I enjoy listening her. But I realize she has no token in the game. She's more like the empath on Star Trek: my favorite character, but not going to be captain.

[Yppej]

Trump

I know Trump brags about his crowds and didn't want to play into that, but I figured I better see him now while I still can before he's in jail. I invited a Trumper I know to go with me and we drove over 2 hours to Wolfeboro, NH.

Previous events I was at including a Biden one four years ago, were "large" with a few hundred people, but there were literally thousands here wearing hundreds of different varieties of Trump garb. The lines were long but it was a nice day out so we queued up, e-ticket in hand. Taking advantage of the crowds various street peddlers were there, also a campaign first for me, selling Trump clothing, dog tags, and waffle sausages and waffle dogs.

There were no portable toilets or access to restrooms but we held on, and eventually saw Trump's motorcade. There were also a couple military personnel, one in a tanklike vehicle with a big gun aiming skyward, as well as Secret Service. The only press outside was an anti-Trumper who goes around to all the Trump rallies trying to provoke his supporters into saying silly things. He kept hammering about 91 indictments.

After waiting over 2 hours we saw people in line leaving, but continued on only to be told by the Secret Service that the campaign had overbooked the event. Our tickets were meaningless. Anyone was let in, ticket or not, first come first served. Rumor was some in the know about how these rallies worked had camped out overnight to be sure of a spot inside. The venue has a capacity of 850 plus an overflow room for 400 more people, and there were probably at least another thousand people outside.

When the event started people outside turned on the speech on Youtube and we heard Trump say that the teleprompter was not working and this would be a problem if it were Biden but it is not an issue for him. However, it did appear to be a problem as he kept making statements to the effect that we will win here in Iowa on January 15, and also references to being in Cedar Rapids although this was New Hampshire. I also caught a snipppet listing various entities, including Ukraine, that others put first whereas he will put America first. Then the people playing the speech left the line.

Being shut out - and the lack of any Trump swag at the campaign table - did not faze the crowds. They absolutely loved Trump, and locals both in front of and behind us were saying how honored they were that he chose to come to their town. It was clear to me that Trump will get the Republican nomination hands down. His supporters have some passion. The closest I saw to this level of enthusiasm was 4 years ago with Andrew Yang, but this was a much larger event. People in wheelchairs and oxygen tanks were among those waiting hours to see him. He is and always will be their president, or as some hats proclaimed, "Jesus is my savior and Trump is my president".

We left when we couldn't even get in to use the bathrooms, peed behind some bushes, left and had lunch before driving home. I will not try to attend another of his events. It was interesting to experience the Americana, but the candidate and his poorly run campaign did not impress me. But I was quiet about that being surrounded by so many of his ride or die supporters, one of whom had a banner across the entire front of his Jeep showing Trump dressed as Rambo holding a machine gun. It had NH plates, and I could count the number of out of state plates including mine on one hand. Those like Chris Christie who think they can beat him in NH are delusional.

[Tybee]

Thank you, Yppej. I am hoping New Hampshire is something of an anomaly, now that I live by New Hampshire and have experienced its particular zietgeist. But that's pretty chilling.

[bae]

Thanks for taking one for the team, Yppej, and reporting on the Trump event. Seriously, you have my respect.

[nswef]

Thanks, Yppej for not only taking time to go to such a clown circus, but reporting on it and all your other reports.

[Simone]

Thanks, Yppej. You made it scary real.

[Yppej]

I'm glad people like my commentary.

Oliver

My second strike out in a week as I could not find the venue. Colleges always intimidate me because you need stickers to park. I emailed the school as soon as I signed up for the event and they never responded. Same thing happened four years ago when I wanted to hear Beto O'Rourke at UNH and I never went. But this was on a Saturday and I figured they wouldn't be towing cars on a weekend so I'd chance it.

Despite leaving a half hour early I finally found the visitor lot in a maze of one-way streets just as the event was scheduled to start. There were no campaign signs. Saw a bus but didn't know if it was theirs as there were no signs on it either. Found the library but it was deserted - not just no students, but no librarians to ask either. Did use the bathroom and resumed my search for the building. Found an outdoor campus map but it was outdated and the building on the map was now owned by Verizon. By now it was so late I just left.

Oliver is the leading Libertarian candidate - ran for Senate in Georgia and made it into the debate with Warnock. But if you can't organize campaign events better than they did, how can you run a country?

