Day before voting here in New Hampshire. Mayor Pete’s headed north to Plymouth. Polls suggest he’s surging in the state and in with a chance of beating Bernie to first. 
Not a big crowd here, perhaps a little less than 200. (Weekday means some are back at work - was pulling in 1000+ over weekend). Delivers the usual stump speech before taking questions.
One thing that really comes through in Buttigieg’s events is the message of optimism / hope. Every candidate tries same but he does v effectively. Voters often mention. (Different to Bernie’s ‘revolution’, Warren’s ‘big structural change’ + Biden’s ‘restore America’s soul’)
As an (in no way representative) eg - a woman stood up just as questions were rapping up. She said “I have never, ever felt as energised by anybody as I am by Mayor Pete” and thanked him for bringing “grace and dignity” back. Then started signing ‘the sun will come up tomorrow’.
... I chatted to her after. Charlene Joyce, 64, lives down the road in New Hampton. “This is a time when we really need kindness in this country,” she said.
“I think Donald Trump has turned us from one of the most powerful countries in the world to a laughing stock.”
“I think Donald Trump has turned us from one of the most powerful countries in the world to a laughing stock.”
There was also this Pete superfan - Pat Provencher, 89. She’s about to meet Buttigieg in this pic. He complimented the badges.
Pat saw him back in April 2018 when he visited and has been backing him ever since. She told me: “He has far excelled our expectations. I think...
Pat saw him back in April 2018 when he visited and has been backing him ever since. She told me: “He has far excelled our expectations. I think...
“...he has all the makings of a future president. We need someone young to bring the country forward. We don’t want to see what happened in Europe over here. I lived through WW2.”
And on Trump - “I call him ‘The Thing’. I can’t stand to use his name.”
And on Trump - “I call him ‘The Thing’. I can’t stand to use his name.”
