Jose's Mexican Restaurant

Plymouth, NH -

**This article marks the continuation of the Granite State Watering Holes series begun in September, a collection describing the places that voters and journalists get their booze on in New Hampshire**

Plymouth, the gateway to the North Country in the foothills of the White Mountains, is a college town without much else to it. The Pemigewasset River flows down its eastern border with the town of Holderness, and building up Online Casino Online Blackjack Online Poker Play Roulette in every direction outside of town are mountains. It’s the kind of town where you will hear packs of students stumbling around at 9PM on a Friday tying to hit each other in the nuts (true story) and where a drunken merry-maker might puke on your door handle sometime between the hours of 11PM and 1:15AM (also a true story).

Nevertheless, there exists a tight community of professors, skiers, nature lovers and rural pickup drivers with Confederate flag decals on their rigs. The town common sits off of main street between downtown and the college, and two blocks north or south in either direction and you are back in the heights of rural Northern New Hampshire.

But in the center of Main Street, down a flight of stairs and around a dark corner, exists a remarkably good Mexican restaurant. Jose’s Bar is one of those holes in the wall that you always look for in a small town, but more often than not turn away from once you set sights upon it.

I have been into Jose’s about a half dozen times, and it wasn’t until the latest that I actually gained the courage to try their food, and it was probably the most pleasant culinary surprises I’ve had since I’ve been in New Hampshire.

Jose’s looks like a basement crash pad where high school kids get together to have parties, jam out with their beginner guitar skills, and ultimately feel like shit the next morning. Even in the middle of November, cobwebs from the Halloween party still adorned the ceiling above the bar, along with the paper bats that were glued all over the vertical support beams. The corners are dark, the floors seems dirty (even though they aren’t) and the bathrooms are down a long, dim hallway nearly a minute’s walk away from the main room.

Did I mention I like this place?

These are exactly the types of endearing qualities that make it the kind of place where you can feel comfortable. There are a three flatscreen televisions behind the bar, playing whatever the bartender or the drunkards want to watch. I have seen everything from Red Sox playoffs and Celtics games to Jeopardy, sitcoms and Monster Truck rallies.

There is also a stage in the back left section of the main room where a few different bands play every week. The décor is sparse, yet kitchy where it exists, with souvenirs like a Hawaii license plate and a wire cowboy boot sitting on the shelves, and jalapeno novelty lights strung across the liquor cabinets. There is also a locally famous four-foot tall chair in the corner next to the stage.

Jose's Big Chair

But perhaps the bar’s best attribute is it’s owner, Joe Capuzzo, known around these parts as Jose. Capuzzo has been in the business for over twenty years, first running a series of Jose’s bars down in Boston before retiring with his family to a nearby mountain town in 2005. But after a couple years off, Jose started to get restless, and decided to bring his beloved restaurant to Plymouth, although on a much smaller scale.

“Life is boring without good work,” Capuzzo told me. “It keeps you young.”

Jose’s is only open from 5PM-1AM because Capuzzo, who is also the head chef, has two school-aged children and wanted to have a larger role in their life. That role superseded the need for a lunch menu. When he isn’t cooking, Jose can almost always be found hanging out in the bar talking with customers and getting a sense for what they like and don’t like.

He is also constantly singing along with the music, whether it is the Beatles, Creedence, Tom Petty or a mixtape playlist of reggae. Just a few days ago Jose added three folding tables to the bar’s game repertoire, along with a pool table and a game of bubble hockey, so the patrons could play Beirut with water while they drank their beer.

While I was there last week one of the customers, a woman in her 40s who worked at PSU, challenged Jose to a game of Beirut. He humored her for a few shots without drinking and imparted some wisdom while he clanked his ping pong balls wide.

“Never play Beirut with any hard alcohol,” Capuzzo told his opponent with a wry smile. “You know why? Because the liquor commission doesn’t like that.”

A truer statement has never been made. I took over for him and drilled a few shots while I sipped my PBR, the taste of a delightfully sweet and spicy chicken enchilada still on my tongue. Something about the atmosphere made it feel like it was my home court. I missed twice, then hit three more consecutively to win. I’ve never played better in my life.

Jose’s has a full bar, emphasizing Mexican beer and tequila in addition to their food menu.

On Tap is PBR ($2) and Dos XX ($3.50).

Their selection of Mexican cervezas includes Corona, Corona Light, Dos XX, Dos XX Amber, Tecate, Sol, San Lucas, San Lucas Light, Carte Blanca, Cantina, Pacifico Claro, Negra Modelo, Modelo Especial, y Bohemia at $3.50

Domestics: Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite, Miller Chill, Coors Light, Rolling Rock and Michelob Ultra are $2.75

Imports and Micros are $3.50: Magic Hat #9, Heineken, Amstel Light, Harpoon UFO.

Guinness is $4.

Better still, the beer selections written on a surfboard.

They have eight different tequilas, and for sausage on a stick for $1.50.

Jose’s also has the potential for a great conversation with an enthusiastic and convincing businessman. Its they kind of joint you’ll only find in a small college town, and its why I’ll be sure to head up to Plymouth a few more times before I beat trail out of the Granite State.

January 8, 2008

Portsmouth, NH -

You heard it here first! Actually, you probably heard it here fourth or fifth, but who cares? I felt obligated to mention it even though I am hardly NH's source for breaking news. I am NH's source for heart-breaking news.

While the date of the Primary is a very important thing, I would like to direct you to something entirely unimportant. These three "Official statements" were stinking up my inbox when I just turned on the Toshiba at Breaking New Grounds in Portsmouth. Please use my comments section to guess who said what!!!


1)"I support New Hampshire's special role in the primary process, and I look forward to discussing the imporant issues in this race with Granite State voters over the next 47 days."

2)“The New Hampshire Primary plays a vital role in our Democracy. It allows voters to get to know the candidates up close—to ask tough questions and see who is trustworthy to lead this country forward. We’ve built an unmatched grassroots organization in New Hampshire, and we’re looking forward to sending a clear message on Primary Day that the American people want change they can believe in.”

