Candidates courting New Hampshire power players

Story Highlights

• Candidates court New Hampshire power players for help in election fight
• Power players taking their time before endorsements
• Candidates spend weeks leading up to primaries courting local party leaders

By John King
CNN Chief National Correspondent

Adjust font size:

CNN Chief National Correspondent John King has covered New Hampshire and national politics for over two decades. He talked with two New Hampshire Democratic power brokers courted by the party's presidential hopefuls.

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) -- George Bruno is familiar with the ritual - and more than happy to take part.

The former New Hampshire state Democratic chairman was a big supporter of Bill Clinton back in 1992, and was rewarded with an ambassadorship.

Visit his Manchester, New Hampshire, law office and there are pictures galore with the former president, including some early moments from his New Hampshire campaigning in the summer and fall of 1991 leading into the 1992 leadoff primary.

Look closely and there are a few snapshots with Hillary Clinton, too, along with "Hillary '08" buttons and bumper stickers.

But - insert New Hampshire ritual here - don't make the leap that Bruno has signed on for another Clinton campaign.

"There were some assumptions made in the beginning," he told CNN during a pre-debate visit. "I am in no rush and I am enjoying meeting the candidates and I am trying to be helpful to a number of the candidates. And the upcoming debate will be really useful."

Many downplay the role any one activist can play in the process -- especially now that media attention and TV ads play a greater role -- even in a state where retail politics is the stuff of legend. Still, the candidates spend weeks and months courting activists who in the past have proven they can rally networks of grassroots activists, and Bruno is clearly enjoying his role.

He says talks periodically with candidates and their staff members.

"I chatted with Senator Clinton not long ago. I had breakfast with Governor Richardson. But these things are not out of the ordinary. I am not an extraordinary person. Many people in New Hampshire go through the same experiences," Bruno said.

He is not a fan of mixing politics and driving, however.

"I was driving back on my way from work and my cell phone rang and it was Senator Obama. So I pulled my car off the road and we had a 10 or 12 minute chat about foreign policy," Bruno says. "It is nice living in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is a nice place to live."

'Big fish in a small pond'

Kathleen Sullivan laughs at the thought.

"A big fish in a small pond?" the Manchester attorney says with a smile. "I don't know - little fish in a little pond. I don't know about that really."

Sullivan shrugs it off, but many Democratic campaign operatives say Sullivan is the most influential party organizer in New Hampshire who has not yet backed a candidate.

Democrats scored major gains during Sullivan's tenure as the New Hampshire state Democratic party chairwoman -- a position from which she recently stepped down.

"I am blessed," she says. "I have been lucky enough to talk to all of the candidates who are running."

She says she is taking her time weighing an endorsement. "I would be lying if I said I didn't have my leanings," she told CNN. "But my leanings today are probably different than they were six months ago. They always change. I don't think there is a need for us to make a rush to make a decision. We've got a long time to go before the primaries and I think people should take their time, get to know the candidates, get to meet them and then decide."

Tools:
Save |
Print |
E-mail |
Most Popular |

Next story in Politics

Politics

What are E-mail Alerts? | Manage Alerts | Create Your Own

Deja vu: Same flight, another scare -- this one 'non-serious'

A security alert aboard a Northwest Airlines jet ended Sunday after investigators determined the incident -- the second in two days involving a Detroit, Mic ...