Each of the hundreds of phone calls I've made for the Rubio campaign thus far has been different. Some people have been very interested and talked to me for a long time; others have been disinterested and hung up within seconds. However, there is one thing that has been the same in every call: a lack of surprise.
While many Americans, myself included, would be surprised to hear that presidential candidates were coming to their town; New Hampshirites don't seem the least bit shocked. Perhaps this is because it really isn't so shocking. With the position as the first primary each election season comes attention from both the media and the candidates. This means that New Hampshirites get the opportunity to personally interact with almost every candidate before casting their votes, a luxury afforded to few Americans. They get the opportunity to ask the questions that are most important to them, and make a well-informed decision on whom to vote for in the primary.
The Town Hall Meetings with Senator Rubio and Govenor Christie showed me that many people here take their job as voters in the first primary of the season very seriously. They asked questions and listened to the responses in a thoughtful manner in order to help guide their decision in whom to vote for. Even though I wish people in more states were given the ability to see the candidates personally, I am glad to see that the New Hampshirites realize how lucky they are and that they actually come out to the events of multiple candidates.
--Lily Ansel is a St. Olaf senior from Edina majoring Economics with an emphasis in Management. She is in New Hampshire as part of a St. Olaf political science class studying the presidential election.
