New Hampshire Votes for Change
The White Mountain State Ballots Revolutionary Ideas for the USA
Devoid of an incumbent President or Vice President, the 2008 American presidential elections will inevitably be a vote for change. What kind of change was the question?
New Hampshire General John Stark made his famous statement “Lie Free or Die” at the Battle of Bennington during the American Revolutionary War. This spirit aided the movement for change that led to the creation of the United States of America. Today, New Hampshire citizens once again find themselves in the lead of a movement for change. Refusing to accept the status quo as defined by political pundits only a few months ago, voters chose a revolutionary idea. Accept the first American woman as their choice for the Democratic candidate for President.
The candidates consist of senators, former senators, congressmen and governors; but their views diverge much more than their simple titles. Setting the tone of experience is what America needs, Hillary Clinton prevailed over the other candidates concept of change.
Attributes of Presidential Change
- Experience – the biggest hurdle candidates had was to express change with experience. Hillary Clinton successfully used the experience mantra to present herself to voters. Attacked in the last NH debates as the symbol of the status quo, Governor Bill Richardson remarked: “Well, I've been in hostage negotiations that are a lot more civil than this." Fortunately for her, the voters in New Hampshire accepted her video message “'I will be ready to start on Day One.”
- Confrontation – In a populist manner former senator John Edwards used this tactic to push his agenda of change. Repeating his tune that corporations are the biggest problem in America, Edwards was able to garner some support. Unfortunately for him this Trotsky-esk concept did not play well with the revolutionaries in NH.
- Negotiation – Ray Quintanilla, a Chicago Tribune writer said on October 16, 2007 “Governor Richardson [is a] born negotiator.” Holding posts from Ambassador to congressman “Richardson's disarming style has been an important advantage.” Also to his chagrin “civility did not play well in New Hampshire” according to Nedra Pickler of the Associated Press as quoted in the Cleveland Plains Dealer.
- Leadership – has been an issue stressed by the Clinton campaign throughout the primary season. After the rejection of her “experience” argument in the Iowa Caucus, Senator Clinton has taken this basic issue and rephrased it into the “Day One” argument. Susan Rice wrote in a Dec. 27th article in the Huffington Post “we know relatively little about whether…Senator Clinton in fact has real solutions to our big challenges." It appears NH disagrees!
- Change – looking at the election results we must agree with the conclusion of Obama, “the time for real change has come [in America.]” A fundamental principle that may be felt by many Americans was stated by ABC reporter Sam Donaldson, Sunday January 6th, on This Week with George Stephanopoulos: “Obama makes us feel good. He is an articulate black man running for president of the United States; and we like him. We all know where we were and now we see what he is doing – we like that too. He does not put race out front - we like that. We like the fact that we can vote for him without race being an issue [to him.] That makes all of us feel good and when we feel good it is easy to vote for him. That is the change America [may be] looking for.” Unfortunately for Obama not enough voters felt his style of change was superior to Clinton’s.
