Hello From Manch-Vegas!

Hello fellow Next Righters!

I'm hoping, as June rolls in, to document the major New Hampshire races coming up - specifically the governor race where incumbent John Lynch and his merry band of budget breakers are facing semi-grassroots opponent Joe Kenney, the extra-important Jean Shaheen/John Sununu Senate race, and the easily-doable Jeb Bradley/Carol Shea-Porter race in Manchester's House district.

For more about me (short answer: Massachusetts ex-pat, libertarian atheist conservative who focuses more on economic issues and is trying to convince himself to vote for McCain and failing), you can visit my website. I'm currently a registered independent, supported Ron Paul in the primary and kind of regret it, and I'm tired of being 27 and lacking like-minded folks my age who want to stand up, be heard, act, etc.

Back on topic, one of the interesting issues I've faced thus far is how difficult it has been to get involved, however. GraniteGrok has touched on this a bit regarding Sununu's campaign - the campaigns have been scary silent up to this point, and continue to be difficult - multiple e-mails to Sununu's campaign headquarters have gone unanswered for me, and my one attempt at visiting the campaign office during what would be considered "business hours" ten minutes from my home bore no fruit. At least Jeb Bradley has a Facebook presence, and even then, that's not going to win against an incumbent in an urban area. You'd think these candidates would want our help!

A lot of virtual ink has been spilled about the lack of good, bottom-up movement on the web and elsewhere, and I can't speak for any other campaigns, but the right is in big, big trouble if the early reads on the campaigns up here are similar nationwide. My hope is to document life on the ground here - if they ever let me on the ground - and other aspects of the New Hampshire greater landscape. Expect more posts from me as June rolls around.