‘Do you like Biden?’ N.H. Democrats say, ‘Sure, but ...’
The line to see Joe Biden stretches two blocks from the Belknap Mill in Laconia, New Hampshire.
“Do you like Biden?” a reporter asks those waiting to see the former vice president. “Sure,” three people say. They like him. They think he’s a good guy. But they’re listening to everyone.
Some 200 or so file in, packing the modest room, with some attendees left standing in the back. Former Gov. John Lynch tries to warm up the crowd: “President Joe Biden – doesn’t that sound nice?”
There is a pause, then a smattering of applause, spearheaded by volunteers and campaign workers in the back. The audience follows suit and dutifully claps, before subsiding back into silence.
Later, a golden retriever in the crowd with a JOE sticker on its head punctuates the quiet atmosphere with a bark.
Mr. Biden is well into his speech before the room erupts in cheers and hoots of laughter, when he jokes, “Trump inherited the economy from Obama. Just like he’s inherited everything in his life!”
This central New Hampshire city of 16,000 voted
“We need historic-level turnout ...”“The polls baffle me a little bit”