3)“I am pleased that New Hampshire will retain its rightful place as the first-in-the-nation primary. I applaud Bill Gardner's work to protect New Hampshire's significance in our nominating process. The New Hampshire primary is critical because voters in New Hampshire take their responsibility seriously: they listen to the candidates, look them in the eye, ask them tough questions and size them up. In New Hampshire, ideas truly matter more than money and that is precisely why this is anyone's race.

“I look forward to campaigning across New Hampshire during the final weeks of this campaign. I have spent time in living rooms and town halls in every corner of the state and everywhere I go, I hear from voters that they're looking for real, meaningful change in Washington next November. From now until January 8, I look forward to continuing to meet with voters to talk about my plans to shake up Washington and restore the power of government to the hands of regular, hardworking people.”

Week 12 NFL Picks

Portsmouth, NH -

We have to start a little early with the picks this week, I'm glad I remembered.

DETROIT over Green Bay
DALLAS over NY Jets
Indianapolis over ATLANTA
Seattle over ST. LOUIS
NY GIANTS over Minnesota
JACKSONVILLE over Buffalo
New Orleans over CAROLINA
TAMPA BAY over Washington
CLEVELAND over Houston
CINCINNATI over Tennessee
KANSAS CITY over Oakland
ARIZONA over San Francisco
SAN DIEGO over Baltimore
CHICAGO over Denver
NEW ENGLAND over Philadelphia
PITTSBURGH over Miami

Damn, its a good week to be playing at home.

Last Week: 11-5
Season to Date: 62-36

November Madness

Concord, NH -

Now that we are less than fifty days away from what will probably be the New Hampshire Primary, we here at 3Q are bringing back the November Madness edition of Road to the Nomination, our NCAA Tournament-style ranking of the Democratic and Republican candidates. For some background, please see my original March Madness posts from last winter, both Democrats and Republicans.

Things have changed a lot in the last ten months on the GOP side in part due to a large number of late starters, has-beens and never-would bes. On the other hand the Dems have been almost completely static. So to mix it up we have added some commentary on how each bracket might shape up. Feel free to comment on the seedings and the wisdom. Enjoy.

Road to the Nomination - GOP

Snow Pond, NH -

click on image to enlarge

Just when you thought you had it figured out, summer happened. McCain ran out of money, co-sponsored an immigration bill that was less than hardline, and next thing you know the former frontrunner is all of the sudden struggling for mere relevance. Meanwhile, the social conservatives never rebelled against Giuliani and, if anything, they embraced him. Romney is what we thought he was: a competent businessman with a photogenic face and a questionable record of political chameleonism. Ron Paul raised an unexpected ten million and in the meantime spawned a revolution. Huckabee emerged from the dregs to become a full-fledged, Chuck Norris-endorsed contender, and Fred Thompson Marched in like a Lion and now stands to go out like a lamb if he can’t shake his reputation as a bored, sleepy old grandpa. Gingrich and Pataki never entered; Gilmore, Brownback and T. Thompson left, and here we are with just over a month until the chips hit the table. Wow.

In the 1-8 we have two tough-talking candidates who view security as their marquee issue. One served in the military, has 27 years of national service, and chaired the House Armed Services Committee. The other was the mayor of a city, lived with a gay couple after his wife left him for cheating, and prior to a coincidental event was on the verge of being one of the most despised politicians in history. Guess who is the 8 seed? That’s right, the first guy! Duncan Hunter never got off of the ground for whatever reason, and the charm and rosy 9/11 memories of America’s mayor stand to crush him before he even makes a bucket. Red State Update said it best: Come on, Duncan Hunter, that's just embarrassing, really.

The 4-5 match on the GOP side best explains why the Republicans have the most exciting race of the cycle. There is a candidate out there polling on the verge of 10% who doesn’t even make the fight. That’s right, Huckabee and Thompson are, at the same time, legitimate threats to the front runners yet barely ahead of the 6 seed in polls and fall far behind in money. Anything can happen here, folks. The best thing about the battle of midway is that it is the fight for who is the true “consistent conservative.” On the one hand you have Fred Thompson, a man that no liberal could love in spite of his long Hollywood career and refusal to legislate social issues from the Fed. On the other you have an Arkansas governor who cares about poor people, raised taxes to make good government programs work, but carries a concealed weapon, wants a constitutional ban on gay marriage and would probably sell his soul to overturn Roe v. Wade. Throw in the fact that they are the two most charismatic men in the race and we have a potential buzzer-beater on our hands. Thompson was the pre-season favorite, but despite his size and talent has shown a penchant for turnovers while Huckabee keeps drilling threes with a Jordan-esque shrug. Huck has the kind of quiet momentum that can go a long way. I see him taking this round.

3-6 is where things get interesting. On paper there is no way that Ron Paul should beat John McCain. If not for some dirty tricks in February of 2000, there is a good chance that John McCain would have been the Republican nominee 8 years ago. He has already won NH once, riding the Straight Talk Express straight through George Bush’s loose asshole, and is arguably Washington’s greatest war hero. Throw in his wit and comfort with the public and he seems like sure fire in the Granite State. But wait one second, no one counted on Ron Paul raising 4 million in one day, spending next to nothing, and sitting on millions upon millions more than the freewheeling yet failed McCain nominee-to-be campaign of 2008. Sprinkle in a kooky GOP backlash to sensible immigration policy, and an American thirst for common sense and a non-interventionist foreign policy, and suddenly we have a battle on our hands. This is arguable Paul’s least favorable matchup, a tried and true hometown favorite is exactly what the crowd-pleasing Paul’s mid-major Cinderella doesn’t need. You never want to bet against Secret Service denying McCain in a state where the motto is Live Free or Die…but what candidate espouses that view better than Ron Paul? Let the early January bloodletting begin!

