The LuLac Edition #5,056, January 23rd, 2024

 

MAYBE I’M AMAZED

Our “Maybe I’m Amazed” logo.

NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY EDITION

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that New Hampshire did not begin to assume its current importance until 1952. In that year, Dwight D. Eisenhower demonstrated his broad voter appeal by defeating Robert A. Taft, "Mr. Republican", who had been favored for the nomination, and Estes Kefauver defeated incumbent President Harry S. Truman, leading Truman to abandon his campaign for a second term of his own.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..even more when New Hampshire voters sent a message to Lyndon Johnson, who, as a write-in candidate, when he only managed only a 49–42 percent victory over Eugene McCarthy in 1968, and won fewer delegates than McCarthy, and consequently withdrew from the race. The win by Johnson was not enough to keep the peace wing of the party at bay and LBJ bowed out on March 31^st, 1968.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that the winner in New Hampshire has not always won their party's nomination, as demonstrated by Republicans Leonard Wood in 1920, Harold Stassen in 1948,[citation needed] Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. as a write-in candidate in 1964, Pat Buchanan in 1996, and John McCain in 2000, and Democrats Estes Kefauver in 1952 and 1956, Paul Tsongas in 1992, Hillary Clinton in 2008, and Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that in 1992 . Bill Clinton broke the pattern in 1992, as did George W. Bush in 2000, Barack Obama in 2008, and Joe Biden in 2020. In 1992, Clinton lost to Paul Tsongas in New Hampshire. In 2000, George W. Bush lost to John McCain in New Hampshire. In 2008, Barack Obama lost to Hillary Clinton. In 2020, Joe Biden lost to Bernie Sanders.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……..that poetry was also in motion in New Hampshire in 1968. The 1968 New Hampshire Democratic primary was one of the crucial events in the politics of that landmark year in United States history. Senator Eugene McCarthy began his campaign with a poem that he wrote in imitation of the poet Robert Lowell, "Are you running with me Jesus":

I'm not matching my stride

With Billy Graham's by the Clyde

I'm not going for distance

With the Senator's persistence

I'm not trying to win a race

even at George Romney's pace.

I'm an existential runner,

Indifferent to space

I'm running here in place ...

Are you with me Jesus?

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..in 1980 a microphone and a testy Ronald Reagan changed the course of history. George H. W. Bush emerged as the front-runner of the 1980 Republican presidential primary after his upset Iowa caucus victory over Ronald Reagan. Bush and Reagan became the two leading candidates in the primaries over the other four candidates. With the other candidates in single digits, the Nashua Telegraph offered to host a debate between Reagan and Bush. Worried that a newspaper-sponsored debate might violate electoral regulations, Reagan arranged to fund the event with his own campaign money, inviting the other candidates to participate at short notice. The Bush camp did not learn of Reagan's decision to include the other candidates until the debate was due to begin. Bush refused to participate, which led to an impasse on the stage. As Reagan attempted to explain his decision, Jon Breen, the editor of the Nashua Telegraph and debate moderator, ordered Bob Malloy, the volume operator, to mute Reagan's microphone. When Malloy refused, Breen repeated his order. A visibly angry Reagan responded, "I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green!" [sic], referring to the editor and debate moderator Jon Breen.  Eventually the other candidates agreed to leave, and the debate proceeded between Reagan and Bush. Reagan's quote was often repeated as "I paid for this microphone!" and dominated news coverage of the event. Reagan sailed to an easy win in New Hampshire. Reagan eventually secured the nomination, and selected Bush as his running mate. The two won the general election.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..after he was lambasted in mini scandals involving a statuesque hairdresser and his lack of military service, Bill Clinton declared himself the "Comeback Kid" after posting a surprise second-place finish behind Paul Tsongas in the Democratic primary. Clinton's support had been flagging for weeks since being hit by allegations of infidelity with actress Gennifer Flowers. On the Republican side, Pat Buchanan garnered an unexpected 37% showing behind incumbent President George H. W. Bush. Buchanan did not win a single state, but revealed some doubts about the moderate president among conservative voters.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that in 2000 Al Gore helped himself with a narrow win in the Democratic primary, which somewhat assuaged his supporters' concerns about Bill Bradley's insurgent campaign. Gore who skipped the ridiculous Iowa caucus went on to win the nomination, and won the popular vote but lost to the Supreme Court who sided with the Florida recount.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that after a very slow start Senator John Kerry secured a decisive victory with 35% of the vote, 10 percentage points more than second-place finisher Howard Dean in 2004. Dean was touted as the front runner but left the race after an unfortunate overenthusiastic scream of joy.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..when after blowing through a lot of money and not getting any traction, John McCain won the Republican primary, sparking an unexpected comeback for the senator whose long-shot campaign had been written off as a lost cause months before. He went on to win the GOP nomination.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was the only person to win back to back New Hampshire primaries. Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton by 22 percentage points. Sanders amassed 152,193 votes in total, earning him 15 delegates, while Clinton managed 95,252 votes with 9 delegates. Bernie Sanders narrowly placed first in the Democratic primary once again, edging out former Mayor of South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 76,384 votes to 72,454.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that hardly anyone remembers former GOP Governor of Massachusetts Bill Weld who was beaten by Donald Trump by over 75 percentage points. In 2020 Trump wound up receiving the most votes in the New Hampshire primary for an incumbent candidate in U.S. history, breaking Bill Clinton's 1996 record of 76,797.

MAYBE I'M AMAZED......but kind of that the final results of the first voters of Djixville Notch reports their final results. They were; Nikki Haley 6. Trump 0. No one took a Democratic ballot. 

MAYBE I'M AMAZED....but not. IT'S ON!

(wikipedia, LuLac archives)