Mitch Perry
Happy Friday to you all.
Greetings from Nashua, N.H., where the latest cattle call of GOP presidential aspirants and possible aspirants are congregating for the next two days.
I’ve long criticized the way we elect presidents, putting so much emphasis — too much emphasis — on two states, Iowa and New Hampshire, to define who should be leading the free world.
Yes, they can do retail politics here in a way that they can’t in say, Florida (because of our state’s size), but is that what it’s really all about?
While I admit there was always been a bit of arrogance when the Florida Legislature defied the rules of the DNC and RNC when they chose to move up the state’s primary (and getting bit in the ass for doing so), it does make sense to make a state that is much more representative of the country have more importance in who becomes the major party nominees.
Florida was significant in the party nominating John McCain in ’08, and helped solidify Mitt Romney in 2012, but come on — who was Romney’s biggest challenger at that time — Newt Gingrich. As if.
So here we are in New Hampshire, the Granite “Live Free or Die” state. According to The Boston Globe, Jeb Bush remains the best-positioned candidate here. That’s despite a Public Policy Poll that shows Bush 14 points behind Scott Walker, who the Globe places second. Then comes Rand Paul, Chris Christie, and I sh*t you not — Donald Trump (?).
Trump will be here Saturday, and is supposed to chat with reporters afterward. We intend to be there for that.
There are also characters like John Bolton and New York U.S. Rep. Peter King here. Why, I’m not exactly sure.
Bush and Marco Rubio speak toward the end of today’s event. Rubio actually gives a dinner address.
