Marchand Withdraws; Endorses Shaheen

Marchand leaves the scene (0.00 / 0)

I'm sorry about this.  I believe Marchand is a much more progressive Democrat than Jeanne Shaheen. I admit her popularity is enormous but she has been on the wrong side of issues more than once - the war being the most important.

I wish Marchand would challenge her in the primary. It would force her to confront some of her previous positions out in front of the voters. I hope this isn't going to be a free ride to the general election.

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by: cjfb @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 19:00:05 PM UTC

How soon we forget (0.00 / 0)

Being fussy about which New Hampshire Democrat we put in the Senate. I'm still not used to that.

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by: elwood @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 19:02:28 PM UTC

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Never forgetting (4.00 / 1)

But enjoying it, and worried that it will get screwed up.

Having survived the Thomson years!  Ah, Mel, he must be spinning in his grave.

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by: lymie @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 20:55:19 PM UTC

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Okay, you've won my trust. (0.00 / 0)

I may go tape over my license plate motto just for Mel.

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by: elwood @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 21:08:24 PM UTC

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A Class Act... (0.00 / 0)

This is a class act by Steve Marchand, and shows that when he gives his word, he can be trusted.  It validates the support I and many others gave to him for his candidacy.  He's got a great political future. 

About Jeanne Shaheen, no one is perfect in the eyes of all of us, but she has usually exceeded my expectations, she's been truthful and firm in her beliefs, and she's kept an open mind on many issues.

Many Democrats and most Republicans were fooled back in 2002 about the "WMDs" argument.  And she might not have accomplished all the changes or taken on all of the challenges many of us would have like to have seen when she was Governor.

But this is a good person who does good work, and who will be a great United States Senator.  A lot is at stake in 2008 -- getting our brave soldiers out of Iraq, health care for all, continued civil rights struggles, and so much more.  Jeanne Shaheen is ready to take on THOSE challenges with vigor.

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 20:09:16 PM UTC

Senator Gregg, I hear that (0.00 / 0)

Florida is a wonderful place to retire.

Steve, Paul, Gary, John, Carol, and still yet others could each do something quite novel - turn your job into something that resembles actually representing us.

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 20:12:38 PM UTC

Thank you, Steve. (0.00 / 0)

While I am a little disappointed to see a second Sununu replacement go that I was enthusiastic about (Hirshberg was the other), I look forward greatly to seeing where you will end up on this state's political map.

With such outstanding people clearing the way, I can only imagine the trouble John E.'s in.

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 20:16:08 PM UTC

We've been live less than a year, but (4.00 / 1)

I'm already getting nostalgic:

Marchand for Senate?
by: Dean Barker
Fri Nov 24, 2006 at 12:00:00 PM EST

Does Portsmouth's young mayor have a shot?  Dem party chair Kathy Sullivan thinks so:

"If Steve decided to run, he'd be an excellent candidate," said N.H. Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathy Sullivan. "He's a very smart, very personable and he's a very hard worker, and I think he'd be a great candidate."

Former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, who lost to Sununu in 2002, recently told the Boston Globe she has not ruled out a rematch against Sununu. The article also mentions state Sens. Maggie Hassan, Joe Foster and Peter Burling as potential candidates, as well as Marchand.

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 22:04:38 PM UTC

Happy Almost Birthday (0.00 / 0)

What did I do with my free time before Blue Hampshire?

Thanks to you, Mike and Laura for giving us Democratic political junkies place to hang out! 


Energy and persistence conquer all things.


Benjamin Franklin


 

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by: Kathy Sullivan @ Sun Sep 16, 2007 at 02:20:46 AM UTC

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Keep your eye on Steve (4.00 / 1)

Steve is definetly a class act.  I'm glad that I got to follow his campaign for the past several months and have gotten to meet and speak with him on many occasions.  I supported him not because he was the most popular, well funded or pragmatic choice.  I supported him because I saw in him a man with major plans and great potential. 

As far as I'm concerned, he has a very bright future in elected office.  Considering the fact that he is a first term mayor of a fairly small city, he made incredible gains on a greassroots level and was able to energize many great NH activists.  I certainly hope to see him return to the scene, most likely in 2010.  I wish him the best of luck and look foward to the day he is elected to higher office. 

