Bartlett: In U.S. Politics, New Hampshire Is Still The Real Test

By Matthew Bartlett, NH Journal

“From today’s guest editor, Matthew Bartlett!

If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.” The song is “New York, New York,” but when it comes to politics the sentiment may apply to New Hampshire, New Hampshire. Everyone talks about taking a bite of the Big Apple, but can they campaign their way across New Hampshire’s apple orchards?

As both Republicans and Democrats carve up districts and maps to their partisan favor in an unprecedented redistricting effort, the dirty secret in Washington is that competitive districts and states are the ones that produce better lawmakers.

In a competitive district and state, you are forced to hear the other side of your argument. You have to listen and understand people, some who you may disagree with, yet you may represent. Hearing both sides to an issue forces a leader to think, and sometimes even change their minds too.

I remember talking with an elected leader in the car one time when they told me how working in a bipartisan fashion makes for better legislation — and in these days of razor thin margins, legislation that has a prayer of becoming law.

If you are running in a place where the general election matters, regardless of who wins, Republican or Democrat, you tend to be a leader that works with people in your own party, and not afraid to work with the other party too. And even more than that, you tend to be a leader that can get things done.

In these deeply partisan times, rare is a state that has such highly regarded leaders from both parties as we do with Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte and Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Both represent the best of their party, are respected by the opposite party, and even more importantly, represent the people and spirit of the Granite State.

And in a state where we still have more registered independent voters than we do Democrats or Republicans (about 40%), the sentiment is critical when it comes to winning elections. Anytime you can turn a vote from one person or party to another, it is a net of two votes.

As we continue to have very close national and even presidential elections, we should remember that swing voters across the country are the voters that will decide winning majorities and who may win the presidency too.

This is once again why New Hampshire is so important not just in who we elect at home, but also in what we reflect nationally. Because we are a small but purple state, local sentiment with independent voters often defines the national sentiment of our country. And this is no better put into practice than the New Hampshire presidential primary, held in accordance with New Hampshire law every four years.

The New Hampshire primary is not supposed to select the nominee of a party. Aside from giving anyone, even smaller candidates, a chance to work hard and break out on the national scene, the New Hampshire primary is a significant data point on electability and the ability to attract swing voters.

As we approach 250 years of our country’s founding, there may be no better place than New Hampshire that still represents the ideas and practice of democracy from a local to federal level.

Matthew Bartlett is a New Hampshire native who has worked in politics and communications for decades. You may find him at nearly every presidential event in the Granite State, often in the back of the room, and always with a cigar on him.

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.