Concord, NH--The guy whose name you see least in newspapers and on TV at this point in the election is the name you see most on campaign signs in Concord, NH. That's Ron Paul, the Republican contender for the presidency largely considered to be a fringe candidate.
At 4pm today his supporters owned three of the four street corners at one of the city's busiest intersections. Two guys in their twenties kept up a loud and raucous chorus of "Ron Paul! Ron Paul!" from one medium while a woman waving the American flag danced around another as cars zoomed past on their way out of town.
A friend of theirs drove by, stopping briefly to yell "Edwards! Edwards! Stop it with Ron Paul!" but his friends barely blinked, just waved their flag at him and cackled before starting up their chant again. They were completely focused on the task at hand. Aidan Lewer, who arrived on Friday from Pennsylvania, quietly held his own on a neighboring corner, bracing a huge Ron Paul sign and smiling gently at cars passing by. Aidan told me he made the trek because "Ron Paul cured my apathy. I hate politics, but I got involved because the dollar's tanking." If Ron Paul gets knocked out of the race soon, Aidan won't vote. Aidan also proudly told me that about 300 Ron Paul volunteers hit Manchester last night, and, according to him, almost ran over Anderson Cooper.
Much like the minstrels, storytellers, and jugglers who traveled from city to city during the Middle Ages in search of entertainment and lore, today's Ron Paul supporters seem like a modern-day equivalent, a traveling band of rogue GOP members who patriotically sing and dance their way out of frustration. And they leave signs of their passing by on many of Concord's roads. Ron Paul campaign posters seem to outnumber any of the other candidates', and they're also the largest (The Edwards' campaign has its share of monstrous signs). Huge banner-size signs are posted all over town, and supporters never seem to tire of holding them up. Small signs are stacked up against each other on backroads and in peoples' yards, and for every Democratic sign, you're sure to find a Ron Paul sign near.
Over at Ward #4 in Concord supporters of the Republican and Democratic contenders stood along opposing sides of the entrance to the parking lot, with the exception of the Ron Paul volunteers. They were stationed with both sides, and operated like a false middle of the political spectrum. Rosemarie Griffith happily held up a Ron Paul sign next to two McCain supporters while a former paratrooper turned college student from Torrington, CT held down fort among the democrats. Friday she came to Concord, New Hampshire from Woodbridge, Virginia would have preferred to be a poll-watcher, but gladly volunteered to be a sign-holder after all the poll-watching slots had filled up. "There are that many Ron Paul volunteers," she told me, "that we've filled up all the positions." When asked about the persistence of Ron Paul volunteers, supporters of McCain and Romney grinned appreciatively. It's no surprise the slots went fast because 1200 Ron Paul supporters have come into the state of New Hampshire over the last two weeks, according to a number of Ron Paul supporters I spoke with today. "I'll stay here until the discussions dies down with her," Chris Guy, a McCain sign-holder at Ward #4 told me, motioning to Rosemarie.
Those driving into the parking lot over at Ward #2 must first pass by Ben Siemens from Minnesota. Ben's been holding up a banner-size sign since mid-day, and despite the damp cold taking over Concord as the sun drops, he's determined to stay put until Concord's evening voters arrive.
Ben's been staying at a home in Gilford through Operation Live Free or Die. Along with 15 other volunteers camping out in the same place, he's spent the last two weeks canvassing, and sign-waving. I asked Ben if he's in touch with the official campaign. "I do Ron Paul phonebanks with the campaign anytime they call, but they've got enough people so I don't get to do it much."
At yesterday's McCain rally I watched as Ron Paul supporters quickly won the poster version of "man on the mountain," and overtook the most prominent snowbank for their own publicity purposes. That happened after they temporarily lost a sign-war with McCain supporters; for about 30-minutes the two groups jockeyed back and forth for prime real estate toward the front of the rally.
Now that the sun's dropping and the air's gotten damp, many supporters are heading inside for warmth. Not Ron Paul's. They're still out on the streets, still waving signs, and still excited about their candidate. That much can't be said about many of the other campaigns here in Concord.