PeterGlenshaw.com

Red Sox!!!!

I was going to write a serious, political post tonight.

And then...

The Red Sox won the AL East Division!!!!!

Wow!!!!!!!

What a great night, watching the Red Sox win tonight and then watching, via NESN, the NY Yankees lose to the Baltimore Orioles in extra-innings.

It was a classic Red Sox win.  Down 9-6 in the 9th inning, the Orioles came back with bases-loaded triple and then won it in the 10th inning with a squeeze bunt.  It was totally, totally cool to watch this game.  NESN could not "broadcast" the game, so they showed it via updates and thru the screen at Fenway Park.  Hundreds, maybe thousands , of fans stayed after the Red Sox game, watching the Yankees - Orioles drama unfold.

The Rod Sox have been in first place in this division since April 10th, but never, ever did the feeling exist that this first-place position was a sure thing.  This is a team with incredible perseverance, and because of their work ethic, tonight is incredibly special.

Sometimes, the good guys really do win. 

That said, I think it's only fair to say that the Yankees have had an incredible season, too.  Down a million games mid-season, they nevertheless improved and almost, almost won the division.  They are a very good team and we will have to reckon with them again.

But here is what's different between NYC and Boston (and New England). 

On this night, the celebration is mostly taking place outside, on Fenway Park, not inside in the clubhouse.  Some 2,000 plus fans have stayed in Boston ballpark tonight, and the players and the fans are celebrating together.  It's an incredible affair to watch.  The camaraderie between the players and fans is extraordinary, a unique combination of awe, equivalence, and passion.  Players and fans, they're equally crazy.

Let me close with small personal note.  It's been a good year for the Red Sox, but maybe a better year for my daughter, Hannah.  She turned 12 years years old this year, and has faithfully followed the team since April.  Or since 2004.  I woke her up in the middle of the night three years, in 2004, when the Red Sox won the World Series. 

"Why, Daddy, are you waking me up"

Three years ago it made no sense to her why I was waking her up in the middle of the night.

Tonight, it made all the sense in the world. 

True, she did ask if I would repeat my go-outside-howl-at-the-moon routine from 2004.

Since that would be premature, she felt reassured. 

But for both of us, the passion remains for this classic New England team.  It's Fall, it's October, and it's time for Red Sox playoff baseball.

The Dartmouth Debate

Alright, who won the Democratic debate at Dartmouth College tonight?

I write less than two hours after the debate, on a day that saw a sleepy college town turned into Central Political High.  Despite the increased security of our post 9-11 world, the scene tonight was incredibly intimate and accessible.  I was fortunate to get a ticket at the last minute to the debate itself (thank you, Jen!), but anyone who stood in the lobby of the Hanover Inn at 5:30pm would have gotten free access to governors, senators, and an entourage of political staffers and supporters.   This is what makes the New Hampshire primary so terrific: face-to-face contact between voters and candidates, without the artifice of television and the relentless front-runner mindset of mainstream media.

So, there I was, inside the hall, alongside some 600+ other audience members.  Who won?

The first thing to consider in TV debate is the cold artifice of the format itself.  Politicians are the very definition of "people people."  They feed off body language and crowd reactions.  But for the purposes of television, the rule is that the audience must not react.  So, we who are in the hall -- some of the most politically active people there are -- must remain silent.  We lose, but the candidates lose even more.

That said, the question is, who won?

My impression is that Senators Dodd, Biden, and Obama did the best tonight.  I think Gov. Richardson, Congressman Kucinch, and Senator Gravel struggled, as did Senators Edwards and Clinton.

In fact, let me go on record as saying this should be Senator Gravel's last debate, at least in New Hampshire.  Simply put, he is not a viable candidate.  He does not even have a NH headquarters!  It's time to stop treating him as an equivalent alongside the other Democrats.

Congressman Kucinch's viability and involvement is also questionable.  The guy is incredibly entertaining and fast on his (verbal) feet, but he has no ground organization in place in the Granite State.  Unless he shows real traction in terms of support or dollars, his further role in these debates ought to be questioned.

