On weekend before New Hampshire primary, independent voters relish opportunity
But some take umbrage to 'cloak and dagger' voting tactics
By Ian Christopher McCaleb/CNN
January 28, 2000
Web posted at: 7:28 p.m. EST (0028 GMT)
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) - New Hampshire's voters are getting antsy. The state's first-in-the-nation primary takes place on Tuesday, and while many of the Granite State's eligible voters are keen to announce who they will support, the state's complex primary voting rules will allow a significant sector of the voting population -- those registered as independents -- to throw spanners into the works of many a well-oiled presidential campaign.
Well over one-third of the tiny, snow-draped state's eligible voting population -- some 275,000 people -- are registered to vote as independents Tuesday. And while New Hampshire has always been known for its ornery, unpredictable electorate, the state's rule that allows Republicans and Democrats to register as independents and vote in each other's primaries has created a Machiavellian side show of significant proportions.
And the plot of that captivating sideshow unfolds thusly: A good number of the state's Democratic sympathizers have registered as independents in an effort to head off the national juggernaut of the George W. Bush campaign. These intrigue-minded voters plan to cast their primary votes for Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, who has campaigned hard in the Granite State in the hopes of getting a boost across the rest of the country with a first primary victory.
Derail the 'Bush Express' in New Hampshire, they reason, and Bush and his handlers will have to work doubly hard -- and dip their hands deeper into Bush's vast campaign war chest -- than they would have to if Bush takes the state. If Bush is kept on the defensive heading into the August party convention, they argue, McCain could squeak by with the GOP nomination.
Then, the presumed Democratic nominee, Vice President Al Gore, might have a significant chance of sticking it to McCain in the general election.
"I would like to see McCain win the GOP nomination," says David Cadorette, a resident of the tiny colonial town of Amherst. "I don't have strong feelings about Gore or Bradley winning here. In many respects, they both look the same to me."
Cadorette, a traveling corporate trainer for the Saturn automobile corporation, says he regularly supports Democratic candidates, and while he says he does not want to see Bush garner the Republican nomination, he adds that he has great respect for McCain.
"I was confident McCain would do well here because he was poking his finger in the eye of big tobacco and the lobbying interests," Cadorette said. "McCain will look at each issue and put party affiliations aside."
Cadorette expresses measured affection for McCain, he continued, because McCain reminds him of the late Massachusetts Sen. Paul Tsongas, who won the 1992 New Hampshire Democratic primary.
"Tsongas was not afraid to verbally thrash his party when they deserved it."
Admiration aside, Cadorette says he will vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is, come November.
"I don't care if it's McCain-Bradley or McCain-Gore," he said. "I'm voting for the Democrat."
A bad rule, some say.
"I have unrestrained contempt for people who vote like that," says Gardner Goldsmith, a scriptwriter who also calls Amherst his home.
"The rules allow this to happen, so people take advantage. I know at least three independents who plan to vote for McCain (to knock out Bush)."
Goldsmith, a conservative with libertarian leanings, says the "conventional wisdom" espoused by many Bush supporters -- that Bush could be dealt a blow in New Hampshire, yet still mount a graceful enough recovery through the rest of the primary season -- might not hold any water.
"South Carolina, (where a key GOP primary will be held on February 17), could easily turn for McCain," Goldsmith says. "There are 400,000 veterans there. Who knows how they are going to vote?"
Now, Goldsmith says, he may be forced to vote for Bush. When asked, he sounded forlorn, as if forced to sacrifice a rook in a heated game of chess. Without the allowances for independent voters, he might be inclined to cast his ballot for Steve Forbes or Alan Keyes.
"(McCain's candidacy) has forced me to think about voting for Bush, just so McCain doesn't win the primary."
If McCain wins the primary and moves on to snare the Republican nomination, Goldsmith continues, then as a voter, he will be forced to choose between two "liberals" in the general election - McCain, and the Democratic nominee.
"I don't want to have to choose between Gore and McCain," he says. "That isn't a choice."
A tracking poll released Friday evening by CNN, USA Today and the Gallup organization adds mud to the murky mix surrounding the McCain-independents symbiosis in New Hampshire.
The poll indicates the race between Bush and McCain has narrowed to a one-point advantage of the Texas governor, with 37 percent of respondents saying they would vote for Bush, and 36 percent for McCain.
McCain, who has led Bush by six or seven percentage points in some recent polls, has lost support among Granite State independents, according to this latest CNN poll. The Arizona senator's share of the independent vote has dropped 15 points since the weekend before the Iowa caucuses.
The main beneficiaries of McCain's loss among independents have been publisher Steve Forbes and talk show host Alan Keyes, who have each gained six points among New Hampshire independents in recent days.
More than just a vote
To some New Hampshire residents, the option to vote as an independent means much more than the possibility of wreaking electoral havoc on primary election day. It can be a matter of personal privilege and privacy.
"I'm a registered independent, but I vote as a Democrat," said Susan Wren, a 32-year-old self-described stay-at-home mother in the small town of Grantham. "I'm not looking to bounce anybody out."
Wren says she likes the flexibility the independent designation grants her, but she also depends on the privacy it affords her.
"It is definitely an issue of privacy," she said Friday. "This is a very small town. We have one store called 'The Store' - that should tell you how small this place is."
Wren was willing to say that she would likely support former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley come Tuesday.
"I don't see a huge difference between Gore and Bradley," she said. "But Bradley strikes me as an honest individual. He certainly has better social skills."
Nancy Boudrieau, a 53-year-old customer service operative from the southern city of Nashua, explained Friday that while she is a registered Democrat, the open registration option in New Hampshire allows her to keep an open mind throughout the year.
"I'll vote as a Democrat in the primary, but come November, it may be a different story," she said Friday. "I may change my mind by November. I may listen more. I may read more."
Boudrieau also pledges support for Bradley, though she said she wasn't 100 percent certain. "There's something about Al Gore I don't trust. I don't quite know what it is."
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