These two New Hampshire girls are on a mission to get a selfie with every single presidential candidate
In less than two weeks, Emma and Addy Nozell have gotten a selfie with 11 major presidential candidates.
Many people will go their whole lives without meeting a presidential candidate.
In less than two weeks, Emma and Addy Nozell have already reached double figures — not just in the number of candidates they’ve met, but also in presidential selfies.
The two New Hampshire sisters are on a mission to get a selfie with every single candidate that visits the state. Since a July 2 impromptu photo with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Emma, 15, and Addy, 17, have gotten photos with 11 prominent Republican and Democratic candidates.
They plan on checking off No. 12 — Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who invited them for dinner — Sunday night in Newmarket, their father, Marc Nozell told Boston.com.
Story continues below gallery:
[bdc-gallery id=”114607″]
They’ve even snagged a photo with the philosophically anti-selfie Ben Carson at an event in Nashua.
“I asked him, ‘I know you don’t like selfies, I read that, but do you mind if you take a selfie with me because I’m doing this project taking a photo with every presidential candidate, and I was wondering if you could?’’’ Emma told the Concord Monitor. “He was down for it.’’
Their father, a photographer who covers New Hampshire politics, told Boston.com they have been trying to contact Donald Trump’s staff for an event in Weir on Thursday, and hope to catch Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in Southern New Hampshire the same day.
Their progress can be followed on the Twitter account @PrezSelfieGirls, as well as on their father’s Flickr account.
Despite their off-kilter framing, selfies have become centrally focused in modern political campaigns, with candidates spending an hour or two per event satisfying selfie-seekers.
An aide for GOP candidate Ted Cruz told The New York Times that the staff member who traveled with the Texas senator had to be “well versed in how to quickly snap pictures with a Samsung Galaxy versus an iPhone.’’
The aide told The Times the demand for selfies has made even walking 100 steps a 20-minute endeavor.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, however, frames the nature of the selfie differently.
“When we take selfies and chat, it’s the beauty of American democracy,’’ Graham told The Times. “I don’t think [Russian President Vladimir] Putin really does this.’’
(He probably doesn’t—after “dozens’’ of selfie-related deaths in Russia this year, police there have cracked down on selfies.)
For their part, Emma and Addy told the Monitor some candidates need to up their game. Rick Perry, for example, apparently stared out at other cameras, instead of their phone.
While it may seem trivial, the candidates will have to learn to master the selfie. As our current president has illustrated, the selfies don’t end on the campaign trail.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com