Question About New Hampshire and Politics (houses, school, college)

[Pike]

Coming from Northern VA and CT, I was curious about what NH politics so I can form a comparision and help decide if the state is for me.

1) First, from what I have read it seems NH now is toss up but historically and likely today has a strong republican base.
-This baffles me because NH is in the northeast and New England, which is a strong held liberal/democratic area.
-To me...it would seem NH is a "turncoat" traitor going against the rest of it's Northeast and New England breathern.

2) My question is why does NH have this background? Was it really a strong GOP state like VA, or is it much more liberal with main GOP backing being that for smaller government?
In VA, the GOP has been big because it's the south, and they are big on ALL the issues.
-Was/is it like that in NH or was the GOP backing much more moderate and 'libertian' based?
-Why did NH vary from the rest of it's NEs states....was it the fact it has a big rural...and if so why...VT is largely rural.

3) Coming from CT and NoVA, would I be in for a shock? Would it be like going back to Northern VA with a bunch of republicans or would it be more like Connecticut?

4) What areas of NH are moderate/conservative/liberal?
Does it go the generalized US with it being urban/suburban/college areas liberal.....wealthy, older, rural republican?

5) What about the seacoast...is this a liberal area.

Thanks!

[buck naked]

NH has been mostly republican for as long as I can remember....however, two elections ago, when Bush the younger was up, NH became democratic.

The onetime anti-tax, anti-government, reddest-of-the-red states has now turned thoroughly blue.
The state's First Congressional District was Republican for 78 out of 100 years; the Second District was Republican for all but six of those years. Governors hailed from the GOP 80 percent of the time. The Legislature was comfortably Republican; indeed, one would have to go back to 1874 to find a time when both houses were controlled by Democrats. And, of course, the state was mostly Republican when it came to presidential races. In the 25 elections held in the 20th century, its voters chose the GOP nominee 18 times.


These red-solid results reflected the state's political ethos. The state motto, "Live Free or Die," was less a demand for liberty than it was an insistence that government get out of the way.

New Hampshire is one of only six states with a truly part-time legislature, paying state representatives $200 annually and senators an even more paltry $100. (not counting all the perks such as free skiing at state owned areas and free entrance to state parks, etc.)

things have changed. Today, the governor is a Democrat. Both congressional representatives are Democrats. Republican John Sununu lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jeanne Shaheen in November. Both houses of the Legislature are now solidly Democratic, and more than half the state voted for Barack Obama. Indeed, the only Republican politician of any note is three-term US senator Judd Gregg, who right now must be feeling awfully lonely on his way out of office. He announced he will not run again in the next election.

A lot of posters will blame the switch on the closeness with democratic based MA. However, the last election proved that the border towns are mostly conservative and voted for McCain.

[GotBackHome]

ok, first you have to understand that politics in NE is largely determined by the town. Particularly in NH, the state usually runs larger things, but most are decided by each town. Unfortunately the current legislature seems to think it has the power to tell the towns what to do (this isn't sitting well with many). Counties are of little consequence up there.

You also have to understand that NH has the largest legislative body in the country. For a state it's size, there's over 400 representatives! that means there's a rep for at least every other town. That's a lot of input. And because of that, it seems that NH people often feel the need to be very involved in what goes on (probably not a bad thing, but unfortunately tempers often get in the way which is sad).

Now as far as whether or not NH is a 'turncoat' to it's democratic neighbors... NE is a loose confederation of states. They don't really pay much attention to what the others are doing, they don't care. NH doesn't give a flying fig how any of the other states vote. It's not its business. NH has had a history of being fairly conservative, well, mostly a bit distrustful of rapid progress.

In general, it can be said that NH for the most part is fiscally very conservative, but often socially liberal. At least in the concept of 'live and let live'. Of course, sometimes you hit certain hotspot topics (like the current one on gay marriage) which is very polarizing, just like in teh rest of the country.

BTW, VT, which as you've noticed is very rural, used to be very conservative - still in in Northeast Kingdom. But they kinda got taken over by a lot of people 'from away' moving up there and deciding that while they liked it, they also wanted to change it. Now it has become very liberal and fairly expensive. I hope NH never does that!!!

Does this help? NE may band together for historical reasons and how the states are run (by town meeting), but they're all still very independent of each other politically.

