Does Hillary Clinton stand a chance in Hanover?
In this college town, she lost by the widest margin in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary.
State Rep. Martha Hennessey greets voters outside Hanover High School.
Several dozen Dartmouth students hopped off shuttle buses Tuesday afternoon and walked down a long sidewalk toward Hanover High School, where they would cast their votes in the presidential primary election.
“Hello, thanks for voting,’’ said Martha Hennessey, a state representative who was holding a Hillary Clinton sign in her mittened hands.
Most of the students walked past without acknowledging her, turning their faces toward the school.
“They aren’t really interested in talking to us,’’ Hennessey said. “Even the ones that have told us they’re voting for Hillary and not Bernie give us this look like ‘Who are those old people over there for Hillary?’’’
Hennessey isn’t surprised. Hanover, after all, is the place where Hillary Clinton lost by the widest margin in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. She won 26 percent of the vote, while President Barack Obama won 58 percent.
Hanover is spitting distance from ultra-liberal Vermont and is home to Dartmouth, an elite college filled with many progressive students. Because it’s so close to The Green Mountain State, many have wondered whether Hillary stands a chance against Vermont native Bernie Sanders.
“The main reason we’re here is for visibility,’’ said Deb Nelson, Hanover’s Democratic party chairwoman. “We’ve been canvassing for weeks and weeks, and we’re not here having many conversations with undecided voters. We’re here so they know there’s support for Hillary, even if they’ve already made up their minds.’’
Just then, a Dartmouth student (who declined to give his name because “his mom would kill him’’) walked up to the Clinton table. He said to a friend that he wasn’t sure who he was voting for.
“We have cookies,’’ Hennessey said.
“Cookies?!’’ the student replied.
“That’s what happens with Hillary supporters,’’ Hennessey said. “We have snacks.’’
Anoushka Alavilli, far right, was one many hopeful Sanders fans in Hanover, New Hampshire.
While he was inside, large groups of students gave a thumbs up to the Bernie Sanders supporters, who were positioned at a table nearby. Even though she isn’t yet able to vote, Anoushka Alavilli, a sophomore at Hanover High School, greeted voters from behind the canvassing table while holding a “Bernie 2016’’ sign.
“I like Bernie because he’s not going to deport anyone who already lives here, he wants equal rights and equal pay for women, and he’s invested in climate change, which is so important to me,’’ she said. “That’s our future.’’
Alavilli wasn’t the only ineligible voter canvassing outside the school. Two of her fellow Hanover High School sophomores held John Kasich signs, thus representing the only Republican candidate at the Hanover poll.
“Kasich isn’t like other Republicans who talk about how bad this country’s doing,’’ said Hagin Onyango. “He talks about what we’re doing right. He’s a Republican who holds values of what are good for this country, and, even if I can’t vote, I can still have an impact to change people’s minds.’’
Just then, a woman walked past the Kasich booth.
“Who’s that?’’ she asked. “I’ve never even heard of him.’’
When Onyango’s fellow canvasser Ben Vinstadt, a student at Dartmouth, tried to explain, the woman turned away and said, “I’m voting for Bernie.’’
“You didn’t need her vote anyway,’’ canvasser Grant Woods told Vinstadt.
The woman would later walk out wearing two large Bernie stickers on a bright pink vest. A few minutes later, the student who wished not to be named walked out past the Hillary table. He didn’t stop to take a sticker from the Bernie Sanders table. Instead, he walked up to the Kasich table and smiled. Vindstadt gave him a hug and patted him on the back.
“Once you vote Republican you don’t go back,’’ Vinstadt said.
The student walked back to the shuttle bus, and a few dozen others with “Feel the Bern’’ pins walked toward the school.
“Hello,’’ Hennessey said. “Thanks for voting.’’
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