In the 2-7 we have the perfect storm matchup of a single-issue wannabe candidate against a vanity-based, daddy-following natural. Romney clearly has the chops, intelligence and executive experience to wipe the floor with Tancredo, but Tommy the Tanc has the just-happy-to-be-here potential that no frontrunner ever wants to see. Tancredo will viciously attack sanctuary cities like Somerville (aka Slummaville) with his frisky defense and sharp-step drive to the heart of both common sense law abiders and xenophobes, but Romney will unleash a barrage of spin moves and sweet jumpers that will bury Tancredo and his immigration policy within the first ten minutes.

The second round is a little trickier to predict up top because of the fiercely competitive 4-5 game. However, either one will provide some rough chatter for Giuliani. This game is set up to be a battle of social conservatism versus national security. In other words, Huckabee’s prayer circle at every timeout and months of teetotaling 6AM practices against Giuliani’s intimidating man-to-man defense. A few months ago, it seemed like Giuliani’s concentration would falter midway through the game, but his focus has been at championship levels lately. If he can keep it up and grind down his opponent he should pull through, but if either of the others manage to get Giuliani into foul trouble early, watch out for the early upset.

On the bottom we have the making of a real bloodbath. These two teams legitimately hate each other. McCain is the tried and true program that can’t stand watching his rankings drop precipitously below the younger, quicker, more talented upstart from the heart of enemy territory. McCain’s bag of tricks is deep, and plays with a hard charging honesty that might bewilder Romney, but we can’t forget that Romney is one of the most talented competitors out there. He moves well without the ball, and knows how to effectively move on defense, and alters his positions frequently with a haze-inducing motion offense. If his game plan plays out, Romney has the edge, but if there is one person in the race who can take him out of it, that candidate is John McCain.

Yes, break out the net-clipping scissors. Call forth the raucous crowds. Summon the heartburn medicine and find a towel for your tears. It’s the road to the nomination, baby. Primary Season 2007 is upon us.

Road to the Nomination - Dems

Snow Pond, NH -

click on image to enlarge

The donkeys positioning didn’t change much in the last six months, but the potential match-up problems have certainly evolved.

In the 1-8, Mike Gravel is certainly overmatched against the well-funded, and even better-connected Hillary Clinton. The crowd in Ames will almost certainly be at least 90% pro-Clinton, and her coffers and reputation have produced what is the equivalent of a full-fledged free agency juggernaut. Yet Gravel, though old and hobbling on a bum knee, is a gunner to the end. He may not be able to take out Hillary or even stay close through the second half, but the potential is ripe for him to expose Clinton’s weakness from the left, right and center. Please believe he’ll be bombing threes all night and bringing the hard fouls on the defensive end.

Next up on the 4-5 docket we have what has grown into the second biggest rivalry after Clinton-Edwards. Biden, a powerhouse program from the 80s that has lost its winning percentage but not its swagger and adherence to the fundamentals, has been getting snippy with Richardson for months now hoping to gain the full mantle of experience and foreign policy know-how. Going against Joe Biden as a low-seed is like playing an underachieving team coached by Mike Krzyzewski. They may seem eminently beatable, but the lingering fear subsides. But that underachieving cloud could be a big problem against Richardson. The big Governor has size and athleticism, and those are two things you can’t teach. Biden might call his plays gimmicky, but the crowd loves them, especially at home. Ultimately, Richardson’s innovative play-calling and charm offensive should be too much to overtake, but if Biden does it, it will be with defense.

Down at 3-6, Edwards has the clear advantage over Dodd. A lot of critics hailed Dodd’s 6 seed as the most overrated in the tournament, but his endorsements and experience make him a formidable candidate. Dodd may take the high road, and play the game with an ear held open to whispers of the ancients, but it likely won’t be enough to withstand Edwards. The Dems’ most recent veep choice has the intensity, talent and sweet shooting stroke that might carry him far. Edwards could rack up a few technicals along the way, and garner the ire of a hostile crowd, but it is that same chip on his shoulder that makes him want the ball in crunch time. And those kinds of scorers usually take their teams multiple rounds into the tournament.

Finally at 2-7 is Kucinich and Obama. The man detractors call Obambi for his good sportsmanship award has been finding his swagger of late after a cupcake city early schedule that had teams rolling over in deference to his charm and often mesmerizing displays of hoops acuity. Kucinich, on the other hand, commands disrespect from his opponents. Short, disheveled, and hailing from a weak conference (the US House), Kucinich never gets any calls from referees, though crowds tend to like his underdog appeal. Not as much as they like Obama, though, and even though the man they call “Kooch” can display a true interpretation of the anti-war defense, Obama’s sheer talent is too much to overcome.

In the second round of the upper bracket, Richardson’s only chance is for Gravel to wear down Clinton heavily. She is quicker, nastier and deeper than the other Bill, but if she is overly tired from her first round run with gritty Gravel, or has been exposed as too reliant on the run and gun, there is a chance that Richardson’s size and craftiness can slow down the pace and sneak by in a low-scoring game.

The next frame of the lower rung is much more interesting. Both candidates are extremely talented, and known for their respective offensive skill sets. Still, their styles of play couldn’t be further from one another. Obama is the prototypical smooth, academic good guy. His jumper belongs in an instructional video. On the same token, Edwards’ stroke is real pretty but he plays with a gritty fire unbeknownst to Obama. Barack has the talent edge, and the height advantage, but Edwards has been in the spotlight of the convention before. He has tasted it and he wants it. That said, there is no second place in politics. Could they fashion a truce and cakewalk it through the semis with the hope of facing fresh a fatigued Clinton for the sake of the bottom bracket? Time will tell, but there is no doubt they will need their shots to fall, and a few of Clinton’s to miss, if not an outright early upset, to make the big stage. But remember this is the tournament, where you never say never.

