Mirsky's List, Strongest Prez Candidates: Your Opinion Counts-So VOTE!

This is the follow-up to my last list, the one I published yesterday on Exeter Patch. I have chosen to say more because I didn't know that as I was going to press, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida was actually dropping out of the race. So I wrongly listed him as a strong candidate. Was he strong? Apparently not, because he dropped out. Oh well.

Other candidates who have dropped out in this cycle: Vivek Ramaswamy, Former Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, and a host of others who considered running but didn't tell anyone (like Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio?). Oh yes, others who dropped out this time were Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who had a lot of TV ads that just didn't fly; Mike Pence, who definitely deserved to stay in this race because he is a most honorable American; Doug Burgum of one of the Dakotas (North, I believe) who has a lot of money and good ideas that just didn't catch on; and some others who I won't mention because I can't really picture their faces at the moment.

We in New Hampshire thank those candidates for their time and consideration of our Primary, but next time, y'all should drop out in September, so you don't end up on the actual New Hampshire Primary Ballot as dead space.

So (drum roll) here is my list of the Strongest Candidates for President in 2024:

Democrats

1. US President Joe Biden. Joe Biden is not on the actual NH Primary ballot but he trusts voters to be able to spell his name correctly (that's "JOE BIDEN" - if you must know). There is apparently a robo-call going out at the moment trying to tell people incorrectly that President Biden does not want you to write his name in on this year's Democratic Primary New Hampshire Primary Ballot. Just note this: There is a highly organized volunteer write-in campaign going on here to support Joe Biden's candidacy; all the real Democrats I know are writing in Joe Biden for President, so, unless you prefer someone else (whoever or whomever that might be), you can write in Joe Biden in the space at the bottom of the list of presidential primary candidates; just remember to blacken in the space beside where you are writing in his name so that your write-in vote will be counted. Republicans can also write in Joe Biden, if they want to. Hell, we can all, each of us, write in anyone.

2. Spiritual Leader and Author, Marianne Williamson. Marianne Williamson is a real candidate, despite what insiders like me might tell you. She has a lot to say and has a real campaign. You can watch and listen to her speaking honestly about her views on YouTube. She has a recent post on YouTube entitled, "Marianne Williamson in Portsmouth, NH, January 20, 2024." You should listen to this woman, she is brilliant and way ahead of her time. Marianne Williamson's Official Campaign website is "marianne2024.com" - so drop what you are doing and go listen and see what she has to say.

3. Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips. Dean Phillips is also running for President in the NH Democratic Primary. Nobody here really knows him, but then there is always a first time to get to know someone. Dean Phillips has a lot of advertising out there on the Internet, and he has at least one TV campaign commercial. I don't know why he thinks Democrats would choose him over Marianne Williamson or Joe Biden. Personally, I would not. I have seen him in action on Twitter (now called "X"), where he rudely accosted a nice polite group of "Write-In Joe Biden" volunteers on a street in Manchester. Why would any political person do this? He is not making any friends that I know of here in New Hampshire, but there must be a few Biden-haters out there who would like to see him do well. The most serious Biden-haters, though, are likely going to vote for former US President Donald Trump who is, let's face it, King of All Haters.

REPUBLICANS

1. Former US President, Donald J. Trump. People who follow Republican politics closely are betting that Former US President Donald Trump will win the New Hampshire Primary in 2024, but I'm not so sure of that. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, a brave man if there ever was one, has endorsed one of Trump's rivals for the Republican Nomination for President in 2024, Nikki Haley of South Carolina. Governor Sununu is going out of his way to help the Former South Carolina Governor and Former US Ambassador to the United Nations. And Nikki Haley just appeared at Exeter High School last night, accompanied by a highly respected jurist (Judge Judy). And today you can see Nikki Haley signs all around the Town of Exeter. So someone is out there really working hard for Nikki Haley.

2. The above-mentioned, Nikki Haley, former Governor of South Carolina, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Nikki Haley was previously a strong supporter of Donald Trump (which is how she got appointed as UN Ambassador). I don't know what happened to change her mind about that. Many Democrats who believe in calculating the effect of their votes are pulling for Nikki Haley to unseat Donald Trump as the leader of the field in this year's Presidential Primary Elections. Personally, this is all too complicated for me to vote like that. I am sticking with Joe Biden.

Independents

1. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., actual son of the Late American Hero, Robert F. Kennedy, who won the California Presidential Primary in 1968, but then was lost to us all at the hands of an assassin, who shall remain nameless here. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., chose not to run in the New Hampshire Democratic Primary this year, perhaps because his family members strongly disapprove of him and would likely have worked actively to embarrass him by speaking out against him, which they have done previously. I don't understand what Mr. Kennedy is trying to do this year. He is currently doing damage to the famous Kennedy Brand by being opposed to vaccinations which would prevent the spread of COVID-19. Regardless of what this particular Kennedy has been doing, I urge you all to remember his father, a great peacemaker who also worked hard to defeat the USSR's attempt to bully the United States during the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. I also urge you all to learn more about Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s uncles, 35th US President John F. Kennedy, who moved this country forward into respect for all peoples and into the exploration of outer space, beginning with his program to land on the Moon. And I am particularly thinking about the Late Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, who was instrumental in creating opportunities for adequate health care for all, which I'm assuming included support for vaccination, which, as you know, saves lives.

Again, I don't see any kind of campaign left for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., here in New Hampshire, although I have noticed that there are Donald Trump supporters who like him.

2. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Senator Manchin is kind of like a Bernie Sanders of the Right - he holds himself apart from the Democratic Party while occasionally working with the majority of the Party to accomplish particular policies that would benefit his home state. Senator Manchin has made mention of a possible interest in running for President in 2024, but I really don't know how he would do this. He has no real political support in the national Democratic Party, in my estimation at least.

So that's my list for New Hampshire Primary 2024.

Please remember to vote in the New Hampshire Primary this year, which occurs tomorrow, January 23, 2024. Here in Exeter, voting will take place at the Talbot Gym, at the Seacoast School of Technology, at 40 Linden Street; the time to vote is between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM. Don't forget! And good luck to all!!!