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Ron Paul's One-Man Band in the Granite State
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He is a staunch abortion opponent; he got his first shotgun when he was 9; and he says he loved Paul's plan to eliminate the Education Department.
"I like to think of myself as a Barry Goldwater conservative," he says. "When I think of the 1960s, I think of conservatism. People say, 'Reagan, Reagan, Reagan,' but what about Goldwater? That's why I consider myself a paleo-conservative."
Says Paul campaign committee chairman Kent Snyder: "If I could find a Jared in each state, we'd be in great shape."
The morning after arriving in Manchester, Chicoine seemed semi-refreshed. He had shaved and put on a tie. Kim Chicoine, who attends a Bible college and was eager to work alongside her husband, had traded her Dartmouth hockey sweat shirt for a smart pink and white blouse.
After helping lead Paul from Manchester to a radio appearance in Concord, Chicoine spent his time pacing in the station's kitchen and making calls. Signs had to be picked up. And volunteers had to be prepped. "It's a family trait," Kim says of Jared's pacing.
Later in the day, it seems Jared Chicoine can see some of the fruits of his labor. At Murphy's Tap Room in Manchester, volunteers have covered the bar with Ron Paul campaign signs and banners for the post-debate party.
T-shirts with "Who Is Ron Paul?" on the front and the Web site address on the back are everywhere.
Being the only staffer doesn't make Chicoine immune from complaints. He catches it from volunteer Dave Mincin, 58, who doesn't think Chicoine is keeping up with his e-mails. "I've heard from a lot of people who haven't heard from you," Mincin says. "You should at least respond by saying 'I'm busy now, but I'll get back to you.' " Chicoine shrugs it off. "That's the reality," he says.
Why all the work for such a long-shot candidate? "I think [Paul's campaign] should refocus conservatives about what it means to be conservative," Chicoine says. "We have to be about more than preemptive warfare."
By the end of the debate, Chicoine is sounding pretty satisfied with Paul's performance.
"He didn't waver," Chicoine says. "He's trying to remind the party of what conservatism used to be. I think he did that tonight."
But a one-man staff's work is never done. The post-debate celebration was the next stop.
Which means for now, the honeymoon can wait.
