The game is afoot in New Hampshire...

Clinton's lead is slipping and Obama seems to have regained his footing...meanwhile Edwards and the pack are out in force desperate to take advantage of any sudden twist of fate.
Well at this point, it is worth remembering that for all his charisma Bill Clinton still lost the New Hampshire back in 1992.
Back in those days, the Commonwealth's official Presidential Man on Horseback was the late Paul Tsongas who beat Clinton like a gong in the Granite State.

Of course, Bill rose up to carry the day all the way to the White House, but it is worth remembering he was not a done deal then and his wife is not a done deal now.

Marzilli Uber Alles Part II

Well, Jim Marzilli romped to victory yesterday winning Bob Havern's fourth Middlesex State senate seat in a cold and wet special election.

The rough numbers can be found here:

Alas though, there is talk from various reliable sources that Kenny Donnelly might make another try at 4th Middlesex senate seat next year (this after he gave Marzilli a resounding endorsement on primary election night no less. Although Humble Elias has also heard that Donnelly allegedly has some 40K left in his campaign coffers and that would give him a big leg up if he ran for Marzilli's vacant seat in the House.
Other potential democratic candidates in that upcoming special election include School Committee members Jeff Thielman and Susan Lovelace as well as long time democratic party activist Tim Shannon.

Ah well...what of it? It was still Jim's night last night, whatever else you can say about him, Marzilli is a man of the future, he has a profound understanding of the issues and challenges that are a-coming.
On that basis along, absent Jim Marzilli's energy and honesty, the district made the right choice last night.

Not even the National Review can find a worthwhile conservative

in this election and so thus is forced to endorse Mitt Romney and simply pretend that Willard is a true blue conservative they way Scot Lehigh and Brian McGrory once pretended he was the moderate republican messiah.
Mitt seems to bring out the delusional in people...it is a consistent element of his storyline.

Elias Nugator Sr.

One of FDR's noble spartans, was conjuring with Barack Obama this weekend. He had a theory that perhaps a comma was missing out of his name making him Senator O'Bama our boyo so to speak.
The Son of Destiny sees Irishmen everywhere it seems.
However today he was muttering "Fill the Bill with Hill and Bill"....and so thus he shuffles the cards seeking a candidate...

Peace to his contemplations sayeth I.

Marzilli for state senate...

Serious Chimes at Midnight readers (all seven of you) will recall that Arlington state representative Jim Marzilli has been duly endorsed by this blog in the race to replace state senator Bob Havern in the Four Middlesex District.
Well, the general election is tomorrow, the weather prediction is clear and cold so lets everyone get out and vote!
Jim needs it, let us take nothing for granted and pile up a big majority for our candidate.

Meanwhile the Cangiamila campaign is sending out bizarro mailers that somehow link Jim Marzilli with the Grinch who stole Christmas....

Such class Republicans we got in the fourth Middlesex, so committed to the lofty combat of ideas.

The Winter of 1984

Ahhh that was when the last shreds of my charmless youthful naivete' died on the icy streets of Manchester New Hampshire...somewhere between Bridge Street and North Adams Road if you must know.
In those days, Humble Elias was a feckless undergraduate at one of southern New Hampshire's TOP Benedictine Roman Catholic colleges, thus he had a front row seat to the whole gaudy miserable presidential carnival.
So I've always had a somewhat jaundiced view of the whole "First in the Nation Primary" mishaugas...millions are raised out of state, thousands of volunteers are drafted and sent in...all to convince a xenophobic, surly and entirly homogenous electorate that they are a heroic breed to put The Seven Against Thebes to shame.
These days, Manchester NH is actually even seedier and more hopeless than when I was living there under the frosty aufklarung of Governor John "Fishguts" Sununu. The streets are chillingly empty at noon on a Sunday morning, "I Am Legend" could easily be filmed there sans recourse to CGI effects.
Manchester is a perpetually dying new england mill town, ruled by petty indignataries who try their wan wasted best to tart up for the presidential candidates. It's a town that actually looks older and more haunted every four years despite sporadic efforts to breath new life into it's brittle bones.
Credit Chris Dodd for having a huge walk in headquarters on Elm Street (th' main drag as my grey haired old mother would put it) which was decorously closed as of 1pm today.
I recall that Senator Lugar had just as huge a headquarters for his run in 2000, didn't do him much good though.
Mitt Romney's headquarter's was a few doors down and open as well, but only for show purposes with one lone staffer to roam the whole joint. He was nice enough to point out where some of the other playas were camped out locally. He also pointedly and primly noted that Ron Paul was "in Concord" as if to say that a candidate only matters if they are set up on Elm Street in Manchester NH.
Giuliani's headquarters on the tonier north side of town, was fairly active, I even managed to score a button off the very nice receptionist (thanks and I really do collect these baubles).
Hillary Clinton's headquarters seemed faily well hidden...I got contradictory directions from several worthies in the approved "Burt and I" fashion...ultimately I gave up the chase.
Barack Obama on the other hand is firmly dug in at what amounts to a warehouse farm off Valley Road. The office was bustling with activity, but then the candidate and OPRAH were gonna make an appearance tonight at the "Verizon Wireless Center".
What all this points to, is that Elm Street, the very center of town in the state's largest city, is no longer a player in presidential politics, the myraid of empty storefronts and languishing office spaces only underscore the unhappy truth, campaigns can really stretch a rental dollar a mere mile away in some shopping plaza near the highway.
It's a sad town too cold to be wistful really. On the other hand one thing I've noticed from my college days til today, small retailers are all uniformly honest and even kind after a fashion. I bought two slices of pizza at a local shop this afternoon for lunch and got a third one fresh and for free, the owner opined "You look hungry"...I think he even discounted me.
That is pretty much the case all over town, the numerous second hand stores have great bargains and everyone looks like they just got over a crying jag.

"Scientologists for Romney"

Now that Mitt has legitimized all other religions beside his own, don't you think he should reach out to the scientology community? I mean supposedly L. Ron Hubbard is his favorite author...it seems like a natural match.
They could show up at rallies give free screenings...and the fundraising potential...WOW!

Think about it Mitt there are worse things in the world than having the backing of Tom Cruise and Jenna Elfman.

Seriously though, friday's speech does raise the legit question as to what religions Mitt considers cult-like.
be an interesting inquiry that would make him flee the room no doubt.