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by: Northwoods @ Sun Sep 16, 2007 at 06:35:45 AM UTC

Marchand's move (0.00 / 0)

Ok, I'm putting down the books and attempting to add something to the discussion. Obviously, Marchand has a bright future and I would not be surprised to see him in either Concord or D.C. in the next decade. Yet, I do not believe that his motives are entirely selfless and aimed at helping the party. Marchand stood by his word and left when Shaheen came into the race, like he promised, and I applaud him for that. Yet, what is better for a young and rising pol? To step aside, uninjured before a clash with a favored candidate, awash in praise, or to lose, possibly badly to said favored politician. I know he is young, but many candidates ran at the wrong time and never got back another great chance at winning. Ignoring this for the party malarkey, stepping aside was the smart and safe move. I just cannot listen to people saying he is doing solely because of loyalty. A bigger dog stepped into the proverbial yard and he backed down, which was a very wise move for this rising star.

res severa verum gaudia

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by: lawduck @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 at 06:06:39 AM UTC

Yes, a bright future indeed (0.00 / 0)

In response to lawducks assesment, I beleieve that by Steve keeping his word he showed that he is a man, well, of his word.  To think that a first term mayor of a city of 20,000 would be able to raise the awareness and run the campaign that he did in such a short amount of time is nothing short of amazing.  I mean the whole time he was running he was hounded with the prospect of Gov. Shaheen entering the race.  He told me that he wouldn't be running in the race if he felt that she was going to enter.  I believe that for reasons related somewhat, not entirely mind you, to the influence of DC beltway pols, his candidacy and those of Katrina's and Jay's was never really given a serious chance.  And I think that is perhaps the biggest shame to come out of this.  Yes, Gov. Shaheen is a big name with local and national support and she can definetly rake in the funds, but there is no doubt in my mind that if Steve did become the nominee for the party against Sununu, he would defeat him resoundingly.  Unfortunately, most in the national party don't like to put too much trust in the power of a local primary.

As to whether his withdraw was selfless or not, I can't asses what you would consider to be a selfish withdrawl.  Would it have been more selfless to stay in a race against a candidate he couldn't beat, with all things considered, and make himself look stupid in the process by going toe-to-toe?  I think, in looking at it from the most practical perspective, it was best to drop out.  I believe Steve will be back in 2010, though it is a shame he won't be seeking another term as mayor.

I for one am glad that I was able to follow his campaign for the past several months.  He had momentum and lots of fire in his belly.  I see in him alot of the same qualities that I remember hearing people say about Barack Obama when his political career was in its infancy.  Perhaps Concord would be the best place for Steve after Gov. Lynch's next term.  And assuming that maybe that Gov. Lynch runs against Judd Gregg, Steve would have an incredible base here in the seacoast and up north of here to fall back on.  I know that I will step up as quick as I can when the time comes.  So I don't think the praise shown to him in this case is necessarily overblown.

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by: Northwoods @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 at 07:19:59 AM UTC

reply (0.00 / 0)

I certainly did not mean to imply that Marchand was not a great story and he obviously has a great future, I just felt that I needed to call a spade, a spade. Self-preservation is the name of this game and I realize that, I just thought he was getting a too good of a rep for a simple choice. You acknowledge what an easy choice it was and I agreed, it just seems that everyone else thinks he is putting the party first. I would happily work on his campaign if he ends up aiming at Concord in 2010 or whenever Gov. Lynch decides to move on. Interesting side note, I read a blurb about Lynch awhile back that said he had no interest about seeking a higher office. Possible rhetoric I know, but I am interested to see if he will aim for Gregg's seat, or be one of these pols that loves his job so much he hangs on for a decade or more. (If we'll have him that long.) So, Marchand has an incredibly bright future, I was just stating the obvious, which was that his act was not as selfless as everyone says, but rather just a smart choice. He did not step out of the way as much as he got brushed aside. I think Marchand could/would have won the primary and beaten Sununu also.

res severa verum gaudia

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by: lawduck @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 at 08:53:27 AM UTC

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Whatever (4.00 / 1)

Whatever Steve's thought process was, he's handled his exit very well and there's been no hint at all of sour grapes in his conversations with me since Friday. He's been great.

Whatever one may think about DC influence, it's hard to imagine any NH activist thinking that Jeanne Shaheen does not have deep support of real people in New Hampshire. As Kathy Sullivan points out all the time on this site, over 1200 NH people signed on to her Draft Shaheen movement in just a few weeks. I was at Jeanne's house on Sunday - just 48 hours after the word got out that she was running, with no email invitations, no snail mail invitations, over 200 NH people turned out to be with her as she announced her run for the Senate.

I've been mulling this thought over for a couple of days: Jeanne Shaheen started out in politics as a volunteer organizer for an underdog candidate for president, Jimmy Carter. In 1983-1984 she managed on a shoe string the upstart NH campaign of Gary Hart, pulling off a great upset against a former Vice President of the United States. She's worked her way up the hard way. When she became a candidate for herself in 1990, she upset an incumbent Republican state senator. When she started her campaign for governor in 1996, few people thought she could win - what most Democratic hands said to me was "it's great she's running. She'll be a credible candidate. Good for the party. But of course she can't win." This past Saturday when a few of us old staffer were on the phone with her doing some planning for the event on Sunday, it was Jeanne Shaheen who asked if we had sign up sheets. She's a grassroots success story. Rather than gripe because now she's the big dog, new grassroots activists ought to, IMHO, cite her as an example of how someone who starts out as a volunteer organizer can become a governor. And hopefully soon a US Senator.

