he time had come, I realized. I was going to have to get out and start listening to some of the men (and the woman) who would be president. The need to meet these folks has little to do with my work; it has to do with my vote. Count me among the ''undecided.''
I thought I'd start with John Kasich, a Republican congressman from Ohio who had been getting little attention from the national media when they put their spin on Primary 2000. It wasn't my instinct to go with the underdog that attracted me to Kasich; it was the dog. Kasich's Web site devotes considerable space to his dog, Penny Bird, who looks much like my dog Max.
The congressman was to speak at a bookstore in Warner on a recent Friday night, but when I arrived there I found that Kasich had been delayed by a grounded airplane and would not make it, in person at least. At the time I didn't realize his absence was a glimpse of what was to come. Within a week Kasich would drop out of the primary.
But grounded plane or no, Kasich spoke with us and answered questions via speakerphone. It was a curious sight, a dozen or so of us focused intently on a telephone placed on a table at the front of the room. Still, he managed to give those of us at the bookstore a thumbnail view of where he stands.
For Kasich, being a conservative Republican revolves around a general distrust of Washington and a belief that decisions are best made close to home. His campaign stressed: a smaller federal government, a balanced federal budget with any surpluses returned to the voters in tax cuts, and a revitalization of the American culture and spirit.
Kasich, the son of a mailman, talked a lot about power growing from the bottom up, not from the top down. He focused on the pragmatic issues of government, such as taxes and spending, rather than on the hot button social issues such as abortion and gun control. He could talk about the power of ''faith in God'' without sounding preachy.
Unfortunately, New Hampshire Republicans won't get a chance to vote for Kasich. He's out of the race and has indicated he will back George W. Bush.
At the same time Kasich was pulling out of the primary, another Republican candidate bailed out - New Hampshire's own Bob Smith. In a well-orchestrated ''surprise,'' Smith said last week he was leaving the Republican Party because it had abandoned its conservative values, and he would either run as an independent or join another party. His departure from the Republican Party made a few waves here and nationally. Some Republicans condemned him, others said they respected his commitment to principles. Smith's change of parties probably will have little impact on the outcome of Primary 2000, but it does bring attention to the central issue in the Republican primary: What is a conservative?
Kasich referred to himself as ''a common-sense conservative'' and kept his focus on government policy rather than social issues. Bush calls himself a ''compassionate conservative'' and clearly tries to offer himself as a new breed of Republican. Senator Orrin Hatch jumped into the primary last week because he feels he can best represent conservative views. The other Republicans running this year have tried to hang on to the conservative wing while extending their appeal to a broader base.
It's tough keeping conservatives happy. Like Smith, they tend to be uncompromising on certain issues. When Elizabeth Dole tried to talk sanely about gun control while visiting New Hampshire, conservatives were quick to walk away from her.
It may be hard for conservative and moderate Republicans to work together in times of general economic prosperity, balanced budgets and budget surpluses.
These and other economic issues may have been the glue holding the widely diverse Republican Party together during the past decade. This year many conservatives want to stress social issues while moderates see those issues as divisive and want to steer clear of those controversies.
Two conservative Republicans are out of the race. Kasich has gone to the moderate side of the party where his ideas may mesh with those of the Bush campaign. Smith has gone off in search of a party where he and his conservative stand on social issues will be more at home.
On primary election day Republican voters in this state will have to make similar choices. For too long the Republican Party has been known best for what it was against, tapping into the anger of voters. The party's agenda reflected a desire to return to the past.
That's not working for the party these days. We saw that recently when a large group of Republicans in the New Hampshire House turned their backs on the party's leadership and voted for a budget passed by the Democratic Senate. It's time for New Hampshire's Republicans to regroup and decide who and what they will be as we move into the next century.
Hank Nichols is assistant professor of journalism and writing at New England College. He lives in Sutton.
