Month: February 2020

Fanfare For “The Common Man”, Concord, NH

It seems like everywhere you turn in New Hampshire, there’s another Common Man property.  There’s restaurants, diners, at least one honest-to-goodness pub, a couple of resorts, and on and on.  And yet, for some reason, it never occurred to me that I might stop.  After all, there were other places with better neon; McDonald’s may be crap but it’s familiar crap.  But then random chance took a hand, and I stopped.

And then I went back.  And did it again the next day.

Right.  So, first and foremost:  Cracker Barrel?  A bunch of poseurs.  You only think they (more…)

F&L 2020: Aside on The First Primary

New Hampshire, by state law, has the first primary contest in the nation.  Yes, I know; Iowa comes before New Hampshire — but that’s a caucus, not a primary.  It’s a fundamentally different sort of contest, at least in a technical sense.  And technicalities are the soul of the law.

(Ideally we’d have a legal system based on right and wrong, but you end up with squabbles over which is which.  Technicalities is the best we can do.  Anyway.)

Now that New Hampshire and Iowa are both over with, it’s somewhat remarkable that the so-called “Party of Inclusivity” has ended up with four old white people (more…)

Fear and Loathing 2020: The Day After

I have a strange urge to start this with melodrama:  “The Manchester streets are quiet today…”

Except they’re not.  From the broken-down mill town of Hunter S. Thompson’s heyday, this has become the most populous city north of Boston.  Local small businesses prosper year-round; primary season is still important, but far less (more…)

F&L 2020: And The Winner Is…

It’s past midnight.  Primary Day has come and gone in New Hampshire, and (unlike in Iowa) we have a clear winner:  Bernie Sanders.

We actually have three winners, if we include the Mayor In Waxwork.  Amy Klobuchar’s come-from-behind resurgence to a 20% return is enough to get her taken seriously going forward, which makes her the real story of today.  If she can sustain that momentum through either South Carolina or Nevada, she’s suddenly a top contender. (more…)

F&L 2020: The New Hampshire Spirit — 24 Hours And Counting

“Manchester, New Hampshire, is a broken down mill town on the Merrimack River with an aggressive Chamber of Commerce and America’s worst newspaper.  There is not much else to say for it, except that Manchester is a welcome change from Washington, D.C.”
Hunter S. Thompson, “Fear and Loathing ’72”

“You’re here because of America.”
Mitt Romney, Manchester, 2012

“I’m here because I love my country, and I care very much for our future.”
Tulsi Gabbard, Manchester, 2020

Ever since the Fear and Loathing 2020 Tour first descended on New Hampshire (more…)

Fear and Loathing 2020: Inspiration And Charisma

We started today with an oh-dark-early run up to the ancient Town Hall in Hopkinton for a Yang event.  It was nine degrees when we left the hotel; the rented Impala didn’t want to move.  My diet Coke was a mass of ice.

Walking across the crusted snow toward the event, I sounded like a marching regiment.  One particular grave (more…)

F&L 2020: A Victory For Us All

“What do you perceive as problems that need to be solved and how would you, as President, go about solving them?”
Clark McNaughton

As I write this, Tulsi Gabbard is polling at 6% among New Hampshire likely-to-vote Democrats — but nearly 30% among independents, and fairly strongly even with Republicans.  More detailed questions reveal that a lot of people have her as their first choice, but instead are voting for a different candidate because they think she’ll lose — not in the General against Trump, but in the Primary.

Leaving aside the inanity of such a statement — if you all vote for her, she’ll win, you morons! — let us instead consider (more…)

Fear and Loathing 2020: Interlude, Hotel Breakfast

The whirlwind tour is taking a quick break this morning.  Tech Guy Griff is sacked out in the other room, sleeping the sleep of the just.  Just plain tuckered out, that is.  Some people can’t keep up with the pace…

That’s really unfair, and if you knew me well you’d be laughing.  I’m useless without about eight and a half hours of sleep.  No clue why I’m awake right now; I shouldn’t be.  Long day ahead, even though we’re skipping (more…)