[maxxoccupancy]

In practice, New England was traditionally Republican, with the exception of Massachusetts. Over time, though, many out of state liberal-socialists have moved in, and the Republican Party has become more socially conservative, which doesn't sit well with secular, pro-choice, and libertarian independents. New Englanders still support libertarian minded Republicans, but the party apparatus has fought off such candidates, preferring to lose with a Bush/Rockefeller Republican than to win with a libertarian-conservative of the Goldwater-Reagan style. While the GOP establishment has little to no control over its candidates out west, it is extremely powerful in the northeast, and prefers to field "moderates," which the voters perceive as almost authoritarian.

[nicolem]

Originally Posted by maxxoccupancy

In practice, New England was traditionally Republican, with the exception of Massachusetts. Over time, though, many out of state liberal-socialists have moved in, and the Republican Party has become more socially conservative, which doesn't sit well with secular, pro-choice, and libertarian independents. New Englanders still support libertarian minded Republicans, but the party apparatus has fought off such candidates, preferring to lose with a Bush/Rockefeller Republican than to win with a libertarian-conservative of the Goldwater-Reagan style. While the GOP establishment has little to no control over its candidates out west, it is extremely powerful in the northeast, and prefers to field "moderates," which the voters perceive as almost authoritarian.

Great post!

[pucked]

So the question is
1) How would characterize the Republican nature of NH? Is it like the image I have based on my experience of republicans were:
-Anti-abortion
-Religious
-For upper class/corporate tax breaks
-anti-union
-Not for health care/welfare/middle and lower class help
-anti-environment

To me, NE and the northeast I like because I felt they are not so hung up on enforcing their religious views, like the south, where they want prayers in school, no abortion.
I also thought the pro-union labor philospohy was common and it was more environmental friendly.

So if NH has been republican...which issues has been on it?
-Relgion Imposing, Anti-Union, Taxes for the upper class, environement....or is it just that NH citizens have felt the need for less government interference/libertarism, and that an NH republican traditionally may have more in common with national democrat than a national republican?

2) Again, why is it NH has the big republican past...whereas all the other northeast state don't?

3) Why is this changing?
-Are NH values changing?

4) What towns are democrat and conservative?

[GotBackHome]

try thinking old-style republican, not current cram religion down your throat republican. Definitely the less government (although you wouldn't know it by the nanny nonsense going on at the moment). In general, NH tends to favor a strong work ethic and does not favor social programs that support people who don't want to work. Many towns have some setup for reducing taxes for those with truly less income and can't afford it, many oil companies also have programs for similar. But welfare lovers... won't find all those programs getting interest in NH.

[nicolem]

Originally Posted by pucked

So the question is

To me, NE and the northeast I like because I felt they are not so hung up on enforcing their religious views, like the south, where they want prayers in school, no abortion.

Regarding abortion-traditionally-for the most part-it had not been a huge issue up here. While the republican platform might have been anti-choice, it was not the huge issue it is today. I know many native NH republicans-who think it is none of their business and get angry about the fact that the religious right has infiltrated the republican party, as it has on the national level. I know many pro-choice libertarian-type(not full blown libertarians) who are really bothered about this and most of them are native NHrites.

One needs to look at the treatment that Jayne Millerick received a few years back for being openly pro-choice. She did not last long as party head and I imagine that is a big part of it. Fergus Cullen-who in my opinion helped to run the party into the ground was anti-choice so he is more acceptable.

Even Jeb Bradley gets slack for being pro-choice and I know of republicans who did not vote in the election, because John Stephen was not the candidate and it was because of abortion. During my campaigning, I was told exactly that.

One of the mistakes in this past election was the NH republican party sending out absentee ballots regarding abortion. The minute I saw this I knew it was going to be a mistake. Even Fran Wendleboe, who is one of the leading anti-choice republicans in this state, admitted a few days after the election that this was a mistake.

I wish that the NH republican party would get back to staying out of my personal life and my pocket book.

[GotBackHome]

I wish that the NH republican party would get back to staying out of my personal life and my pocket book.

Hear, hear!!! Can we enlarge that to both parties???

[notdancingqueen]

Originally Posted by nicolem

I wish that the NH republican party would get back to staying out of my personal life

I couldn't agree more, and I would extend that to the national GOP as well.
I did not abandon my party -- IT abandoned ME.

My choices at the moment are usually between

a) Democrats -- a party that often taxes me in ways I don't like and has more social positions I agree with than disagree with, and

b) Republicans -- a party that increasingly taxes me in ways I don't like and increasingly has more social positions I disagree with than agree with.

This is why I do not vote a party -- I vote particular issues that are high priority for me, even when I may not agree with all positions on all issues that a candidate holds.

NDQ