The only polls worth watching

Are the polls for New Hampshire and Iowa.  Because, after New Hampshire and Iowa everything will change.  Losers will be gone, and the loser's voters will go somewhere else, where, no body can tell.  And the winners, and even the runners up will be immensely strengthened, which again changes everything.  The nation wide polls right now, before New Hampshire and Iowa don't mean anything, because the results of New Hampshire and Iowa will change everything.
  The newsies don't seem to understand this, they keep reporting the nationwide poll numbers.

Must be 'cause of Global Warming

We now have alligators in New Hampshire.   A three footer was captured yesterday in the Lamprey River near Portsmouth NH.  A town police officer, assisted by a state fish and game warden captured the reptile alive.  And a good thing for the alligator, summer may be nourishing up here, but I don't believe alligators can take it when the river freezes over in winter.  Global warming hasn't gone that far, yet.  This story made the front page of the Manchester Union Leader. 
   Up here we aren't that used to alligators yet.  A three footer took two men to deal with it, and caused a front page story.  Down in real alligator country, Florida, a nine foot gator showed up at an elementary school.  The school resource officer, a strapping young blonde woman,  all by her self, got a rope around its neck, flipped it upside down, and duct taped its jaws shut.  We need some practice before we get that good at dealing with gators.

Primary Day, Poll Standing

It's primary day in New Hampshire.  This is the real state primary where we pick candidates for every office except the presidency.  Polls open at 8 in Franconia.  The alarm clock sounded at 7.  I had time to make a thermos of coffee, put the sign poles in the car, put on Smart wool socks and a sweater, and drive to the polls.  Fall is coming, it got down close to freezing last night.  It was still well below 60 at 8 AM and the warm clothing felt good.
   At 8 AM we had me, the Cumbee's and one lone democrat who I don't know, standing outside town hall.  We had a decent flow of voters in the morning.  Not bad for a primary, even in a presidential year.  I took a mid day break and plan to go back and cover the evening rush.
   In actual fact, we ought to hold the primary earlier.  Primary winners have too little time to campaign and mend fences with the losers before the election hits. 

Upcountry politicking

Grafton County (the far northern rural reaches of New Hampshire) Republicans held their annual Columbus day fund raising dinner. Maybe a 100 people showed up, enthusiastic Dartmouth students supporting the various Republican presidential hopefuls, town and county elected officials, a few plain old voters, and the local party chairmen. The happy hour was a meet and greet, followed by dinner. After dinner speaker was Governor Tim Pawlenti, flown in from Minnesota just for this affair. This is the guy who succeeded Jesse Ventura. He spoke, and spoke well, on the need for Republicans to be something more than the national accountants, scolding all and sundry over government spending. Then he went on for a good 5 minutes on the need for American energy independance. Somehow he got thru this without once letting the word "nuclear" ever pass his lips.