So, why did Dodd, Biden, and Obama succeed tonight?  First, I think each of them showed Presidential stuff.  Dodd was incredibly good in the first hour, especially on the Iraq War.  Everyone knows I support him formally in the primary, but his separation from Senator Clinton on the Iran issue -- Senator Clinton voted today to label the Iranian National Guard a terrorist organization, the first time ever in the history of this nation that we've voted to identify an internal organization in a country as such -- was revealing. 

In doing so, Senator Clinton continues to give President Bush incredibly discretion in terms of future military action, the likes of which we know the current administration ought not to be trusted.  Dodd was also very, very strong on ending funding now -- not later, not based on some complicated timetable -- on the Iraq War.   

Tonight, Senator Dodd opened a new front in the campaign: there is what a candidate says on the campaign trail, and what they actually vote upon in Washington.  WIth Senator Clinton, unfortunately, that gap is significant.

Senator Biden also scored points with his directness and experience.  Like Senator Dodd, even the most casual observer realizes that both men bring significant experience to the job -- far beyond any of the mainstream media-appointed frontrunners. 

Senator Obama scored points both with me and others in the audience for I might call his statesmanship.  He conveys both wisdom and grounding that goes beyond his age and political experience, and I got the sense that many in the hall saw him as someone who could inspire others to do great things.

Senator Clinton?  I could go on and on and on about her performance, and at a later post, will outline why I think her candidacy so compromises the Democratic Party.  But here's a hint as to why her performance tonight struggled.  In addition to claiming she wanted to be the "health care President," (shades of Bush wanting to be the education president...remember?), Senator Clinton was asked a silly but straightforward question that she simply could not answer directly.

If the 2007 World Series took place between the NY Yankees and Chicago Cubs, who would you support?

Her answer:  I would alternate my support of each team.

People who don't care about sports teams might not get what that kind of answer means, but let me suggest it is the lowest kind of response.  Pick a team!  Don't apologize.  Be proud of who you support!

Heck, I love the Washington Redskins and the New England Patriots....what if they met in the Super Bowl?  Who would I support?  The answer is easy:  I care a lot about the Patriots, but I grew up loving the Redskins, and would support them.

There's not a sports fan hates worse than equivocation, and tonight Hillary Clinton showed she is a devotee of that practice.  Her approach is, whatever it takes to offend the least number of people is the position to take. 

Senator Edwards also struggled, particularly around his personal practices involving wealth.  Although he did score points in asking what lessons Senator Clinton had learned from her vote to support the Iraq war, for some reason, the issue of "two Americas" which Senator Edwards is promoting is NOT catching fire with people.  I like of what he says on that issue, but tonight he struggled to convince people that his words and his own actions warranted our support.

I'm sure to write more about the debate, since it was a very meaty and substantive affair, far better than the CNN debate in May (which seemed more like the Wolf Blitzer Show).  In the meantime, let me know what you think!

Meet Chris Dodd (after his big media week)

After a few big media weeks for Chris Dodd (see below), the senior U.S. Senator from Connecticut is coming to the Upper Valley for the Democratic Presidential debate tomorrow night at 9pm. 

Though tickets for the debate have been long been snapped-up, Chris Dodd will be making a public appearance at his new Upper Valley headquarters on Wednesday afternoon at 3:15pm (75 Main Street, West Lebanon, NH, 603-298-5700).  Everyone is invited!  This is a great opportunity to meet Chris and I hope you can attend.

There will also be rallies for Dodd on the Dartmouth Green tomorrow beginning at 5pm. 

Big media weeks?  You betcha.  Since the release of Senator Dodd's new book, Letters from Nuremberg, the mainstream media has been increasingly taking a hard (and positive) look at his candidacy.

First, a front-page story on the New York Times.

Then Charlie Rose.

And then....Conan O'Brien (sorry, no link)

I know what you are thinking.  Can it get any heavier?

Seriously, September has been a good month for Chris Dodd.  The momentum is definitely building.

The Education of Paul Hodes (and the rest of us)

I could write about almost anything tonight.

