Enthusiasm lacking for Fred in NH
Posted: Sunday, November 25, 2007 4:49 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC’s Joseph Laliberte
LACONIA, NH -- As
Thompson traveled here Friday -- amid
at least one report
that members in his own staff are questioning his motivation -- a small
crowd of less than 50 also seemed to lack an enthusiasm for the
candidate. Throughout the roughly 20-minute speech, largely centered on
national security, Thompson stopped several times for applause, yet
there were only uninspired responses from the crowd. As Thompson
entered the rustic VFW hall, the crowd had to be prompted to applaud by
his campaign staffers in back of the room.
Phil Spencer, 79, was unmoved by the appearance. After meeting the
former senator from Tennessee, he concluded that he was most likely
going to vote for
Huckabee in the New Hampshire primary.
“I think he would be a good fiscal conservative,” he said referring to
Huckabee. The Thompson campaign and the Club for Growth have tried to
prove otherwise.
Linda Teagan, a Republican from North Conway, NH, was one of the
stronger Thompson supporters. “He is the only Republican in the race
who is the consistent conservative,” she said sitting next to her
husband Robert, a Vietnam veteran. “If people get to hear him, he is
the New Hampshire type conservative.”
The campaign stop was in sharp contrast to an event held three days earlier by Obama at Memorial Middle School, just down the road from the VFW hall. That event drew hundreds of enthusiastic supporters who, according to the Obama campaign, waited more than two hours for the senator from Illinois. Obama spoke for an hour and a half before fielding questions from the audience.
Thompson spoke for only 20 minutes before fielding three questions.
Spencer said his three granddaughters, who he brought along, would at least get something out of it. “They are interested in our country,” he said. “Some of these kids are not getting a good lesson in civics.”
