For two LHS grads, PSU offers front-row seat, and backstage pass

It's often been said that New Hampshire's "first in the nation" presidential primary status gives its residents an unusual level of access to presidential candidates. For two Laconia High School graduates who are now studying political science at Plymouth State University (PSU), their access to the celebrities of presidential politics is unusual, even in New Hampshire.

Trevor Chandler and Ben Arsenault, both juniors, and both 20 years old, have been interested in politics for years. Chandler is president of the college's student body and is co-chair of the Presidential Candidate Lecture Series Committee. Arsenault is president of the PSU Democrats.

So far this year, the two have been able to meet U.S. Sen. (D-Delaware) Joe Biden, U.S. Sen. (D-Illinois) Barack Obama, U.S. Sen. (D-New York) Hillary Clinton, U.S. Rep. (R-Colorado) Tom Tancredo, and Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic candidate John Edwards. Chandler said his candidate lecture series is talking with the campaigns of Republican candidates Rudolph Giuliani and Mitt Romney, and U.S. Rep. (D-Ohio) Dennis Kucinich about possible appearances in Plymouth before the primary.

Arsenault was born in Frankfurt, Germany, where his father was stationed while serving in the military. Like many families with a parent in the military, he has lived in many places, such as Laconia, then Las Vegas, Nevada, then Washington state, and when his father left the armed forces the family settled back in Laconia. His involvement in politics is third-generation, as his mother, Beth, is on the Laconia School Board and serves in the NH House of Representatives. And Ben's grandmother, Judith Reever, also serves in the NH House of Reps, and recently joined the Barack Obama campaign as an educational advisor and outreach coordinator.

Arsenault said he first got excited about politics in the fourth grade, when his mother pulled him out of school to see President Bill Clinton and Al Gore speak at an event. But it was more recent events that motivated him to become active in political organizing. "I saw so many horrible things going on — the war, the response to Katrina — it made me sick." He even considered a run for the NH House of Reps, but ultimately decided it would detract too much from his studies.

Chandler did not come from a strongly political household as Arsenault did. His father is Howard Chandler, the long-time executive director of the Taylor Community, and he said his parents emphasized keeping oneself informed and open-minded in terms of current events and national politics.

Chandler's political interests were piqued during the years of the Clinton administration, especially during the impeachment efforts. "It was very hard not to notice it. It made me think about what government is supposed to be and what I look for in my government."

Although the two are in an age group notorious for political apathy, they've seen an encouraging turnout at the presidential candidate lectures they've held. For a lesser-known candidate like Tom Tancredo, it was a good showing when 50 students showed up, even though the lecture coincided with one of the university's football games. Hillary Clinton, however, drew a crowd of about 800, and nearly a thousand came to hear what Obama had to say.

Chandler said he is glad that it's not just "political science wonks" who attend the events, it's also regular students who are trying to inform themselves on where the candidates stand, and what they're like in person.

The ability to see the candidates in the flesh, and even to shake hands with them and ask them their own questions is a luxury that Chandler and Arsenault do not take for granted. It has also given them a new vantage point from which to view them as the campaigns roll on toward the primary.

Hillary Clinton, for example, Chandler said, is often vilified, especially by conservative pundits and occasionally by members of her own party as cold and robotic. "When I met Hillary, it was surreal. She was quite the opposite."

If you were to never meet the candidates in person, and only watched television, especially political advertisements, you'd come away with the perception that a candidate is "either a devil or an angel," said Chandler. After meeting Hillary, the target of an aggressive mud-slinging effort, he said he realized that she's a normal person. "All the hate that's out there in the political realm seems ridiculous."

Clinton and Obama made their visits to the campus just days apart recently, which still makes the two shake their heads in wonder. "It was kind of rock star-like — the enormous amount of people that showed up, it was like a rock concert," said Arsenault. With all the activity and excitement, his memory of that time is something of a blur. He knows he shook Obama's hand, but only because his mother has a photo of him doing it.

After a flurry of politicians early this fall, the campus is experiencing a relative quiet spell. In the meantime, they're hoping that NH Secretary of State Bill Gardner will announce NH's primary date, so that they can begin their voter registration plans. Where the primary falls on the calendar is a big question for them. PSU's winter break runs from mid-December to the end of January. If the primary is before that, which is unlikely, the effort will be to register students in Plymouth so they can vote here. If it's during the break, the effort will be to inform the students how they can register to vote in their home towns.

"I rather like having all this attention placed on my home state," Arsenault said.

"I think [the first primary] should stay in New Hampshire," said Chandler. "We lost the Old Man [on the Mountain], give us our primary."

Whether or not NH keeps its status as first in the nation is uncertain, but what is clear is that political "wonks" like Chandler and Arsenault intend to take full advantage while it's here.