New primary calendar? New Hampshire says ‘not so fast.’
Open the door to the Red Arrow Diner too forcefully, and it will smack right into Ted Cruz, Rudy Giuliani, both Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama.
Framed photographs of onetime presidential candidates line the New Hampshire diner’s entryway. Many of the candidates drape their arms around Carol Lawrence, the Red Arrow’s owner of 35 years. In fact, the entire place is a time capsule of U.S. politics, with metal nameplates marking various stools where candidates once sat. Hanging behind the counter, a license plate proudly reads “1st in NATION PRIMARY.”
For , New Hampshire has relished its unique role shaping presidential history, with its primary bestowing a crucial shot of momentum or a harsh dose of reality on White House hopefuls. Voters here enthusiastically embrace the flood of politicos who descend on their small state every four years – hosting candidates in their living rooms, filling town hall auditoriums, and casting ballots in the country.
