Story Archives of '2008 elections'

New Hampshire Newsmakers of the Year 2008

By Laura Knoy on Monday, December 29, 2008.

We look back at some of the state’s biggest stories of the year - and forward to the coming year. We’ll look at the New Hampshire’s First in the Nation primary, the general election and the victory of New Hampshire’s first woman Senator, Jeanne Shaheen. We’ll talk about an ice storm and tornado that wreaked havoc on our state, at the first death penalty sentence in New Hampshire in almost 50 years. We’ll remember longtime Republican State Representative Mike Whalley and discuss the state’s first ever wind farm in Lempster and major changes right here on NHPR.

Guests

Jim Van Dongen, public information officer for the Department of Emergency Management
Kathy Marchocki, staff reporter for the New Hampshire Union Leader
James Pindell, national managing editor of the Politicker.com websites and author of the Pindell Report, analyzing campaigns for Congress, Senate and Governor
Josh Rogers, State House Reporter for New Hampshire Public Radio
David Hess, Republican state representative from Hooksett
Ed Cherion, project manager for Iberdola Renewable
Virginia Prescott, host of NHPR’s Word of Mouth
Jeanne Shaheen, Democratic Senator-elect and former governor of New Hampshire from Madbury

Looking Back on the 2008 Election

By Laura Knoy on Monday, November 17, 2008.

A roundtable of political journalists join us to reflect on the race for President. We’ll examine how we went from the primaries, through the conventions, the debates, the mudslinging and ads and arrived at the nation electing Barack Obama as our 44th President.

Guests

Sasha Issenberg, national political reporter for the Boston Globe
Michael Cooper, reporter for the New York Times
Liz Sidoti, writer for the Associated Press

Gay Rights and the 2008 Election

By Laura Knoy on Thursday, November 13, 2008.

Underneath the radar of this historic vote, where the nation chose its first black President, were half a dozen ballot measures banning either gay marriage or same-sex adoption. We’ll talk with a panel of gay and lesbian activists about the state of gay rights in America, look at how and why their side suffered setbacks despite a huge turnout among Democrats, and where their movement goes from here.

Guests

Kerry Eleveld, news editor for The Advocate magazine
Ed Butler, Democratic state representative from Hart's Location, New Hampshire gay rights advocate and owner of the Notchland Inn
Marty Rouse, National Field Director for the Human Rights Campaign

The State of the State's Senate Races

By Dan Gorenstein on Friday, November 7, 2008.

Going into Election Night, Democrats held a 14-10 edge in the state Senate.

Today the Democrats still have a 14-10 majority.

New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein looks at what happened across the state’s 24 senate seats.

Republicans Reflect and React to this Year’s Election Results

By Laura Knoy on Thursday, November 6, 2008.

2006 was a bad year for the GOP, and this year’s elections proved even worse, with Democrats winning the White House and greater majorities in Congress, and state Democrats holding their seats in Congress and picking up a Senate seat. We’ll talk to a roundtable of Republicans about what happened and where the party goes from here.

Guests

Charles Bass, former congressman from New Hampshire's 2nd District and chairman of the Main Street Partnership, a centrist Republican organization
Fergus Cullen, Chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party
Fran Wendelboe, Republican state representative from New Hampton and member of the Finance Committee

We'll also hear from

Judd Gregg, Republican U.S. Senator from New Hampshire

Getting Over The Election

By Virginia Prescott on Wednesday, November 5, 2008.

We start today with the big national drama everyone’s talking about - what’s next now that the U.S. has chosen its new leader? At last count, about 55.5 million voters supported John McCain’s bid for the White House, many of them groaning over the headlines this morning. Some are sad, some are miffed, and many hate the idea of an Obama administration. Some let their frustration be heard during McCain’s concession speech last night, with loud booing and jeering at Obama's name.

McCain supporters could spend the next four years blaming Democrats for the nation’s ills, and gloating by the winning team will only widen the nation’s ideological chasm. It's not a good situation for a country fighting an economic catastrophe and two foreign wars. So, how do we make peace, bridge the divide, and start getting down to business?

Drew Weston has some ideas. He’s director of clinical psychology at Emory University and author of The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation. He joins the show with more on what the parties and the voters really have to do to move on.

(Photo by Katie)

The Election 2008 Results Show

By Laura Knoy on Wednesday, November 5, 2008.

After literally years of debates and stump speeches, primaries and caucuses, hand shaking, baby kissing, attack ads, promises and accusations, the people have voted and decided who will be our next President, Governor, Senator, Congressmen and state legislators. We’ll look at who won, why they won and where the nation and the state goes from here.

Guests

Wayne Lesperance, Associate Professor of Political Science at New England College
Dante Scala, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire, author of the GraniteProf political blog and contributor to PolitickerNH.com

Rematch Goes To Shaheen

By Josh Rogers on Wednesday, November 5, 2008.

Jeanne Shaheen tops GOP incumbent John Sununu by a 7-point margin. She becomes first NH woman to win election to US Senate, and first local Democrat to hold a Senate seat in 28 years.