The end of summer, which is slipping away like air out out of a delightful balloon.  The days are glorious in September (warm, sunny sunny, and blue beyond blue)... and yet we all know they soon will be gone.

Or the Red Sox.  This is when you find out if you're really a fan.  Last night, I was a tired fan, and missed the 9th-inning heroics in the second game of the series against Tampa Bay.  Let me claim this:  I'm saving my late nights for the playoffs.

Or Chris Dodd.  Who is garnering monster media attention, whose Upper Valley Office opened this weekend, and who I sense is getting a second and third look by serious NH voters.

Instead, I will focus on a modest event -- the annual fundraiser held by the Upper Valley Democrats -- and what it might mean in the context of some all-too-brief history.

The key speaker at tonight's Upper Valley Dems fundraiser was Congressman Paul Hodes, who was elected a member of Congress in November 2006 in his second race for this seat.  His election was a grand and glorious win for New Hampshire Democrats, part of an unprecedented sweep which saw Dems winning offices and pluralities in just about every elected position in the Granite State last year.

So, how does it feel now?

Congressman Hodes is, in so many ways, a model public servant.  He loves his job.  He places his constituents first (not his party).  He understands that every vote is a delicate balance between his first priority, and the needs of the Granite State, the nation, and then the Democratic Party.

Paul Hodes works hard, putting in 18-hours a day, six or seven days a week.  I think everyone understands, at least a little, the "public" in "public servant."  I'm not sure everyone understands the second word.  A personal observation:  last year, in my quest to become a Commissioner of Grafton County, I missed every soccer game and practice of my three kids.  And if I had begun my race earlier, as I probably should have, I probably would have missed every game of baseball season, too.  I can't even begin to imagine the sacrifices made by a Congressman.

That said, Paul Hodes opened tonight's event with some interesting comments:  "I'm not the same person who stood before you nine or twelve months ago," he said (these are approximate quotes, as I was not taking notes at the meeting). 

As he made clear in his following remarks, Congressman Hodes was suggesting that governing and legislating in 2007 is a bit like providing directions in the twilight zone.  On the one hand, you have a large number of Democrats who are keen to make substantive, thoughtful policy changes on a wide range of issues, such as Iraq, health care, energy, the environment, and health care.

On the other hand, you have a veto-proof number of Republicans in both the House and Senate who insist that failed policies are working, that corrupt strategies work, and that staying the course will produce the change we all want.

I'm simplifying his comments, but not by much.  It's an odd situation.  Democrats clearly won in 2006, but not by enough, and as a result there is an odd stalemate between Pennsylvania Avenue and Capitol Hill.  So it's no wonder that approval ratings for the White House and Congress are within a few points of each other.  The general public looks at the stalemate and throws up their hands in confusion and disgust.

Still, when I think of Congressman Hodes and the rest of us, who have traveled so far from the early days of 2003 until now, I can't help but be impressed and pleased with the journey we've taken.

First, to give a lot of credit where a lot of credit is due, the path for New Hampshire Democrats has been paved by many, many people long before myself and others relatively new to the scene arrived in the Upper Valley.  Sharon Nordgren, Jean Hennessey, David Hoeh....the list goes on and on.

Second, the next wave, inspired in many cases by the 2004 primary, continues to stay involved.  Karen Liot Hill is one example, but not the only one of relatively new Democrats, who work day-to-day on the affairs of the party and state.  I saw Aaron Lavalle tonight, working for Congressman Hodes, and remember introducing him as the first DFNH dozen (endorsed candidates) in late August 2004, along with such (now) New Hampshire notable politicians as Terri Norelli and Maggie Hassan.  While each of us has taken a slightly different journey since our early days, we have all learned a lot, and continue to learn, about how to balance the many interests which compete for our attention. 

As Congressman Hodes suggested, it's not an easy formula to manage, even on the best of days.

And so, what has our education been?  What have we learned?

First, the simple truth:  a few determined individuals can make an enormous difference.  (Margaret Mead said it far more eloquently.).

Second, public service and political work are harder than they seem.  A lot harder.