Break out the net-clipping scissors. Call forth the raucous crowds. Summon the heartburn medicine and find a towel for your tears. It’s the road to the nomination, baby. Primary Season 2007 is upon us.

Huckabee Wearing More Pieces of Flair than the Rest of the Field

Snow Pond, NH -

Let John Edwards have all the washed up rockers he wants, Huckabee has the washed up, trashy, fake fighting actors on his side. As if Chuck Norris wasn't tough enough, The Huck now was "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair pulling for him. Flair decided today to endorse the Arkansas governor, and will tailgate with him this weekend in South Carolina. As if a fist for a chin wasn't punishment enough for Huckabee naysayers, now they have the figure four leg lock to contend with if they give him too much lip.

Coincidentally, Flair was one of the most easily hated wrestlers around back in the late 80s and early 90s when I used to follow the "sport" for his over the top demeanor, general arrogance, and way-too-flamboyant robes. That said, I became a big fan once Flair turned into a bad guy, to the point that I labeled half of my sophomore year trigonometry math assignments with the moniker "The Nature Boy" instead of my actual name. Further coincidence, it would be still another three years from that time that I would become a true nature boy and lover of my own existence in the true natural form.

Does this mean that Huckabee will now support "nature boys" or enjoy increased fundraising from Arkansas nudist colonies? Does it mean that now all of the sudden men who wear flowing, sparkly robes will flock to Mr. Federal Gay Marriage Ban? I'm not saying adult wrestling fans are secretly partially gay or anything, because I think the answer to both those questions is "no". I'm just saying, I'm thrilled that my boy Ric Flair is endorsing at this stage, and furthermore that it is being covered on CNN.

In the immortal words of the Nature Boy, "Wooooooooo!!!"

This of course leaves us with two final questions.

1) Who will Hulk Hogan endorse?

and

2) Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on your candidate?

Elizabeth and the Bloggers

Manchester, NH -

Is blogging the next realm of populism, where every voice speaks true to the cause of real people? The Edwards campaign seems to think so. Or so it would seem as Elizabeth Edwards added some niche marketing to her latest New Hampshire swing this weekend by presiding over a NH bloggers roundtable at St. Anselm‘s College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

A dozen or two of the Granite State’s most prominent bloggers--plus me--were invited to chat with the would-be first lady for a little while over Dunkin Donuts and coffee early Sunday morning. In fact, it really wasn’t that early, but after a rare night out with a place to crash in Manchester preceding the day’s events, 9:15AM felt about as close to 6:15AM as it ever had. It didn’t help matters that I refrained from drinking the DD coffee on principle.

Ms. Edwards was happy to talk about blogging in the close confines of the conference room, where we sat in a rectangular arrangement of plush seats directed toward her desk near the door. Elizabeth began the chat, and it really was more conversational in tone that an actual press avail or group interview, by touting her old skool ‘net cred.

“We got on first with Prodigy, when prodigy and CompuServe were the first two internet providers,” she said, referring to the earliest incarnations of the internet superhighway back in the early nineties.

She continued on to joke, “Then we switched to AOL early enough that I probably could have got the address elizabeth@aol.com. I was even on internet news groups that argue about grammar.”

Icebreakers aside, Ms. Edwards moved into an impromptu speech about the importance of blogging in our political culture. With the decline of local gathering places in our busy society, she suggested that blogs were beginning to fill the void.

“Where is the town square any more?” Edwards asked. “Well, its on the internet.”

Edwards also spoke to the color blindness of chat rooms and blog avatars.

“You are connected on some issue that is important to you,” she intoned, “and the things that are different about you disappear. Its really a great way to make social connections because all of our prejudices are eliminated.”

She became even more animated as she continued with her crescendo of ideas. “Because there are so many ways to participate,” Edwards said of the internet, “it has actually become the most democratic media that can be devised. That is why net neutrality is so important.”

With that she realized she had been speaking for a few minutes, abruptly stopped, and welcomed questions from the audience. With the bloggers at the helm, many of whom were supporters, or at the very least just al little bit awestruck, the conversation was pretty tame. Questions mostly dealt with issues near to New Hampshire, the home schooling of the Edwards children, and the role of the media in the campaign.

Edwards again spoke of her appreciation for decentralized news, and compared it with the place of the New Hampshire primary as a more intimate venue than the potential of a national primary, which she said would be “depressing.”

She also used these questions as a platform to dispense what was likely a subtle dig at the Clinton operation.

Asked about a smear campaign in Iowa of the Edwards campaign providing false rumors about their campaign to gin up sympathy she said, “our job is to provide you with the positions with where we’re going to be. Its not to manage you. That would be completely contrary first of all to everything we believe in and secondly to the spirit of the media.”

Edwards’ responses to the New Hampshire-specific questions about issues like job loss and education were much more theoretical than your standard candidate town hall. Such is the nature of campaign surrogate visits. No matter who speaks, it is not the candidate. If Ms. Edwards were to say something groundbreaking about education, it couldn’t be attributed to her husband. Likewise, if she says something inflammatory it can be swept under the rug much more easily.

She said neither this morning, although credit is due for her statement on No Child Left Behind. “I don’t think NCLB was ever meant to fix the public schools,” she wisely mused. “I think it was intended as an excuse to go to vouchers.”

As a former NCLB Title 1 school teacher, I can’t do anything but wholeheartedly agree. But as the policy questions mounted, and the full day’s schedule of visits awaited, Elizabeth’s advance staff began to call for a wrap up to the morning’s event.

The session closed with a poem written by an elderly woman who was standing in for her son, a blogger who was unable to make the event. She recited a poem she had written about bloggers set to the tune a song from Guys and Dolls extolling the virtue and prominence of today’ internet ponderers. We all reacted with smiles and applause then closed our laptops to share websites and shake hands with people we had previously only known from a username on the screen. If that’s not the reincarnation of a town square, I don’t know what is.

