Cheshire County Democrats look towards presidential primary

New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation status was at the forefront of conversations among Cheshire County Democrats Saturday night, as they socialized over towering plates of spaghetti and meatballs.

The party’s annual meeting, held in Keene, was an opportunity for elected officials in the city, Cheshire County, the Statehouse and in Washington to discuss the successes of the past year and to set goals for the future.

Of utmost importance to leading members of the Democratic party Saturday night was communicating to Cheshire County’s Democrats the responsibility they have in screening presidential candidates who campaign in the region.

Keynote speaker U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., said after the nationwide losses Democrats experienced in the 2014 midterm elections, members of the party need to do some soul searching in an attempt to understand what went wrong.

Last year, too many people didn’t exercise their right to vote, arguably because they didn’t believe it could make a difference, she said. Dingell said the 2016 elections cannot be a repeat of 2014.

U.S. Rep. Ann M. Kuster, D-N.H., further said that she hopes when there’s a Republican candidate for president in Cheshire County that Democrats will introduce them to her party’s family values. She criticized Republicans and their family values for not funding Planned Parenthood, Meals on Wheels and other vital community programs.

Kuster has not pledged support to any candidate for president at this time because “the more the merrier,” she said, noting that a competitive race is good for the economy and gets people fired up.

And fired up is what Cheshire County Democrats want to be, but so far the primary race has only two major candidates, and one is an obvious favorite although there are many months to go before the primary.

Former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton is the clear front-runner for the Democratic nomination. So far she’s challenged only by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent and avowed socialist.

N.H. Rep. Richard Ames, D-Jaffrey, said Clinton is the most likely Democratic nominee and would be a “terrific candidate.” He noted that Clinton has admirable core values and the interests of children very much at heart.

Ames and other local Democrats said Sanders will certainly add an interesting perspective to the political debate. But many believe that because Sanders isn’t well-known to voters outside New England, he faces an uphill battle in the months ahead.

Ed Tomey of Keene said he doesn’t want there to be an overwhelming number of candidates for Democrats to choose from, but that he’d like a race.

“I certainly admire Hillary, but I’m not sure everything she thinks is in line with what I think,” Tomey said.

N.H. Rep. John Bordenet, D-Keene, said he’s not yet convinced Clinton is the right person for the job and that he needs more information before casting his ballot.

While he supports Sanders’ philosophy, Bordenet said the Vermonter will never get the Democratic nomination for president.

 

 

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