Third, the balance between being an insider and an activist resolves best (at least I think so) when a person finds their true voice.  Tonight I saw Congressman Hodes working, struggling even, to shape and develop that voice.  It was not his best night on the stump, but I got the very real sense that he (and others like him, who really care about the public and politics and public policy) that he was not afraid to try new ideas and experiment in finding that voice.

A person could get theoretically pretty easily on this "voice" topic, so let me try to be clear: it's hard to lead the public, but it can be done, and there's no better teacher than experience and the willingness to try again and again. 

It was a good night.  Sure the Red Sox lost.  Sure the night is cold again after a warm day.  And Chris Dodd remains in the back of the pack, further away in the polls than he deserves.  But for New Hampshire Democrats, tonight was a learning moment, part of the path towards long-term success.  It's good to be on this trail.

Living in New Hampshire

This is a gushy post.

The kind you want to write, but the one which isn't always pleasant to read.

It's a post about where you live.  About the town, the community, and indeed the state in which you live.  So here goes.  Hang on...

I am so glad I live in New Hampshire.

There....you have it.  It's so simple, but that's what it is.  I really, really love living in the Granite State.  And taxes have nothing to do with it!

Reason number one:  the sheer beauty of the place.

Last night, I was a companion runner in the Reach the Beach race from Cannon Mountain to Hampton Beach, which meant I helped a couple of runners on a 12-person team get thru the tricky runs in the middle of the night.

It was unusually warm last night, and as we ran from Meredith thru Laconia, you could sense (even in the darkness) the beauty of the state.  The open skies and land, the mountains and lakes.  The simple sweet air, unpolluted. 

Tonight, after throwing the ball to my dog, Bear, I took another step outside and looked at the sky, lit with a 1,000+ stars and listened for....nothing.  There was not a sound in the air.  We live very close to the Lyme Common, but all was still. 

So, that is reason number two: the quiet, and the sky.

Reason number three; the people.  It showed last night in the Reach the Beach race.  The support.  The kindness.  The camradarie.  To put it in fancy words, the social capital.  New Hampshire people care for another like few other do.  You see it in Vermont.  Maine.  But anywhere else?  I won't claim perfect knowledge on this subject, but it's incredibly reassuring to meet perfect strangers in the Granite State.  Sure, we Granite Staters have some people who are less than welcoming, but last night, on a warm end-of-the-summer night, it was wonderful to encounter complete strangers who were completely supportive.

Final reason:  OK, this is the weird one.  But I like the fact that is dark at night here.  Stores are NOT open after 9pm (or 8pm).  There are not many street lights.  There are large open patches of land -- and more to the north of New Hampshire than in the southern portion of the Granite State -- where this is no development other than what nature intended.  Land.  Trees.  Dirt.  Sky.

Just as the lights of the big city entice some people, the openness of the sky and the darkness of the land at night entice me.  I remember hurtling along in a car on a road one summer evening in the Pioneer Valley (our cousins to the south of the Upper Valley) and thinking....I like this.  The dark.  The sky.  The open space.  The fresh air. 

There is more (a lot more) to New Hampshire than what I just wrote.  The list of topics is almost endless, but the bottom line is this:  New Hampshire is a state where I have realized many dreams, and in which there is more potential for change than I could possibly imagine. It's a wonderful place and I encourage you to learn more for yourself!

Summer in New Hampshire

I write at the tail-end of a marvelous New Hampshire summer.  It's a hot, hot September night -- temps in the low 70s, even at 10pm, and the day itself was filled with heat and humidity associated more with July than the waning days of summer.

So, it's not surprising to hear that today every kid on my daughter's soccer team went straight from running on the practice field to swimming in the nearby pond today.  Or that we ate dinner outside on the porch.  Or that the fans are still running in our house, even as I write.

Soon, it will go.  Within a month, the house will be buttoned-up at night.  Last week, the temps dipped into the 40s at night, and not only was every window closed, but I was outside throwing the ball to my dog, Bear, while wearing a fleece vest.  We know what happens next. 

