The Daily Background

Editors note: Dylan Matthews, an Obama supporter, blogs at Minipundit.com.

MANCHESTER, NH- It would have been hard not to realize there was a debate happening soon if you were driving in Manchester around 3:45, Sunday.

Bill Richardson signs were littered seemingly indiscriminately starting blocks away from St. Anselm’s College, the location of the debate. The Edwards campaign also had volunteers spread out, and though they probably had more staff, the Richardson campaign had a far more imposing presence, with its large number of signs seemingly everywhere, and its volunteers holding wooden stakes with three or four Richardson signs on them.

But by the time I reached St. Anselm’s, most campaigns were present. Guarding the entrance to the college, at both sides of the road, were Obama ‘08 staffers and volunteers. I met up with them, picked up a blue printed Obama sign, and started chanting. The slogans were distinctive and far more complicated than those of the other campaigns.

Whereas Dodd’s people mostly screamed, “Dodd! Dodd! Dodd!” we were able to use the more interesting lines, “Obama ‘08 / Hope, Action, Change!”, “Tired of political drama? / Vote for Barack Obama!”, “Love your mama? / Vote Obama!” (confused by one staffer at one point as “Who’s your mama? / Barack Obama,” to which I replied, “is there something about the Senator we don’t know about?”), and, my favorite, “Obama ‘08 / Be a part of something great.” That really encapsulated what the campaign’s about for me, and I suspect for many others as well.

After a while near the entrance, we moved up near the entrance to the auditorium where the debate was held. Political rallyers were shepherded by security folks into a large area cordoned off by metal blockades. The security personnel were nice, however; one even asked for an Obama pin.

The first ones there, we staked out a spot in a highly-visible corner of the area, near the auditorium. Our exclusive purview there did not last long. First, non-candidate groups, like the AARP, SEIU, and ONE campaign, started congregating near us. Most of the interest groups were pretty reasonable, though there were a few lonely 9/11 conspiracy nuts, including one with twin signs saying “9/11 was an Inside Job” and “Ron Paul for President”; something tells me Ron Paul doesn’t want this guy’s support.

When we were leaving the area after the rally, that truther/Paul-booster started yelling at us, saying, “If Obama’s so great, how come he hasn’t come out for 9/11 truth?” “I know, right?” one of the Obama staffers replied, “Because you folk are so convincing, after all.”

After the interest groups came campaigns, first Dodd (with a drill sergeant, inflated rhythmic batons, and lots of very tall signs), then Richardson, and finally Hillary. Hillary’s people were somewhat aggressive.

First, they planted two staffers with large signs in front of a large segment of Obama people, to render us invisible to cameras. They then encroached all around us, and began to battle with the giant Obama sign in front of us, by hitting it with an equally large Hillary sign. I suppose that’s how campaigns go, but it did feel a little uncouth. Besides which, the Hillary people deserve plaudits for actually having a slogan: “North, South, East, West / Vote for Hillary, She’s the Best!”

We were the first to come, but we were also the first to leave. We started heading out at around 6:45, and then proceed to Murphy’s Taproom, a local bar, to watch the debate.

After the debate, the Senator came over to talk with volunteers; unfortunately, I had to leave before this. But overall, I think the Obama rallyers did a very good job demonstrating the deep enthusiasm for the Senator in New Hampshire.

Editors note: Dylan Matthews, an Obama supporter, blogs at Minipundit.com.

Filed under: Z-Feature