Stormy Weather: The New Hampshire Primary and Presidential Politics

In the coming presidential primaries, no state is as important in setting the stage - or affecting the odds - as New Hampshire. This small, mountainous, proudly distinctive state holds the first primary and the results, both real and in comparison to expectations, can greatly influence the competition for the highest office in the land. Candidates who do well can create momentum and gain support, while those who do worse than expected can be counted out. Scala explains the distinctiveness of New Hampshire politics and how the candidates create strategies to appeal to the state's voters. New Hampshire's sympathy for reformist candidates has the paradoxical affect of jumpstarting the campaigns of those candidates least representative of Democratic voters nationally. The implications for Democratic chances to win the presidency in 2004 are discussed.

Table of Contents:
The New Hampshire Primary and the Nomination Process The Environment: New Hampshire Voters and the Politics of Factions The Primary Campaigns, 1968-80 The Primary Campaigns, 1984-92 The 2000 Primary The Media Environment Primary Lessons

About the Author :
DANTE J. SCALA is Associate Professor of Politics, St. Anselm College, Manchester, New Hampshire, USA and Fellow, The New Hampshire Institute of Politics. He lives in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA.

Review :
"Over the years, the New Hampshire primary has produced some of the most dramatic, most surprising moments in American politics. Dante Scala takes you back through that history in this most readable and entertaining volume. It's a political junkie's dream." - David S. Broder, The Washington Post "[Stormy Weather] is the first political science book I've ever read that qualifies as a page-turner." - Jon Greenberg, Executive Editor of New Hampshire Public Radio "Many an electoral storm has billowed up in New Hampshire, blowing away some candidacies and causing power outages for front-runners. This informative book tells on how Democratic activists manufacture such gusts, or, as the case may be, struggle against the wind." - Emmett H. Buell, Jr., Denison University "For anyone interested in America's presidential nominating process, this book is well worth reading." - Rhodes Cook, author of America Votes and publisher of The Rhodes Cook Letter "This book will prove indispensable for journalists, students, and anyone interested in US Presidential politics." - Andrew Smith, Director, The Survey Center, University of New Hampshire If anyone needs another reminder that the next presidential election cycle is upon us, this book serves that purpose well. The New Hampshire primary will be held January 27, following quickly on the Iowa caucuses of the preceding week. Scala (political science, St. Anselm Coll.) makes his debut with thisvolume, bridging the academic world with practical politics. It is a balanced mix, offering historical context, extensive interviews, and academic research on the electoral process. Scala argues that candidates skilled at building coalitions in the Granite State, rather than those who only mobilize a particular faction, are most likely to have success in subsequent primaries-even if they don't win first place in New Hampshire. A readable blend of narrative and data will make this necessary reading for political junkies and a popular text in political science courses. Though focusing almost exclusively on the Democratic party, this work is likely to go through future expanded editions and deserves a paperback edition. Highly recommended.-William D. Pederson, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. n0 "Stormy Weather is a savvy and informed inside look at one the nation's greatest political institutions - The New Hampshire Primary....Dante Scala has written a non-fiction political thriller that offers the reader a cram course in what happens here every four years." - Thomas Rath, political analyst and strategist