Huckabee and Norris, redux

Concord, NH -

I am at school right now so I can't watch the video nor properly post it, but the mere description of Huckabee's latest move has compelled me to post something, ANYTHING, to get this out there.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/thank-you-chuck-norris

Video and text are in that link. Let's face it, folks, somebody from the union needs to look into the accusation that Huckabee has hired scabs off of the Hollywood screenwriters picket line.

Myth: Chuck Norris' tears can cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.

Fact: The myth of Chuck Norris is now officially out of control.

All the MSM buzz is that this was a mistake on Huckabee's part. Having just seen the light of the front of the pack, they surmise, a hokey ad like this will only keep voters from taking him seriously. That was my first instint as well, but after a few moments of martial artist-style concentration, I think this could be sort of like Jesse Ventura's ads from 1998 that portrayed him as a wrestling action figure fighting special interests. We all know how that turned out.

"But this is for President," the MSM says with a smug whine.

Ah, yes, but it is also only the Iowa primary. Think about that one.

***Update***

Serving the Secret

Snow Pond, NH -

Sometimes it is the little things that make voters choose a candidate. I wonder if one of those little things will be what The Trail reported from John McCain’s recent North Country trip.

"It's my intention, if we win this nomination, to reject Secret Service. Why do I need it?"

Exactly. Why? I have actually thought of that question myself a few times this fall, whether it was during a room clearing dog sniff exercise at an Obama restaurant gig or watching the SS guys stare down war protesters at Hillary rallies. Is it really necessary for that security all day every day?

More importantly, doesn’t it ruin the candidate’s life? That politicians reside in a bubble of wealth, controlled meetings and yes-men supporters is one thing, adding a safety net of hard looking men in dark suits and sunglasses that surround their every move is a step beyond. McCain seems to agree, and when it comes to his own safety, here is the money shot:

“The day that the Secret Service can assure me that if we're driving in the motorcade and there's a guy in a rooftop with a rifle, that they can stop that guy, then I'll say fine. But the day they tell me, 'well, we can't guarantee it,' then fine, I'll take my chances.”

Bill's Big Hands

Manchester, NH -

Yesterday at the Young Democrats of America Fall National Conference here in Manchester, Bill Clinton was one of the keynote speakers. That's hardly news. But worth noting is his choice of words.

"When I took office, the average weight of the cell phone was five pounds, now I can't even get my big hands on one. So we had to do really rudimentary things like go on MTV. It was unbelievable, young people gave the energy, the drive, the thrust to our campaign."

BIG hands?

THRUST to his campaign?

I wonder what kind of shady shit went down at the Radisson last night?!

Week 11 NFL Picks

Manchester, NH -

Here are the Week 11 NFL Picks. Go nuts!

Cleveland over BALTIMORE
JACKSONVILLE over San Diego
PHILADELPHIA over Miami
Oakland over MINNESOTA
INDIANAPOLIS over Kansas City
GREEN BAY over Carolina
DETROIT over NY Giants
ATLANTA over Tampa Bay
HOUSTON over New Orleans
Arizona over CINCINNATI
Pittsburgh over NY JETS
SEATTLE over Chicago
St. Louis over SAN FRANCISCO
DALLAS over Washington
New England over BUFFALO
Tennessee over DENVER


Last week: 6-8
Season total: 51-31

Bring back the pain!

Snow Change A Comin

Plymouth, NH -

Last night’s debate was like an early season high school basketball game for four reasons.

1) All the excitement came in the first quarter, when everybody was hustling and gunning and shots were falling.

2) Immediately after, their fatigued legs started to slow them down, shots started rimming out, and all I could think of was how exciting the first fifteen minutes were.

3) By the end, everybody realized the clock was almost up, and they wanted to leave at least some impression for the morning’s box scores.

4) Wolf Blitzer’s moderation was not much better than a ten-dollar-an-hour, retired middle school coach, glasses-still-in-the-shop small town high school referee. After he realized that the debate was starting getting out of hand (which held the potential for wild entertainment) he made a bunch of touch calls that helped to grind everything to a halt.

The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. I stuck around the Barley House for a while after, chatting with some fellow politics revelers and hoping for a post-debate spark. They were all nice people, and there were even enough Washington roots to allow for a brief discussion of Columbia River shipping capabilities, but nothing was going to make me feel good about the debate.

Not that it was a total train wreck. It is just that placing seven people up on stage and choosing one person to dictate their tone and frequency is yet another control placed on an already message-driven campaign. It doesn’t help that most of the candidates up there are trying their hardest to make mountains out of molehills in terms of gaffes and policy discrepancies. Does this really help us make a good choice about our President?

Much like the NFL playing a regular season game in Europe, or the NBA’s China pre-season spectacular, the goodhearted reasoning behind this geographically diverse and debate heavy primary season is to increase the breadth of people paying attention to the game. But sometimes I fear that, like the NFL and NBA, there is a hell of a lot of money to be made when for doing those same things.

….

I woke up early this morning to a phone call from the high school asking me not to come in to teach, after all. It allowed me to sleep in for a couple of hours, which is always nice when unexpected, and spend the late morning and early afternoon cleaning up my bedroom and doing some the dishes that had been haphazardly left in my car earlier in the week.

As I tidied, the wind steadily picked up, and by the time 1 o’clock rolled around I could hear it loud and clear in my bedroom above the Lyle Lovett cd playing on my computer. Wind always represents change to me. I wonder what the candidates think about that.

That same wind, which would later blow my car around in its lane in Interstate 93, did its job to bring the clouds where they ought to go, from one part of the landmass to another, and with those clouds came some precipitation.


Today it snowed for the first time since last winter in New Hampshire. I decided it was a change worth driving for, so I hopped in my car and journeyed up to the banks of the Mad River in the White Mountains to make sure I could see the flakes up close and feel them on my face.

Off in the distance, the tops of the higher mountains were covered in white, and I knew things had changed around here, in both the seasonal climate and the political climate. I can’t speak for the politics of it all, but I sure can tell you that the seasonal change was beautiful, cold and refreshing. Mostly, it was nice to just get out.

