President Joe Biden isn’t on New Hampshire’s ballot on Tuesday. That’s because the Democratic National Committee decided to move South Carolina — and its far more diverse electorate — ahead of New Hampshire. Biden wanted Georgia moved up on the calendar, too.
Political leaders here rejected the change, noting that New Hampshire’s status is famously sealed in a state law that guarantees the primary is the nation’s first. As a result, the national party has said the state’s delegates won’t be counted as part of the official nominating process and Biden did not file to put his name on the New Hampshire ballot.
Even so, Biden’s allies have organized a write-in push and polls indicate the incumbent is the heavy favorite.
That hasn’t stopped Biden’s opponents from trying to capitalize on his absence. U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips is barnstorming around the state to small crowds, and his TV ads compare the president to the elusive “Bigfoot.”
At a Sunday event in Hampton, Phillips promised to bring more bipartisanship and consensus to Washington even as he poked fun at his quixotic bid.
“Being unknown in a presidential campaign is a huge blessing,” he said to an audience of a few dozen crammed into a seafood restaurant, “because two-thirds of the country doesn’t hate me yet.”
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