Chewing the Fat at Munce's

PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Donna Smith told herself she had two rules when she started to work as a cashier here last March.

"No politics and no religion," said the 48-year-old from behind the counter at Munce's, a convenience store on Main Street. "It gets me in trouble. It starts fights."

Donna broke her first rule on Sunday afternoon with the New Hampshire presidential primary just two days away as she talked about politics with this reporter and customers as they paid for gas, bought cigarettes and redeemed lottery tickets.

"You caught me on a good day," Donna said.

The southeast Pennsylvania native, who moved to New Hampshire eight years ago, declared that she hadn't made up her mind - an ongoing trend with the voters I've spoken with over the past two days - but she got the vibe from her customers that Ron Paul had a lot of support.

"I'll tell you all the people are for Ron Paul - everyone except my boss," Donna said. "He throws away the literature."

Donna should know what people think. She still has the tendency to talk to anybody, which harkens back to her days in the Philadelphia area when she did a lot of what she called "chuckin' and jivin.'" This plays well at Munce's, which has a steady flow of locals and students from Plymouth State University.

"I swear to God, I think people lie awake at night and think about what they are going to come in and tell me," Smith said. "I've heard about cancer, divorce and people's kids... This place is sort of like a town hall."

Donna then started to ask people who they planed to vote for Tuesday as she rang up their potato chips, six packs and soda pop.

"I got a Christmas card from Bill and Hillary," said a dark-haired woman in a pea coat as she checked her lottery tickets for winners. "Of course, I'm a Democrat. I think I'm with Edwards. And I used to be a Republican."

Donna replied: "You and five other million people."

The woman's male companion in a blue zip-down sweatshirt with long gray hair said he hadn't made up his mind either.

"I'm between Edwards and Obama, believe it or not," he said. "I like what the Clintons did, but Hillary isn't Bill. She's going to have him in her back pocket, but you want someone who can make decisions on their own."

Donna's political beliefs became apparent over time as she described how she recently divorced, left a decent job and now supports herself with the job at Munce's where she makes $8 an hour.

"I'm concerned about the huge gap between the rich and the poor," said Donna, who has two grown children. "It seems like there's no middle class."

While she's worked at Munce's, Donna said she's been baffled how senior citizens survive solely on their Social Security. And she's seen other people who can't afford lottery tickets, but buy them all the time.

"I just don't see how [seniors on Social Security] get by," Donna said.

Donna didn't know which candidate she would vote for on Tuesday, but that she did plan to vote.

"My roommates like Edwards," Donna said. "I don't know. I'll probably be getting some more information from them to make a decision."

Then Donna conveyed the ongoing, and often nauseating, theme of change that has taken over this presidential campaign.

"I think everyone just wants change," Donna said. "We just had eight years of hell."