Patrick Hynes, a New Hampshire–based strategist who worked on web communications for John McCain last cycle, offers this observation about how one presidential candidate had a great voter-outreach program in his home state . . . and others did not.
My take away: Campaigns matter.
When wannabe best selling authors and personal brand-obsessed politicians pose as presidential candidates it cheapens the process. In my New Hampshire household is one registered Republican and an Undeclared voter who regularly pulls a Republican ballot. Only one presidential candidate asked us for our votes: Mitt Romney.
We received no fewer than five pieces of direct mail from his campaign; zero from all the other campaigns combined. We were invited to no fewer than three town hall events and two rallies by Romney’s campaign; again, zero from all the other campaigns combined.
It is insulting when politicians who are more interested in selling books or securing cable news contracts prostitute the system for their own gain. We shouldn’t put up with it anymore.
Romney won New Hampshire the way John McCain and Pat Buchanan won it before him: By respectfully soliciting and earning support. He deserved it.