I'm posting this entry from Politics and Eggs at the Bedford Inn just outside of Manchester. The breakfast is one of New Hampshire's long-standing traditions, a trial by fire that every candidate must endure as civic and business leaders get to know their options.
This is the second time I've been with Senator Chris Dodd in New Hampshire, and for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of trudging through our special brand of snow, residents here know how to meet Presidential aspirants. They look candidates in the face and ask detailed, probing questions.
We saw this yesterday at the Red Hook Brewery in Portsmouth, NH. A collection of activists and workers from the Naval Shipyard came by to hear what Senator Dodd had to say, and he didn't disappoint. He tackled issues with serious, thoughtful answers, refusing to oversimplify the difficult challenges we face as a nation today. Given their reaction, I think the audience appreciated Dodd's candor and his realistic assessment of the situation we face.
At the moment, he's finished his speech and is answering questions from the audience in Bedford -- few events in this state come without audience questions. As I listen to Chris Dodd answer questions-- on the war in Iraq, his electability and his body of work from his time in the Senate-- it is evident that Senator Dodd is committed to dialogue, the hallmark of the New Hampshire primary.
Dodd has no problem answering these kinds of questions, and as a staffer, it's a pleasure to be able to sit back and let him speak for himself. I've worked for candidates who get tired, but Dodd grows more gregarious and more energetic each time someone new stands up to ask a question.
We on the ground in New Hampshire know that these next 11 months will be Long and tough, and we're not going to get a lot of sleep. But we know that in spite of the many things we cannot control, we can be confident that Chris Dodd will approach each and every trip, each and every event, and each and every answer given to a New Hampshire voter with the same seriousness and energy.
As he told the crowd assembled in New Bedford today: the history books will look back and cast judgment on what we did at the turn of the 21st century. It is very comforting to know that Senator Dodd is doing everything he can to ensure that history looks back on all of us with pride. And he's doing it one tough New Hampshire question at a time.
