New Hampshire, December 7-9, 2007 – This weekend took us to lovely, snow-covered New England, where politics sullied the pristine New Hampshire landscape. 

Most notably – okay, most thrilling, too – was Oprah Winfrey’s stumping for Barack Obama on Sunday in Manchester, NH.  The candidate’s wife, Michelle Obama, introduced Oprah to the crowd at the Verizon Wireless Arena, and the talk show queen spoke for about fifteen minutes.  Oprah was everything we love about her - passionate, articulate and even a bit fawning - but she was very focused, and made her points clearly about why she supports Obama for president.  Oprah said she’s never done politics before, but that this “feels right”. 

Reports varied as to the number of people who attended the rally, but the arena holds approximately 11,000, and it looked about 75% full.  Note, however, that much of the region was wrapped up in the New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers football game on Sunday night; a sports bar two blocks away from the arena was packed. 

On Friday, we met Republican John McCain campaigning in Bedford, NH.  Saturday morning, the Arizona senator spoke at a senior center in Nashua. 

Later on Saturday in Concord, OAN forced Democrat John Edwards to slip into the Grappone Conference Center through a side door – his handlers refused to allow our photographer to snap photos on the sidewalk.  We had to take pictures inside, during the rally.  We followed Edwards to the West Running Brook Middle School in Derry, and then he was off to campaign in Iowa.