Vegas Debate Live Blog aka LOVE Blog Part VI

Barley House, NH -

*Clinton "blah blah blah Bush. blah blah blah Bush." Ahh, the spoils of the frontrunners.

*"This is the sort of thing I would expect from Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani. Using terms like a trillion dollar tax cut [increase]. This is the top 6% this is not the middle class." - Obama re: Clinton's refusal to bump the SS tax cap.

*There have been some wack ass commercials during the debate. Maybe I just don't watch enough tv, and most commercials are like this...but I'm consistently creeped. out.

* "I want someone who ran for dog catcher." Biden re: Supreme Court justice "The next person on a Biden bench is going to be a woman."

*Kuci "A president has to be a healer...we can make abortions less necessary if we have a healer in the White House."

*Clinton does well to liken right to privacy to free speech and religion. Then she sucks up to Biden. Good strategy.

*Obama does well to say that the court protects those who are vulnerable.

*It is so crucial if you grew up like I did in the segregated South...judges who had some backbone (fifth time saying backbone). That's the kind of courage the strength we need in a Supreme Court Justice." JRE

*"Republicans are afraid of taking on Bush. I'll bring 'em around. I've done it." - Biden

*"All my life I've brought people together." Richardson also calls it "this administration." instead of mentioning Bush by name.

*And we close with a diamonds v. pearls question? BS! At least throw out a Prince reference.

*Well, its all over. I liked that CNN went 10 minutes over time to make up for the late start. Instant reactions aren't always the best, and I don't have too many.

Clinton was better than last time, returning to her style of speaking clearly and
directly and attacking her opponents. She also benefited from fewer questions. Obama was up and down with a few great points and a few weak points. Edwards didn't go over well, it sounds like nobody really wants any highlighted differences. Richardson talked his way into more time than he was given, tacked left a lot, but seemed to do better than he usually does. Biden is always strong, and was probably even stronger than usual. Dodd was also up and down. Kooch throws bows, but probably only with the potential of gaining 1-2%.

Vegas Debate Live Blog aka LOVE Blog part V

Concord, NH -

Looks like we got some chairs for part two. Bring on the leg crossing. They just showed a nice moment between Dodd and Kuci. Sweet. Also, for those not watching, warrants mentioning that after Kuci called Edwards a trial lawyer, Edwards retorted "I don't know what that has to do with anything" and Kooch yelled from across the way "product liability." "Cute, that's cute." was Johnny's reply. Hey-o!

*Bold, a 3-tour vet just said "our troops need to come home now." How will they react? Can Kooch and Rich capitalize??

*Biden is blaming it on the process. Calls for impeachment if Iran happens.

* Ooh, Hillary just stood up for her Iran vote. Bold again. "You were in Iraq, you know that the Iran national guard helped to kill Americans."

*Edwards "we've seen this movie. We know how it turns out."

*Obama is the only one talking about troop families and the burden they bear. Duh!! That is part of war. Everyone should cite this. Kudos to him. He is again trying to reiterate that he is different than Clinton on talking to leaders.

*They skipped Rich and Kooch on that last one. Unbelievable. What a softball. Way to make it look like a big referendum and then only ask the people who are only quasi-anti-war. Bullshit, CNN.

*The next woman, btw, I think is a hard Richardson leaner if technically undecided.

*Kucinich "thats because I read it." re: being the only one on the stage who voted against Patriot Act. Wolf just asked him again if others bear responsibility. Clearly, Kooch already said that. "Just imagine what it will be like to have a President who is right the first time."

*"facts are funny thing, they get in the way" - Biden...oh, Biden you should have turned that into a joke. Kuci just sits there with smug satisfaction.

*Richardson just missed a chance to speak Spanish. But he did just crack a joke about HMOs being more popular than congress. "We should stop demonizing immigrants." He snuck in his "maps to border crossing" jokes.

*Yes, Dodd nailed it! Spoke DERRRRTY Spanish.

Vegas Debate Live Blog aka LOVE Blog part IV

Conc-y, NH -

*These debates are really awful forums for discussion on the issues. Fact.

*Biden "its not the agreement its the man. What are y'all talking about? Enforce the agreement."

* Barack: Don't keep assuming that we can't do something. Slaps Wolf Malthus.

*Richardson calls for tech solutions for nuke waste and calls on ending the subsidies for non-renewals. Tells us to sacrifice.

*Man, the debate has been a lot more boring in the last half hour. "They're not attacking me because I'm a woman, they're attacking me because I'm ahead." "I feel very comfortable in the kitchen." Clinton Clan screaming in the back.

*Edwards looking for every chance to call Clinton a corporate Dem. Just got booed. Must be a lot of corp. Dems in the crowd!

*We are at commercial now for the debates. This is certainly the most disjointed one yet. No one's "attacks" are really sticking, a lot of the answers seem to just drift into the desert wind. The audience reaction is definitely the highest it has been, and mostly pro-Clinton from the Obama heckler early to the Edwards jeers late.

Vegas Debate Live Blog aka LOVE Blog Part III

Conc City, NH -

*What a big mess over this illegal immigrant driver's license thing. It has been 5 minutes long.

*Gotta love Kooch saying "thank you" for his applause.

*Dodd just put the teacher merit pay thing very well. Also, props for advoccating for an entire education debate.

*Kooch "I'm the candidate of workers...I remember where I came from."

*Richardson puts some more heat on Ed. Him and Dodd are the only ones who actually seem to know anything about education.

On a side note, hearing this shit pisses me off.

*Biden argues against merit pay based on "who makes the decision?"

*Richardson is tacking hard left tonight. He just said he would put human rights ahead of security. He also traded his budget priorities pin for a US Flag. Probably because they endorsed JRE. "If we're on the side of Democracy and human rights, then US interests are preserved." Great line. Howard Dean is loving it. "Our strength as a nation is our values."