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by: Judy Reardon @ Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 04:09:58 AM UTC

Very well said, Judy. (0.00 / 0)

Activists who take the time to learn from her will be well on the way to their own successes.

I can only imagine the talent that she will bring with her from her contacts at Harvard.  Her campaign is going to be a priceless education center for activists.

Gosh I hope your point isn't overlooked.  That really is a very big point.  It's huge.

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by: nhpoliticscom @ Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 22:39:47 PM UTC

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And Steve Marchand ought to hang around her campaign for the education too, by the way. (0.00 / 0)

A Shaheen endorsement wouldn't just tell me the guy is worthy to serve, it would tell me the guy has the campaign skill to have a real chance of winning.

If he's smart, and he sure seems so, he'll angle for that future endorsement.  Her endorsement means a lot. 

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by: nhpoliticscom @ Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 22:44:02 PM UTC

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Campaign Education Reform (0.00 / 0)

With the Presidential Primary in full tilt and a choice of two bona fide grassroots candidates. Why wouldn't Steve opt to jump in at that level?

How would such a move be deleterious to Marchand's "in state" popularity? Being a "people politician" is truly a quality and should be nurtured by proximity to a similar candidate. Why alienate the members of NH's "Progressive Tribes" by siding with Shaheen's franchise?

Take the high ground, Steve. In the true progressive grassroots movement, your juice comes from your vision and ability to lead, not your allegiance. To "angle for that future endorsement" would stain your reputation because it reeks of cronyism.

Stay as far away as possible from that. The netroots has a digital memory. You would be a "cut and paste" away from being tatooed.


"Ill writers are usually the sharpest censors." - John Dryden  

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by: Sleeping Giant Stirs @ Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 23:46:46 PM UTC

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How silly. (0.00 / 0)

Steve should learn as much as he can.  He can learn a lot about campaigning and campaigns from Governor Shaheen.  Any grass roots person who objects to his getting better at winning elections couldn't possibly care that much about the positions they pretend to support.

Jeanne Shaheen cared enough about the positions she supports to learn how to get those elected.  Winning elections counts.  Learning to win elections is the responsible thing to do.

Jeanne Shaheen is very responsible.  Steve Marchand has behaved very responsible regarding this Senate race.  He has shown his commitment to winning and electing the things he says he cares about.

Steve Marchand has shown he's responsible enough to get his turn.  And I bet he'll be responsible enough to adequately and competently prepare himself to win when he gets that turn.

That anyone would disagree with that amazes me.

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by: nhpoliticscom @ Wed Sep 19, 2007 at 11:58:34 AM UTC

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In with the new (0.00 / 0)

First off, my goal is the "soul of the party" not the individuals used to frame the discussion. I hope that will make you more amicable to the discussion.

Steve should learn as much as he can.  He can learn a lot about campaigning and campaigns from Governor Shaheen.  Any grass roots person who objects to his getting better at winning elections couldn't possibly care that much about the positions they pretend to support.
Jeanne Shaheen cared enough about the positions she supports to learn how to get those elected.  Winning elections counts.  Learning to win elections is the responsible thing to do.

  What is the date of publication of the textbook that Steve will be given and is the title " The Neoliberal's Handbook for Winning Elections? How do True Progressive's win an election, not the Liberals that abandoned their colors after Ronnie, Rush and Newt et al. made it a dirty word.

Jeanne Shaheen is very responsible.  Steve Marchand has behaved very responsible regarding this Senate race.  He has shown his commitment to winning and electing the things he says he cares about.

Steve Marchand has shown he's responsible enough to get his turn.  And I bet he'll be responsible enough to adequately and competently prepare himself to win when he gets that turn.

  By responsible, do you mean "smart enough to angle"? I am not fluent in "party speak". Also, the language reeks of "tenure" and attempts to suppress "merit". That'll go along way with the Independents.

That anyone would disagree with that amazes me.

  I completely agree with you. I am simply suggesting that Steve try a modern flavor of Kool Aid.

Post Script: I, John Mitchell (SGS), ALWAYS register as "Unenrolled" in my state of residence Massachusetts. In every election (except one) that I have cast a vote, I vote Democrat! (I voted for Rep. Brad Jones (R), MA Rep for Reading/N.Reading. We went to HS together and by most conservative measures, he is a RINO)

With every fiber of my political being, 2008 is the year that the rigid structure of the existing American Political Regimes will adapt or be marginalized. IMHO, this election is the equivalent of the falling of the Berlin Wall. Does that sound silly?

"Ill writers are usually the sharpest censors." - John Dryden  

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by: Sleeping Giant Stirs @ Wed Sep 19, 2007 at 15:21:44 PM UTC

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