“There is a sense of tying the campaign to tradition and tying it to the past,” says Fergus Cullen, a former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party. Rather than picking trendy new venues, candidates tend to visit businesses that have survived for several years and resonate with voters of all ages.
MaryAnn’s, which has been serving calorific breakfasts at its chrome counter since 1989, is a much-loved venue for both parties. William Andreoli, who owns MaryAnn’s and named the diner after his wife, gets a buzz from seeing that his business has, without much effort on his part, become a mini-stage for future presidents.
“I enjoy it. I see all these people on the news, and I have my opinion of them,” Andreoli says. “I want to see if that opinion holds up.”
His favorite visitor was Bill Clinton, the former president who visited on wife Hillary’s behalf when she ran for the Democratic nomination in 2008. Clinton lived up to his reputation for being highly charismatic, complimenting Andreoli on everything from the wooden jukebox to the waitresses’ retro uniforms.
MaryAnn’s is also an efficient pit stop — a busy candidate can meet and greet a clientele that cuts across social classes. “They can talk to every type of person here. We get the blue-collars and the lawyers,” Andreoli says. Similar eateries on the trail include Chez Vachon and the Puritan Back Room, both in Manchester, the state’s biggest city.
Other favored destinations provide access to specific voter blocs. This year’s Republican candidates, like their predecessors, are visiting some conservative venues. On Route 3 in Hooksett, about 20 miles north of MaryAnn’s, is GOP trail fixture: Riley’s Gun Shop.
“There are a lot of single-issue voters among the gun people,” says Ralph Demicco, who owns the store, which opened in 1953. “If they are given a choice of conservative candidates, they will pick the one who is interested in our civil rights on firearms.”
Overall, New Hampshire’s 1.3 million residents seem to favor small government and individual rights. The state, whose license plates bear the motto “Live Free or Die,” does not tax wages or sales. It has the highest median household income in the country — $66,654, according to the Census Bureau.
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