In our Anecdotal Evidence column, movers and shakers share personal stories聽of how intriguing (and often odd) presidential campaigning in their respective swing state can be.
Andrew Smith 鈥� Director, University of New Hampshire Survey Center
Andrew Smith. Photo: Lars Gesing/CU News Corps
鈥淓vents matter. Even the best campaigns can lose because their candidate says something stupid in a debate 鈥� like it happened with Obama and Clinton in 2008. Clinton聽. There were only four days between Iowa and New Hampshire that year. Every poll showed Obama was going to win New Hampshire. But over the weekend, several things happened.
鈥淭here was a debate Saturday night. During that debate, moderator Scott Spradling cited our poll and asked Clinton how it made her feel that according to the numbers, she was the least likable candidate. Clinton said it hurt her feelings. And Barack Obama said
鈥淭hat weekend, Clinton鈥檚 campaign sent out upward of 40,000 emails and direct-mail pieces, particularly to middle-aged women, saying that the reason Barack Obama abstained from many abortion votes while he was a senator in Illinois was that he聽. You can鈥檛 trust Obama on abortion 鈥� that was the message.
鈥淭hen Clinton had an event at a book store in Portsmouth Monday morning. Somebody asked her a question, and聽. She got humanized. That got run over and over all Monday and during the day Tuesday.
鈥淎nd Clinton actually campaigned all the way until 7 o鈥檆lock on Election Day. She was in polling places all over the state. The Obama campaign by Sunday held one big rally in Dartmouth 鈥� they were going to get all those votes there anyway. Then they essentially took a victory lap into Manchester to rest up for the big party that night.
鈥淐濒颈苍迟辞苍听, and the only group that really moved聽鈥�
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