Notes from the field

I was New Hampshire on Saturday, (Derry, Salem, and Londonderry to be exact) and while the weather wasn't that nice, I was able to get a feel for what is going on over there: Clark is gaining ground everyday.

At the Salem "Transfer Station" which sounds like a bus or train stop but is really the local recycling/trash center, 5 intrepid souls camped outside with small Clark posters. Across the street were 3 sad looking Kerry supporters with a 8x10 "New Hampshire for Kerry" sign. They had the superior position, directly facing those leaving the station, while we had a side that faced the main road at a 45 degree angle. One of the staffers with us volunteers and a friend of mine from the Draft movement days called in for a 8x10 of our own, which didn't come for at least 30 minutes. After getting out "honk and waved" by the locals 5-to-1 the Kerry folks trugged back to their car, and even gave us a honk.

In a city like Derry, the local dump is actually the best place to meet people on a Saturday. It is a fairly rural place for Southern New Hampshire right off the Interstate. It is also an area that Clark needs to win to do well in the state, given that independents and republicans live there mostly and all the college towns are locked up by Dean.

We did phone banking too. People were mostly out (or had used caller ID to not answer our calls) but for every negative call "I am republican," or "Stop calling me," we got a Kerry or Dean supporter who was giving Clark another look, or leaning towards Clark.

Then the head of the Derry office, who is also a friend from the Draft days, gave me the latest poll numbers: on the last day of polling, Clark and Kerry were TIED for second place, not just statistically but at 15 points a piece. Every day of the tracking poll, Kerry had gone down at least a point (the two point difference in the published results are due to averaging the results of several days). Dean too, had melted down to 35%.

A realistic goal, I think, is to narrow the gap with Dean to 15 points and come in second. If you think I am giving a overly optimistic and biased view of the scene on the ground, don't take my word for it. Look at the polls, the fundraising and the turnout at events.

"General Clark has begun to fill some rooms. In Nashua it was standing room only in the city hall. While all the other viable candidates attended a debate forum in Iowa, Clark stayed in New Hampshire. Clark looks like a candidate, now. He looks more comfortable, makes jokes easier, and generally looks much smoother than when he signed up in the Secretary of State's office to run in New Hampshire's primary. When he signed up it was hard to see him becoming very formidable. But the guy has been a quick study, and his operation has begun to look viable.

Don't be surprised if it quickly becomes a Dean/Clark race. " -NHpolitics.com

The standing room only event referred there was a town hall meeting in Portsmouth while I was in Derry. About 200 people were expected, the event was supposed to be in a church basement. More than 800 showed up. Organizers moved the event to the main sanctuary to accommodate the crowd.

The same day, more than 130 people showed up to a town hall in North Hampton. When the fire marshal closed the doors, 30 supporters were lined up outside and two more buses full of people were on the way. Another Clark staffer summed it up to me, "Something good is happening in New Hampshire."