Human Rights vs. Nat'l Security
*"The concepts are not contradictory. They are complimentary." - Obama. Bout time someone said that.

*Clinton again brings it back to Bush.

*Richardson's tone has changed since the last debates, too. Less wooden, more emotional.

*Koochie's dropping bombs. Does America really have a tin ear? Richardson's one dead American is too much didn't get much of a response, either.

*The fact that we have gone from horrific violence to intolerable violence is not acceptable - BHO

*Kucinich calling on everyone to take responsibility for their votes. Too bad no one believes that. Regarding Chinese trade act "You're a trial lawyer, you knew better. This is a fact. I'm not backing down from this."

*First point for Wolf: "was Ross Perot right?" re: NAFTA. Clinton tries to joke it off.

Vegas Live Blog aka LOVE Blog Part II

Concord, NH -

*What a silly start-up, asking Clinton what she thinks about being called a "parser". Oh, thats not a wool jacket, its sparkly Vegas style! She's even got some shiny bling on her neck. Even her lipstick sparkles. Vegas, baby!

*Blitzer just asked Obama now to clarify Clinton. Ooh, this is rough. This is more of a gotcha question than we've seen. Barack is semi-prepared to answer. He spun it back to new politics, which is his best bet.

*Clinton glares and now gets the chance to respond. Zings him on not having universal health care in the frame of the 4 early states. Brings it back around to her as the fighting candidate.

*Obama gets cheers for shutting down the mandate thing on HC. Damn, now it is just a two-man fight. I bet Edwards comes in swinging. I guess its good that we are weighing health care, but this seems like a waste of time. Hillary looks pleased.

*Edwards repeats his claim about people not being perfect from last debate. He also talks about returning truth to the Presidency. That, ironically, is Bush in a good way.

*This is about to get out of hand! Biden just got some screen time. He is completely incredulous. Clinton is calling everything mud, claiming attacks to be out of the Republican playbook.

*Biden "don't let me speak! American people don't give a darn about the things that are going on up here." Talks about the real worries of the American people. Uh oh, he just said "Who among us" 3 times. Yes! John Kerry all over again. At least he didn't say "who among us does not love NASCAR?"

*Edwards gets accused of being a flip-flopper, brings it back to poverty. People in the bar are groaning. They must be rich.

*Biden is scoring points by having everybody refer to him. Also, everybody has red eyes. Dry desert air, or they hotboxed the prep room.

*Richardson just calls Edwards for starting a class war, Obama a generational war, Clinton won't end the war. "Give peace a chance." What were the Vegas odds on Kucinich not being the first person to say that?

*Edwards plant joke bombed. Yes! Kucinich supports with reservation.

Vegas Debate Live Blog aka LOVE Blog, Part I

Concord, NH -

Greetings from the Barley House here on beautiful and wide Main Street in the heart of downtown. Conc City was booming tonight, and I had to park two blocks away. Let me tell you, folks, the mercury has dropped hard in the last few hours. This afternoon I was sweating on a 5-miler with nothing but shortie shorts and a tight t-shirt, and just now I went coatless from car to bar and I'm still making typos from shivering so much. O Granite Winters!

Bruce Hornsby is on the speakers here. I'm officially psyched!

Speaking of icons, happy birth anniversary to Ol' Dirty Bastard aka Dirt McGirt aka Ol' Dirty Chinese Restaurant.

Also, happy birthday to Bill Richardson. (in case you haven't noticed, I've started typing a few minutes before the debate is starting).

We've just been overcome by a slew of Obama people. I don't know if they are staffers or volunteers or what, but there are at least ten of them, all wearing "O" logo stickers. Pretty diverse crew. We'll see how rowdy they get.

WOOOOO We're On.

Gotta love the Edwards pursed lip smile and stiff-armed wave. Textbook Edwards move. Textbook!

They are introducing all the candidates one by one with a handshake. I like it.

Clinton really sticks out in the gray wool jacket. Isn't it like a hundred degrees in the desert? Meanwhile, CNN just cut over to a talking head. Fuck you, CNN, just let the people talk.

Ok, next blog will start it.

Where's the Love?

Concord, NH -

Back by popular demand, it's the return of the... "Ah, wait, no way, you're kidding, he didn't just say what I think he did, did he?" Live Blog aka LOVE Blog of the Dem Debates. Tonight! Live from the Barley House. Follow along, and see you on the boob tube.

Where's the Love?

Slow Hump Day

Snow Pond, NH -

Greetings from an unseasonably warm November night. I spent much of today picnicking, running, worrying, and trying my hand at fiction writing. Unfortunately, that last bit really sucks away the reporting time. That said, here is some more Huckabee gold from CNN. Apparently Mrs. Janet Huck likes to fire grenade launchers. This solidifies the rap new slogan:

I"m Huckabee, Don't Fuck Wit' Me.

More Importantly, the Sonics got their first win o' the season tonight! Huzzah!

And them ol'Red Staters are back up with their Youtube questions.



Pow, right in the kisser!

Huckabee: Running Down a Dream

Durham, NH -

Long distance running is often referred to as the most solitary of athletic pursuits. In order to become a marathoner, for instance, one must habitually log runs of fifteen or more miles, and without the comfort and camaraderie of a team within easy reach, those long runs can be awfully lonely. Here in New Hampshire, they can be awfully cold, too.

But when you run with a Presidential candidate sitting at more than ten percent in the polls, the loneliness is cured before it even starts. About twenty-five runners and another dozen spectators braved the 30-degree temperature early last Saturday morning to come out to the University of New Hampshire for a 5k fun run with Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

Huckabee, arguably America’s most famous marathon runner who runs ten minute pace, was in good spirits on the sunny weekend morning. The run started and finished at the TKE fraternity house just off of Main Street in Durham, and Governor Huckabee showed his TKE pride, himself a brother at Ouachita Baptist back in the early 70s, by wearing a red hat with the same three Greek letters as the ten UNH TKEs who were out for the run. He was also decked out in running pants and a windbreaker from the New York City marathon he ran in 2006, and an Under Armour mock turtleneck for warmth.

