The invisible candidate

Perhaps it’s in the interests of budget-cutting that various news outlets have apparently been reducing their political coverage by dispensing with the primaries.

A case in point – THE case in point, in fact – is the apparent decision to anoint Congressman Charlie Bass in the 2nd Congressional District as the Republican nominee, even though the congressman is facing a challenge from state Rep. Mark Brady in the GOP primary.

The most glaring evidence of the coverage – actually, lack of coverage – of Brady could be heard on a recent news segment on New Hampshire Public Radio about Paul Hodes, the Democratic candidate for Congress in the 2nd C.D.

It was all about the uphill struggle Hodes faces against the better-known, better-financed five-term incumbent Bass.

The piece concluded with nary a mention, nor even a hint, that Bass has a primary opponent — Representative Brady of Jefferson.

NHPR news director Mark Bevis explained that the piece was about Hodes and how the challenger might create enough in his campaign to defeat the Bass dynasty. But why did the piece imply, as a given, that it would be a Bass-Hodes race, considering that Bass does have a primary opponent?

“Well,” Bevis countered, “do you have any doubt of the outcome?”

Actually, who knows? But Congressman Charlie doesn’t have what you’d call a perfect record in Republican primaries. Ask Executive Councilor David Wheeler about the time he defeated the then younger Mr. Bass in their District Senate primary.