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Nearly four years ago Blue Hampshire was born following a groundswell of political blogging that had sprung up in a successful effort to support Paul Hodes' election to New Hampshire's second congressional district.
Today, we believe the best person to continue the work in Congress begun by Representative Hodes is attorney and advocate Ann McLane Kuster.
As Laura Clawson pointed out on Daily Kos, Ann McLane Kuster "supports the public option, the Employee Free Choice Act, non-punitive immigration reform, and environmental regulation. Not only does she want to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell, she wants to repeal DOMA, and she worked to help bring marriage equality to New Hampshire."
In addition, Kuster has been a vigorous advocate for health care access and affordability, especially and unwaveringly so for women's reproductive health. From Ann's website: "Ann believes a woman and her medical care provider should be making decisions about her health care, not the politicians in Washington. She is committed to ensuring that the anti-choice movement doesn't use abortion to derail health care reform, and also that they don't use health care reform to restrict a woman's right to choose."
Ann McLane Kuster headed the Women for Obama organization in the state during the primary and presidential campaign. An early supporter of the President, she also disagrees with some of his policies: "While I am pleased that the President has decided to set a timetable for drawing down our troops in Afghanistan, I do not agree with the decision to first send 30,000 additional troops. It is not clear that sending more combat troops is the best way to meet the real threat, as Al Qaeda disperses to Pakistan and other countries. This is particularly important as our military has been strained by six years of fighting in Iraq and eight years of fighting in Afghanistan."
We believe that, in addition to her strongly progressive views, Ann Kuster also has the clearest path to victory in the fall. Her campaign arc thus far has been exemplary, demonstrating vigor, discipline, and attentiveness. If Kuster runs her congressional office at all the way in which her campaign has been run so far, the citizens of New Hampshire's second district will indeed be fortunate.
Kuster has slowly but efficiently built up local grassroots support, viable fundraising, and national endorsements. Of the former, we were impressed at how she had reached out to voters across the district with a "30 House Parties in 30 Days" tour. Jennifer Daler, for example, decided on her support at a New Boston house party, where her warmth and ease with people were apparent. Jennifer asked Kuster whether she could persevere through a grueling general election, as she's so, well, nice. Ann handily convinced her she is tough enough to handle whatever Charlie Bass or Jennifer Horn can dish out.
Ann and her campaign have also openly engaged with the New Hampshire netroots, providing Blue Hampshire with a video introduction, for example. It is clear she can navigate both the traditional world of door knocking and handshakes as well as the emerging political communities of new media.
Finally, we believe Ann Kuster's background and beliefs represent a uniquely unifying bridge between the common sense Yankee Republican that once used to populate New Hampshire and today's progressive Granite State values. She can, and has already, brought together a wide coalition of supporters from the big tent of the Democratic party, while at the same time bringing over undeclared, and even Republican, voters who support middle class values and pragmatic solutions to our nation's problems.
We believe Ann McLane Kuster will be a clear and independent voice for New Hampshire citizens in Congress, and we are proud to endorse her.
Finally, on the basis of this endorsement, we have added Ann Kuster to our ActBlue Hampshire page. Please consider clicking the link and giving to the Kuster campaign today to ensure a victory for progressive values in the fall.
Note: This endorsement represents the full and unanimous support of Blue Hampshire's managing editors and contributing writers: Dean Barker, Laura Clawson, elwood, Jennifer Daler, Mike Hoefer, and susanthe. Furthermore, we strongly acknowledge what a step backwards it would mean to New Hampshire's second district to be represented again by a nominee from today's Republican party, and so we look forward to working for whoever is elected our Democratic nominee.
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