[iris lilies]

I feel your pain about college campus events. Parking is shxt and finding the right building sucks.

[bae]

I
Oliver is the leading Libertarian candidate - ran for Senate in Georgia and made it into the debate with Warnock. But if you can't organize campaign events better than they did, how can you run a country?

I remember going to a Libertarian political party event when I was right out of college. I was so excited!

Imagine my disappointment. My Cub Scout troop was better organized.

And thus ended my 1-hour fling with the Libertarian Party.

[Yppej]

Not having much luck lately. People keep dropping out. Burgum is the latest. Phillips has an event not too far away but it’s the same time as a city meeting I want to go to.

[Yppej]

Phillips is not doing well. Some of his events only have a handful of people there. There is one upcoming on a day I have off work, but it's at a hole in the wall cafe and when I contacted them about parking the email bounced. It isn't listed on his website but on a third party event list. Not a good way to run a campaign.

[iris lilies]

https://www.wunc.org/2023-12-08/a-postcard-from-the-lesser-known-candidate-forum-a-new-hampshire-primary-tradition

Have ya seen these yokels?

5694

[bae]

I miss Vermin Supreme. And Pat Paulsen.

https://live.staticflickr.com/7152/6554180403_8c194a6d94_b.jpg

[littlebittybobby]

Okay---If only Pat Paulsen was still with us, he would get my vote. Yup.

[pinkytoe]

So interesting to hear first hand accounts of these events!

[Yppej]

https://www.wunc.org/2023-12-08/a-postcard-from-the-lesser-known-candidate-forum-a-new-hampshire-primary-tradition

Have ya seen these yokels?

5694

No.

[Yppej]

Phillips

Thanks to free holiday parking in Nashua I decided to go hear Phillips after all. His event was downtown and not being familiar with that area I brought my brother as it would be after dark.

We arrived in time to get seats, but the venue was way too small, a hole in the wall coffee shop that appeared to have been selected because Phillips used to be in the coffee business. You could get free coffee but only caffeinated and since it started at 4:30 most people wanted decaf.

More and more people crammed into the tiny space including a bunch of media. If the fire marshal had come by I think they would have been fined. It got so claustrophobic my brother went outside but I stayed.

This was definitely a Democratic crowd rather reminiscent of the one at the Biden event I went to four years ago - not very enthusiastic but they think the candidate can beat Trump.

The only apparent policy difference between Biden and Phillips is that Phillips is for single payer.

The first questioner asked about covid vaccine injuries and knew (as did I) more about this and related topics like gain of function research than Phillips did. This was a pattern throughout the event. For instance, when asked how he would address the budget deficit he said make cuts but didn’t specify where. He also spent quite a bit of time on sappy stories of how bipartisan he is, he had an event where a liberal and Trumper hugged etc.

The AARP had at least five people there so they could get a question in, and Phillips wants to raise the cap on taxable earnings for Social Security to $250,000 and also let rich people voluntarily give up their benefits. The latter seems naive.

I asked what he offers to the growing number of Libertarians in the state and he said bodily autonomy (without specifying what he means by that despite the previous question on covid) and weed. Although in his introductory remarks he said people are unhappy with Biden over the economy and wars, he did not mention reining in military spending. Later when asked about global conflict he paid some lip service to peace, but also didn’t want to stop funding the wars going on now. He also didn’t have specific solutions to mitigating climate change, another audience question. When asked about immigration he said we should have people apply for asylum in their home countries and keep them safe there. He is delusional if he thinks there is room to house all the migrants in our embassies until their cases are heard.

He didn’t harp on Biden’s age a lot but did say he was too old to deal with “threats” like AI, crypto and Blockchain, another strike with Libertarians.

While the crowd was reasonably diverse for New Hampshire, the campaign staff were not. It was all young white males with a definite bro vibe, and while Phillips comes across as one of them, I didn’t relate to him like they did and don’t foresee myself voting for him. If I lived in NH and chose to vote in the Democratic primary I would choose Williamson.

The whole event left me tired - I was trying not to yawn - and I will postpone my planned trip to Vermont tomorrow.

[catherine]

Thanks for the great report, Jeppy.

[Simone]

Another helpful picture of a candidate. Thanks!

[Yppej]

Ryan Brinkley is finally coming to New Hampshire and it’s the day of a snowstorm.