It's 'wicked' cold in the Granite State

It's 26 degrees outside. Already starting to wonder why candidates come here instead of Florida, where no one is wearing thermals today. Or owns them.

The Miami Herald is in New Hampshire today through Thursday to find out what makes the state hosting the nation's first presidential primary so special. Why does a state smaller than Broward County figure so prominently in choosing the next president of the United States?

The answer: It's small enough to care. In New Hampshire, about one-third of likely Democratic primary voters and one in five Republican voters have seen or met a presidential candidate in person, according to the latest Marist poll.

Today is Veteran's Day, which gives candidates a platform for extolling the sacrifices made by generations of Americans. Expecting to hear lofty rhetoric, and from Democrats, biting criticism of President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and treatment of returning vets.

Republican Mitt Romney is scheduled to greet workers at a Manchester manufacturing plant this morning, and then he heads a retirement home in Concord to talk to -- who else? -- veterans.

Democrat Barack Obama is going to a residence for homeless veterans in Nashua. Then he heads to "meet the candidate" forums at high schools in Claremont and Lebanon.

Comments

[Ron Gunzburger]

1. "Wicked" is a Boston-area expression, so you must be hearing it from those former Mass residents who moved to NH. It isn't a native NH phrase.

2. 26 degrees is NOT wicked cold. As someone who lived in Vermont for several years, and who was GOTV Captain for Concord Ward 2 for the Howard Dean campaign during the NH primary, 26 is rather balmly. Wait until you feel the true bitter cold of January!! For the week leading up to the '04 primary, the high temp was around 20 (and that was on primary day). Until then, we had a daytime high of maybe 9 degrees, but with a stiff breeze. Thus, our windchill temp was around -10 during the day and -30 at night. The campaign required those going door-to-door that week to go in teams of three: two to go to each door, plus one to stay in the car with the heat running, and the walkers had to return to the car to warm-up every five minutes or so to avoid hypothermia.