Sure, for another month or so, the daytime temps stay pretty good.  60s, 70s, maybe an occasional 80-degree day.  But the mornings?  The nights?  Each morning brings an incredible amount of fog, pouring from clash of heat and coolth over the water of the Connecticut River and nearby lakes and ponds.  The nights are brisk.  There is wind, sometimes even sharp wind, as the earth tilts and the trees bend and the leaves fall.  It's almost as if San Francisco came to Hanover.

There's more to come.  Already there are leaves down in the yard in my house, and at least a dozen trees between Lyme and Hanover, NH, which look like October instead of early September. 

You see fewer boats on the Connecticut River.  The grass in my backyard isn't growing so fast.  Soccer practice has started.  School has started, too.  Meetings of official boards resume.  The Summer break is over.

Let me share a short vignette which confirms this sad truth.  Last weekend, we were in Vermont, having a glorious Labor Day weekend at the lake home owned by Elizabeth's parents.  At one point, on the final day there (Labor Day itself), a scene unfolded before me.

My oldest son, Jacob, and I stood atop the boathouse some 20 feet above the lake water.  The wind was howling.  Coming from the south in bursts and gusts all day, the wind churned the lake water from top to bottom.  The warm top layer of water suddenly was gone.  Now it was a cold lake in which to swim.  Before us lay whitecaps, wind, and cold water.

But we stood there on top of the boathouse, getting ready to jump together into the  water. 

"Come on, Dad," Jacob said.  "Let's run and jump in!"

Whaaaaaaa........

"Sure, let's go to back of the roof, run together, and jump in!" said Jacob.

I look around.  There were almost no boats in the water, and certainly no swimmers or people fishing.  There was no one near us.  Run and jump?  Now?

OK.  Go for it.

So we did.  Run, run, run -- the wind blowing, the waves crashing, the mix of hot and cold in the air and the water, our bodies moving across a modest roof until we reached the end, only to jump and then......

SPLASH!

"Hi, Dad!"

"Hi, Jacob!"

We bobbed about, chatted, and then slowly swam to shore.  Summer was coming to end, and our memories were perfectly intact.

The Dodd Machine keeps rolling

Look for a post later this weekend about how the world increases its demands on you post-Labor Day.  A person goes from applying suntan lotion to writing late-night emails in less than 48 hours, and there's no going back.  You wisha, coulda, mighta taken more vacation time, but....

That said, there's really good new for the Dodd Squad.  First, two influential New Hampshire Representatives -- who were HUGE Howard Dean supporters in 2004 -- have decided to endorse Senator Dodd in the New Hampshire primary.

Representatives Catherine Mulholland and Marcia Moody have both formally endorsed Senator Dodd in New Hampshire.  Rep. Moody is one of the most loyal Deanics in the entire country, and her endorsement of Senator Dodd confirms that the senior Senator from Connecticut is the best candidate to inherit the mantle of grassroots politics from the former VT governor. 

Same with Rep. Mulholland.  She is part of the "new" New Hampshire, a state legislator from a district formerly thought of as conservative.  Though progressive in her views, Rep. Mulholland is a workhorse in terms of constituents and good government.  Repl Mulholland's approach underscorse the basis of good government:  regardless of a legislator's particular views, does that person listen the needs and views of their constituents?

I'm also incredibly thrilled to learn that Dean Barker, one of the co-founders of BlueHampshire, one of the best political blogs in New Hampshire, has endorsed Senator Dodd.

Dean Barker -- whom I first met on the political trail in my quest for Grafton County Commissioner -- has taken a loose group of like-minded progressive bloggers in western New Hamphshire, and organized them into one of the most read political blogs in the Granite State.

Dean is an incredibly honorable guy (OK, I am not just saying that because Dean teaches high school Latin and Greek and I took Latin as a high schooler).  Dean gets politics in the way that Dodd gets politics.  It's not a game, where you are "In It To Win It."  Nor is it a place for the new or the naive.  Instead, 2007 politics best practiced combines the energy of idealism and values with the time-tested realism of experience.  Among all of the Democratic candiates, I believe (and I think Dean Barker) believes Chris Dodd meets that test.

Thanks, Dean, Marcia, and Catherine for supporting Senator Dodd.  We are on a roll!