What do D.C. politicos really know about NH voters?

To the editor:

Noticing the larger than normal number of license plates from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia in our area in recent months, it occurred to me that while some of these may be people who have moved here from those areas, or are here for commercial purposes, the especially large number must have do with primary politics. 

Large numbers of people are needed to mount an effective campaign for anything in New Hampshire, but given our frequent elections, town meetings and municipal politics, we should already have a more than adequate supply of qualified individuals to fill whatever roles are required. So the appearance of all these other “politicos” means that we must have a shortage of the specialists who can put out advertising, public relations actions and spin to shape the candidates’ messages to what they deem to be appropriate. Apparently, they know, better than we do, how we should think and respond to the various candidates and their apparent positions on the variety of issues that, they think, are important to us. 

It is not clear what gives someone from the Washington, D.C., area a real understanding of what is important to voters in New Hampshire.

A few may originally be from New Hampshire, but not many. A few may have extensively polled here, to see if they can determine what we think (ignoring all the people, like myself, who refuse to respond to polls, or to those others who give any answer just to get someone off the phone or off their doorstop).

A few may have even studied New Hampshire, perhaps reading our newspapers, or listening to our politicians, though the benefit of that study is somewhat dubious, as I see it.

It is my opinion that the majority of these “experts” have come to tell us, by whatever means they can, how to think about their candidate or issue, how to perceive those who don’t agree with them and, ultimately, how to vote. Personally, I don’t need that “divine” guidance. I am quite capable of listening to what the candidates say about themselves and their positions, determining what they mean, (since their “experts” are telling them what they need to say to shape our perceptions) and, ultimately, how to select who I will support.

I tend to ignore virtually everything they say about their opponents, because it doesn’t represent anything worth listening to. I also ignore all the “me too!” comments about various issues. I generally remember the old saw that one knows a politician is lying whenever their lips are moving.

It doesn’t matter which party or issue these people represent. Their job is to present only the most favorable characteristics and bury anything else, regardless of the integrity, or lack thereof, involved. Somehow. This approach does not meet my standards for what I hope our candidates, nominees and elected officials should be. 

Accordingly, I will vote for those individuals and issues that represent themselves most fairly and honestly, and do the best job of matching my ideas about how things should be run.

Everything else, in my opinion, is more BS from the “Beltway” crowd. We have all seen the wonderful progress that group has given us in at least 15 years of recent history.

Ralph Sidore

Bedford