Email to a friendMedia Views
New York Times: There’s Something About Iowa and New Hampshire (9/10/07) by Adam Nagourney
Explaining why he thinks it's great that two small, overwhelmingly white states have an enormous impact on the early stages of the U.S. presidential campaign, Nagourney sees the voters there as simply smarter about politics:Voters in places like the Bow [New Hampshire] Fire Station display a command of issues, a sophistication about the contest and its candidates, an understanding of history and an eagerness to participate that sets them apart.
The apparent evidence is that they show up and ask real questions, unlike the dopes elsewhere in the country. Nagourney's comparisons are telling—one person who doesn't know much is quoted as saying that Bush is "an idiot," which is posited as proof that she's not paying close attention. But the main example is classic: One man is shown to be a political pro because he speaks like a campaign consultant and—wouldn't you know it—can name two of the "three H's" attributed to John Edwards. Yes, that would be house, hedge fund and haircut. This isn't so much evidence of political astuteness as it is a sign someone's been watching too much corporate campaign coverage.
FAIR does not endorse every opinion expressed or vouch for facts presented here, except by ourselves. Send link suggestions to jnaureckas@fair.org.
