Author's note:
We have come to the final verse of this song. It ends with a wedding, mostly. Sex is not the point, but what else do newly-weds do? I hope you have enjoyed Siobhan's story. She is very dear to me.
Chapter 32
– Primary School
New Hampshire has two Congressional Districts. The smaller 1st District covered Manchester and the thickly populated coastal region between Massachusetts and Maine, plus some rural upstate areas. My apartment in Hooksett would have filled the residence requirements. The 2nd District covered the Capital and Nashua, but also large thinly, populated areas toward Vermont, including Hanover and Dartmouth, and up to Canada. This was my district. My official residence was the apartment in Nashua, but the district also contained Cloudrest.
It took a long time to come to terms with the state's Republican establishment, largely because Richard Webber, the Chairman of the State Committee, did not like me. It was pure bigotry, nothing personal. He didn't like Ivy Leaguers, social sciences or anyone born out of state. After years of being discriminated for my looks, my sexual preferences and my sex, he was almost refreshing.
His problem was threefold. First, the party was in a bind for a candidate in the 2nd District. Longtime Representative Howard Bass was defeated during the Presidential election. He declined to try again. Second, Mr. Webber was honest enough to know when he was being irrational. Third, he was feeling heat about not already having a good candidate.
Eventually, he agreed to meet me in a public place. We literally settled our differences over a pool table. From that point on, it was a matter of whether I would have the amount of freedom I required. In the end, the party caved for lack of viable alternatives. To say I was their last hope would only exaggerate a little. So, I enlisted to take on a family politician in the mold of the Bush's.
Everyone knows that President George W. Bush is the son of President George H.W. Bush. What is forgotten is that he is the grandson of US Senator Prescott Bush. There is a third George Bush following him in Texas politics. In New Hampshire, the incumbent was Anne Custler, daughter of Concord Mayor John Custler and State Senator Susan McLaine. Her grandfather was Governor Joseph McLaine. Several uncles and cousins were also in politics. She was a Dartmouth graduate, though she went to law school in Virginia.
First, I needed to win the primary. There were two opponents. One was a former Concord Mayor and State Representative. I should not say I dismissed him out of hand, but I did. Morgan Robertson's comment, "John Adams. Named after a President. Next." The other opponent was also a former State Representative, but with a better reputation. He was a self-made millionaire named Roscoe Anderson. He was the type of person I would want on my Congressional staff, if I ever had one.
When I decided to enter the race, time was short. I had been not-running (as opposed to not running) for a couple of months. The distinction has to do with posture. I was holding myself as a potential candidate, without declaring. There are a lot of legalities about funding and communication with Political Action Committees that change when a candidate files the formal paperwork. To the extent I could manage, my name stayed in the news and the political conversation.
After declaring, I invited both candidates to a semi-private (no press) meeting in a Concord restaurant. Both candidates confirmed my first impressions, Mr. Adams by drinking and Mr. Anderson by nursing one drink. I asked them what they would do if the expected happened—they lost the general election to Anne Custler.
I posed the question to assume that each of them won the primary. Only Mr. Anderson picked up on it. He and I exchanged a knowing glance while I explained this to Mr. Adams. He had no plan. Mr. Anderson had business interests that he would pursue. I asked him if he could see himself backing my campaign in the fall. Glancing at Mr. Adams—who had clearly lost the thread of the conversation—Mr. Anderson allowed that it was a possibility. I said, "Good." and nodded. Though it was never formalized, we had agreed to fight fair and support the winner.
I stated earlier that New Hampshire's Republican party was desperate for a good candidate. Mr. Anderson was not a good candidate because he had a speech impediment. You have only to watch The King's Speech to understand how difficult this made things. I undertook the campaign with misgivings, because of this basic unfairness. It quieted my mind when Mr. Anderson and I reached our understanding. We are friends to this day.
Concerning the actual campaign, I was in luck in one regard. Cloudrest had become an event. Knowing that any broadcast of related programming would not be allowed during the campaign, three networks rushed their coverage to air between the holidays. The luck had to do with a regional show wanting a follow-up interview. Thus, I was on New England Today just hours before my formal announcement. It was the perfect opportunity to mention my part in Sheila's wedding. Concord's ABC station ran the clip as part of their coverage of my announcement.
After the New Year, we had a debate. This is unusual for Congressional campaigns, and very unusual during the primaries. Television ratings would not justify the expense. I proposed an online debate, with text responses rather than verbal. Mr. Anderson jumped at the chance. Mr. Adams came along rather than be left out. He might have been better off if he had passed.
Nothing in the questions was really unexpected. I had the usual questions about my family and childhood in New Jersey, my sexual preferences and general lack of experience. I had answers prepared. Mr. Anderson had questions about his speech impediment and lack of education. In my rebuttal time, I mentioned that Sheila and Francine both had high school educations. Uneducated did not mean stupid any more than a degree meant smart.
Mr. Adams immediately proved the second half when he considered a college degree the minimum. Mr. Anderson asked if more was better. Mr. Adams answered that it was, only to be reminded of the letters after my name. New Hampshire is proud of having an Ivy League University. A better man might have recovered, but Mr. Adams essentially quit at that point.
The rest of the debate was almost enjoyable in a kaffeeklatch sense. At a keyboard, Mr. Anderson was quite witty. I particularly liked when he asked if I was suited to take office, or only for a wedding. I answered with a comment about make-overs and their impact on self-perception. When he did not fire back a response, I knew I had him.
The immediate impact of the debate was mixed. I told my people to wait it out. Sure enough, both Mr. Adams and Mr. Anderson soon reduced campaign spending. I had another dinner meeting with Roscoe Anderson. He thanked me for not taking cheap shots at his disability. I told him I felt the same about my own limitations. We shared a laugh and all was forgotten. I still consult his opinion.
The press would have it otherwise, which it is why press coverage should be suspect. If one believed the coverage, Mr. Adams was my principal rival and Mr. Anderson was implacably hostile. I suppose it would make the reporting easier if these things were true. It is sufficient to say they were not.
I won the primary with a comfortable 51-37-10 edge. That meant I would face Anne Custler in November. On one hand, Mrs. Custler was doing a reasonable job in her first term. On the other hand, she had been elected on the coattails of a Democratic President, who was increasingly unpopular.
Chapter 33
