First to Weigh in, and Taking it Seriously - Adam Nagourney - NYT

[Debi]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/12/us/politics/12campaign.html?ex=1190260800&en=a7dd8e63acd50cf9&ei=5070&emc=eta1

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The outcry over the disproportionate influence New Hampshire and Iowa wield on the presidential nominating system is largely based on the contention that two small states are demographically unrepresentative of the nation. Yet there is something, besides the small size of the stage here, that sets these two states apart and that seems truer than ever this year. Iowa and New Hampshire voters display an uncommon command of issues, a sophistication about the contest and its candidates, an understanding of history and an eagerness to participate that clearly sets them apart.

They have been going through this exercise for a long time, and it shows. That has been apparent at the dozens of town hall-style meetings this year, as well as in dozens of voter interviews conducted by The New York Times over the Labor Day weekend. The interviews suggested a disparity between these voters and voters in places in California and Florida, which are moving up their primaries to try to play a bigger role in the outcome of the nominations.

Consider this response from Ron Mirsky, a hair stylist from Exeter, N.H., when asked if he thought Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrat of New York, was electable in a general election. “I did a lot of research on this,” Mr. Mirsky said. “I really feel she is: I think there’s a lot of secret support for her.”

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By contrast, C. J. Mueller, 52, a Democrat from Lakewood, Colo., seemed less familiar with the presidential choice the country is facing next year. “I get all the candidates confused,” Ms. Mueller said. “Nobody really has me interested. Possibly John McCain. I like his personality. Although we all know that none of them are truthful, he has a more honest aura about him.”

In places like California or Nevada, candidates may be asked generic if not overly taxing questions like, “what are you going to do about education.” In Iowa the other day, Mr. McCain was asked to respond — in detail, please — to the proposal by Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Democrat of Delaware, for a three-part partition of Iraq to end the warfare.

This disparity is neither surprising nor necessarily suggestive of a difference in the caliber of people in different states. Voters in Iowa and New Hampshire seem more engaged and informed because, in no small part, they have so many chances to see the candidates: if other states had that opportunity, voters there might be similarly expert.


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