Off the Candidate Track: Voices from Plymouth, New Hampshire

Because classes had not resumed at Plymouth State College, not many students walked the streets of Plymouth on the Sunday before the primary. However, others in this Central New Hampshire town, located at the foot of the White Mountains, shared their sentiments about the changes they hoped the next President of the United States would make.

Click on image for audio slideshow (total running time: 2 min 59 secs)

For the Torrey family, interest in this presidential season had created a lot of debate because no one agreed on the same candidate. Karen, the mom, decided to vote for Barack Obama after the Saturday ABCnews/Facebook debate. However, she also favored John Edwards.

"I would like to see the lobbyists gone," she said. "Not just the words spoken, but the action to be taken. That's why I almost went for Edwards."

The father, Michael Torrey, wanted someone who would address healthcare and environmental issues. And like many other New Hampshire voters, he had not yet decided who to vote for on Tuesday.

"I'm an independent," he said. "I haven't decided if I am going to vote in the Republican or Democratic and I probably won't until the day of the primary."

Cassidy, the Torrey's 20-year-old son and a student at Plymouth State, forgot to register to vote, which upset both parents. Still, he knew the qualities he looked for in the next president and he would have voted for Obama.

"What I would like about the next president is that he have good morals, values, and ethics," he said. "I would like the next president to be more conscious of the people."