We kicked off our "30 house parties in 30 days" tour with a whirlwind this past week, visiting six living rooms, one retirement center, and one beautiful spring BBQ. I thought I'd take a minute to share what I've been seeing and hearing with you, to give you a sense of what kind of campaign we are running and what kind of a Congresswoman I will be if the voters of our district give me the honor of representing them in Congress.
I should give you some background first: these house parties are true grassroots events, where our hosts and co-hosts in each town drew up the list of invitees, sent out emails and postcards, and called their friends and neighbors to get them involved in fixing our country (take a look at the photo here of a great group of hosts in Plymouth preparing for our Holderness house party on 5/4).
The result is amazing - not only have we had overflowing living rooms in small towns like Nelson and Cornish, but the people who are showing up are optimistic and eager to get to work. Just in the past seven days I have met hundreds of new friends and signed-up fifty-four brand new campaign volunteers!
At our first event in Nelson, questions focused on how we can win in November - how to energize grassroots volunteers, take on the extreme far-right that has been in overdrive this past year, and win over independent voters. I believe the answer isn't about compromising our beliefs, but instead about standing up for what we believe in. Independent voters don't expect to agree with their representatives on everything; they just want to trust that there is a real person with real values representing them - someone who understands their lives and their priorities. I am proud to stand up for progressive values and at the same time have a campaign that includes many independents and even moderate Republican supporters, because I've been working with them my whole life, often in New Hampshire's nonprofit community. It is the same way I will lead in Congress - true to my values, but always reaching out in an honest attempt to work with members of both parties.
In Concord on day two, we had TWO house parties - one at the home of Ron & Geri King, who are veteran volunteers from the 2008 campaign, and one at Heritage Heights, a retirement community I have visited previously to discuss the book I wrote with my mom about her struggle with Alzheimer's. Both events were great, substantive discussions - about energy and Social Security at the King's, and about the economy at Heritage Heights. You'll have to come out to a house party to hear the whole answers yourself, but here is the short version: I believe that comprehensive energy legislation will help us fight climate change, grow jobs, and make our country more secure; I oppose privatization of Social Security; and I think jump-starting our economy will take a combination of five things: real Wall Street reforms; support for small business, an investment in renewable energy; public investment in roads, weatherization, and broadband access; and re-committing to fiscal responsibility.
Over the next few days I visited New Boston and Hanover, where the students hosted a house party for me and some supporters in town did as well.. We had great discussions about health care cost containment, more questions about lessening our dependence on foreign oil, and about how to energize our supporters in 2010. I was thrilled that we already had six campus captains at Dartmouth volunteering before I arrived and we doubled their numbers before we left. I was also touched by some of the heartfelt introductions and comments, like the one by Lee Nyquist in New Boston, who told a very personal story about how his family and mine leaned on each other in tough times.
Finally, last night I was blown away to see more than three dozen local activists join us at a house party in tiny Cornish Flats, New Hampshire. Seeing everyday people come out of the woodwork to band together and help their community and country reminds me why I am running for office - because I believe that our government should support the responsibility, decency, and generosity of the people I'm meeting every day on this tour. Over the past week I've met hundreds of new friends and brand-new supporters, and I am more fired-up than ever!
Week two we visit Henniker (tomorrow), Claremont, Concord, New London, Walpole, Peterborough and Rindge - check out the full schedule here. Hope to see you soon!
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