GraniteGrok

As you can tell, the 'Grok was was at Senator McCain's event in Franklin this past Thursday.  The neat thing, and one of the highlights of what has happened since we started GraniteGrok and blogging in general, was to be able to "Ride the Bus".  Just before the event, it was looking like only one of us was going to be able to ride from Franklin to Concord. However, just after the start of the event, we were informed that both of us were going to be able to ride! 

It is one thing to listen to a candidate on TV, or in a commercial, Op-Eds, written articles, or at a large staged event (think hundreds or thousands of people attending).  These are what I call the mass politics - politics in the large. It is quite another to talk of the retail politics that we have here in NH - the town hall events are at the upper end (a hundred or less) to the smaller house events like at the Grimm house in Franklin. 

Getting to sit with a major Presidential candidate for 40 minutes on The Bus - the ultimate in retail politics!  We were joined by only a few: the Concord Monitor, LA Times, US World and News Report (and a couple others) and thus had the chance to ask questions concerning the No Surrender  message.

I still have a couple of issues on which I disagree with the Senator, but I have to tell you, this is a guy with integrity.  Talking and joking with him, I can readily announce that this is a guy that I could go to the bar and have a beer with him - and I don't drink!!!  And this is part of the retail politics - not only listening and questioning the stances on the issues, but trying to measure the mettle of the man (or woman) as well.  Character does count!  Do they hold the stance they espouse, or do they really believe it?  In a commercial?  Hard to say, isn't it.  In person, after more than a few minutes, most of us can figure it out.  That's why we want to see the folks - this IS one of the New Hampshire advantages.

Anyways, back on message - er, MP3.   Here are a few MP3 clips from the Senator from the Event and while on The Bus.

The Event:

Do we chose to lose or win?   (0:24 seconds)

I joined the press gaggle and was able to ask: If the Dems are always talking about the power of the grassroots here in US politics, why are the disregarding the positives of the grassroot actions in Iraq?                                    His answer is here. (1:32)

Mentioning (0:53) that the AQ fascists killed a leading sheik that he had met and had helped to swing Anbar province away from supporting AQ.   More here (0:27)

MoveOn.org despicable ad about General Patraeus here. (0:49)

The Democratic vision of housing vs McCain's here (0:18, the Grimm residence is a very nice place indeed!)

Quick byte - retail politics?  Friends and neighbors... (0:19) 

On the No Surrender Bus (Please note: I have really had to try to clean up the audio due to bus noice.  Given that I am a software engineer and not a real audio engineer, I apologize for the clips not being in what I would call pristine quality).

General (13:14) discussion on Moqtada Al Sadr, the influence of Iran, a few jokes

Listen (2:32) as we listen to McCain be phone interviewed by Jon Stewart (I liked the bloggers part!)

Cute (2:58) story of how Colbert complained about getting on the "first" bus (instead of the press bus)

Concord Monitor (3:13) reporter asks about how to help the military (question centered around a soldier going back to Iraq for a fourth tour).