The house party is one of the particular characteristics of New Hampshire primary campaigns and it turns out to be Governor Bill Richardson's favourite form of exposure to the voter. Or, so he said, after being introduced to the crowd of locals who had gathered at the home of John and Marie Anne Knowles in the neighbouring township of Hudson. The Knowleses both are elected members of the New Hampshire State Legislature.
John Knowles had kindly agreed to squeeze me in to the already well-subscribed party in their pleasant, book-lined home set on a sweeping cul de sac in a rather gracious and spacious modern housing estate cut into the New Hampshire woodlands. Richardson is not a front-runner at this stage, but he is a former Ambassador to the UN and US Energy Secretary and most definitely a superior presidential candidate. Interestingly, he also is half-Latino. His Mexican mother graced him with swarthy good looks which, frustratingly, are very hard to convey in photographs.
It seemed a particularly civilized group of thinking people at the party - one felt that one would like each one of them if given the opportunity. The Knowleses had turned on a spread of sweet and savoury snacks along with wine, soft drinks and, amazingly, casks of hot coffee from Dunkin' Donuts.
Candidates usually are running late on these hectic campaign schedules and, indeed, Richardson has been criss-crossing NH at a rate of knots for three days. But he was only a few minutes late to the party and a round of applause went up as he entered the living room.
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