I am not getting that sinking feeling in Nashua

While polls show Clark sinking fast-- to third or fourth place while Dean gets back up to 20%, on the ground, it still looks like this race is not sewn up yet.

Notes from the field; Nashua to Clark: its not over until we say so

Sunday I ventured back up to New Hampshire and while not as many people came to take the carpool up as last time, there was plenty already there. Several of us were sent to Daniel Webster college for a rally/town hall in their gym at 1 with 900 people. The Nashua staff was worried because they only had a hard count of 350. Meanwhile other volunteers went canvassing with NH channel 8 in tow.

By the time we were done setting up and plastering the region with signs, however, well over 1,000 were crammed into the gym, with at least 100 or so waiting to come in. Many were undecideds. We yanked out hardworking volunteers who were bodies in the stadium from Maryland, and Princeton, and all over the country to make room. As they left, many took stickers and lawn signs and the DVD's. Unfortunately, we couldn't get an alternate site set up and some undecideds left without getting in, but I guess the crowd size helps the mentality that he is still a contender.

Afterwards, I talked with people from Clark's advance team and was amazed by how non-plussed they were about the polls. "We will do fine" one said over the phone to the national HQ. "I hope it f*cking snows," said another. This legendary Clinton advance man told us that we will get our base out ("it's Mobilized" he said) and Kerry's lead will melt as the snow piles up since his support is "lemming based" Many said there are lots of soft supporters and people are still shopping voters, as the high numbers for Kerry, Edwards and Dean events all indicate. I wonder how much "conversion" they are getting (or Clark was for that matter).

After we had broken down the rally, my friends from Massachusetts and I went to lunch. The coordinator for the whole state said we had a hard count of 300 people coming up for election day. He was annoyed with the national office who wanted him to get 500, a number he said was seemingly plucked out of thin air. I was also warned not to try to get to the election party, as it will be filled to gills and then some. I was also told of Brokaw and Jennings sightings at the campaign offices and at rallies. There were tons of foreign press at all these events as well.

We had similar stories come out Clark's next rally at 4PM which was also over capacity in a small facility with a good vibe at the end. Next, my friend and I traveled to the Manchester office and head of the NH operations, which was very hard to find.

Inside, I saw a busy beehive of hundreds of volunteers sitting on anything possible using their cell phones to call voters and staffers flying about the corridors. I even bumped into my old friend from the Draft movement, John Hlinko who told another national staffer how it was us and 4 other people in a cafe in Dupont circle back in May. How far we have come!

Although I was extremely tired from all the time I had spent in the cold, checking the parking lot for Deanies flyering or Edwards ops or Kerry folks (they came and left after our glare) and honk and waving out by the main entrance to the college (very positive results once again), I was so energized by what I saw on the ground and how tyrannically different it is from the coverage I hear from the Boston media which has talked up Kerry non stop for a week.

I am also curious if Dean's uptick is real or not either. Another sighting of Dr. Judith Steinberg, now re-named Judy S. Dean, makes me think backfire, but maybe it will work. Even if it does, it represents a major backstep and flipflop about using her as a prop and the standing of women in general. I guess Dean didn't have time to fight back for his wife's independence.

All the mysteries will be revealed on Tuesday night. Either my predictions and hopes will be dashed, or something special will happen. Either way, Clark is staying on until February 3rd and looks strong in those states, I will all be predicated on momentum, but he will at least win Oklahoma even if he falls to 4th in NH.

Why? Look at these polls, taken since Kerry has won Iowa and is crusing in NH: Arizona Kerry's up but Clark is a close second, Oklahoma even with Edwards' bounce Clark's still ahead, South Carolina where Clark is in a tight 3rd/ 4th with an Edwards lead and Kerry bounce to second within the margin of error. So far, I haven't seen Missouri, Delaware or North Dokota poll numbers.

Also of note, VA Gov. Mark Warner's staff is on paid leave working for Clark up in NH, could it be that the Governor is tacitly endorsing the General? The Clark ground staff in Missouri says they are the only campaign out there, no real presence of anyone else. Of course, I hear rumors of a Gephardt endorsement of Kerry on Friday. Why then? So that in case something else happens Gephardt can change his mind. Oh and please oh please let Liberman drop out on Wednesday.