The Governor joked with the participants as they waited around for the 8:00AM gun, asking questions about college and teasing his staff for wearing suits and pea coats when there was a race to be run. He also diligently and repeatedly asked who was leading the way, and if they knew the course for sure. I guess when you have a full day of events ahead of you, and a taping of Face the Nation, getting lost on a fun run with a bunch of college kids is not an option.

Sure enough, one of Huckabee’s local organizers knew the course. And time, the eternal enemy of the true 5k runner, brought about the call of the 8AM start. We all headed into the center of the road, where an elderly Huckabee supporter started us off with a clap of her hands.

Like and old pro, the Governor instantly started his watch with the gun, and the pack darted off into the empty early morning streets of Durham.

The runners were all pretty clearly feeling their nerves running with Mike Huckabee. Before the race, worries were flying left and right about hoping to finish the 3.1 mile course without having to walk, and now that we were all on the road, the timid students and curious voters kept their distance from Huckabee, leaving him to run mostly next to his staffers and the two college journalists covering the event with their handheld digital cameras.

They asked him how he felt about the campaign, and tried to prod him into comparing his campaign to a running race. Huckabee gladly obliged, telling how he preferred to run marathons to 5Ks because of the strategy and iron will it takes to complete the 26.2 mile course. He was particularly proud as he recounted anecdotes about passing cocky youngsters in New York who had failed to properly train, and by mile 6 were keeled over and sucking wind.

“Mile 6,” he said with disbelief, “they had twenty miles to go and already they were already done!”

I presume he wasn’t referring metaphorically to Tommy Thompson.

But speaking of rivals, he was invariably asked how his competitors would do in a 5k fun run with the Governor. Huckabee took this question and ran with it, so to speak.

“I challenge every candidate to a 5k race. I guarantee you none of them will show up.”

The tedious middle miles of the race were broken up nicely by surprise appearances from Huckabee’s staff. They were following the race in a car, and would drive ahead every half mile or so to jump out and cheer the runners on as they jogged toward the finish. Huckabee never missed a chance to tease them about joining in the race. Needless to say, none of the suits succumbed to the peer pressure.

About halfway through the run Huckabee started talking about his plans to run the Boston marathon. He has already registered for the race, and at this point all that he needs is for the training to follow the goal. We chatted a little bit about the Boston course, and he told us how much more difficult the Little Rock course was than the famed Marine Corps route. When he asked a supporter and me just how tough Boston’s “heartbreak hill” was, I suddenly wondered how on earth he thought he could simultaneously run for President and put in the mileage necessary to successfully complete a marathon.

After all I’m only covering the race, a far cry from running in it, and finding the time to put in more than a meager twenty-five miles a week is a constant challenge.

“Governor,” I asked with an incredulous smirk, “do you realistically think that you can train for Boston during the campaign?”

The look of sheer disbelief on my face must have struck a chord. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “That’s the plan. We’ll see how it goes.”

I should have expected nothing less from the man from Hope who has moved from a nobody to a threat in this race, and who, until very recently, could neither catch a break from the media nor raise a buck from the voters.

Later, at the two and a half mile mark, Huckabee was asked how he thought his Presidential rivals would be doing at this point in the race.

“They would be about a mile and a half back.”

“Probably giving a stump speech,” one of the runners tried to joke.

“No,” Huckabee interjected with his classic acid wit, “they’d be bent over a stump and puking.”

That last line came at the beginning of an extended hill and, even though it was the course’s only hill, still brought out the gripes in force for the runners. Even Huckabee started dropping faux threats to his staffers for planning it into the run. Luckily, as soon as we got to the top, we took a quick left and a quick right and then we were back at the frat house and the finish line.

The campaign staff, the curious voters, and the out of shape supporters all cheered as we came across the finish line. Huckabee, of course, finished first. He immediately made fun of his staff once again for not running with him.

With the race completed and the sweat beginning to evaporate, Huckabee headed to the refreshment table for a bottle of water and a banana. Earlier he had spoken some runner mumbo-jumbo about glycogen and hydration, and here he was showing that he really believed in it.

He saw a family next to the table and started chatting with them. The true test of good people, he explained to the mother and her young daughter, “is how babies and dogs react to them. Dogs and babies like good people. That is how you test the candidates. I promise that if you bring the other candidates around the dogs will bite and the babies will cry.”

Speaking of dogs, after his brief post-run chat with the average folks, Huckabee was compelled to do a brief press availability with the members of the MSM who showed up during the run to catch some soundbytes from the sweaty Governor. He reiterated, this time to a new crowd, his preference for the willpower and diligence of the marathon to the talent and preciousness of a 5K, and even brought up his sympathy for America’s sick in contrast to his own former obesity and current ability to run marathons.

But then, as the MSM started to press and press for negativity through of subjects like Bernie Kerik, Huckabee began to sour. After the second or third gotcha question his tone became firm, and finally he took a big bite out of the rest of his banana, glared at the cameras and said, “are there any more questions or do you just want to watch me eat my banana? It’s good footage.”

Huckabee’s communication director then stepped in and corralled the governor over toward the lawn for a photo with his younger TKE brothers.

As evidenced by his chatty pedestrian shuffle throughout the earlier five kilometers, his ease in standing among babies and dogs, and his instinct to make fun of his inactive staff members, Mike Huckabee is more “one of us” than he is “one of them”. This was clearer still when he gleefully picked a fraternity photo op over the cameras of CNN.

Yet the question remains, as it did while we pounded the pavement and discussed Boston marathons vs. active Presidential campaigns, can a regular Lava Soap Joe like Mike Huckabee beat the odds and win the Presidency? By doing things in his own country way, Huckabee certainly believes the answer is yes.