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Former Republican Senator from New Hampshire Kelly Ayotte is running for governor. Her narrow loss to Democrat Kelly Hassan was one of the few bright spots of the 2016 election.
Ayotte awkwardly suggested during a Senate debate that Donald Trump could serve as a role model to anyone who stands upright, even when his adult children exist as conclusive counter examples. She later backtracked and claimed she “misspoke.”
For a while, Ayotte insisted that while she’d vote for Trump, she wasn’t going to endorse him, as if there were a relevant difference. When the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape was released, Ayotte declared that she wouldn’t vote for Trump but would instead write in Mike Pence’s name. Despite her documented history of moral cowardice, Ayotte considers herself fit to lead one of my favorite states.
Chris Sununu is serving his fourth term as governor and his regular appearances on the Sunday morning shows provided hope to naive viewers that there were still “normal” Republicans in significant numbers, like, say just one. Ayotte, however, is abandoning the soft-spoken moderate track for convenient far-right “culture warring.” She announced her candidacy last week with a senseless broadside at New Hampshire’s southern neighbor Massachusetts, which is where America keeps Cape Cod.
“I’m running for governor because New Hampshire is one election away from becoming Massachusetts — from becoming something we are not,” she said. “We will ensure that New Hampshire remains safe, prosperous, and free.”
Massachusetts is currently ranked 12th out of all states in GDP, and New Hampshire is 40th, so I think the Bay State is reasonably prosperous. West Virginia, Florida, and Georgia have higher crime rates, per 100,000 residents, than Massachusetts. Yes, New Hampshire enjoys a relatively low crime rate, but even the most radical left-wing Democratic governor can’t suddenly alter the state’s population density and (probably?) won’t unleash an army of murder robots.
But “freedom” is a nebulous concept — except for all the very real ways that Republicans are denying freedom to marginalized groups. Ayotte is running on a “vibe.” New Hampshire is fiercely independent, and Massachusetts, which until recently had a Republican governor, is the liberal “and Ken” to California’s “Barbie.”
An NBC News feature claimed that “live free or die” is a motto that “New Hampshire voters take to heart,” which makes them sound unhinged or least insufferable.
Ayotte’s petty campaign theme struck a chord at least with tech worker Adam Czarkowski, who submitted an op-ed for the Concord Monitor called “Don’t Mass Up New Hampshire.” (We can expect to see that eventually on Ayotte’s campaign merch.)
Czarkowski defines freedom as paying little to no taxes and having easy access to guns. He writes, “In Massachusetts, they have a lengthy and abusive pistol permit process. In Massachusetts, the processing of your pistol permit can take up to 60 days.”
Yes, Massachusetts residents must wait two whole months for a pistol permit! But what if they’re mad now?
He goes on:
In Massachusetts, if you are in possession of a firearm with more than 10 rounds you can be convicted of a felony and be sentenced to over two years in prison. In New Hampshire, having a firearm with more than 10 rounds is perfectly legal. The Massachusetts House is currently drafting even more draconian laws to drive gun owners from their state. New Hampshire has a long tradition of responsible gun ownership and values the rights of gun owners.
I’ll never understand the logic that “more guns equal less crime,” but why do people like Czarkowski feel as though they need all the guns when they supposedly live in Mayberry?
Meanwhile, trans people and their families are currently fleeing states with actual “draconian laws” against their very existence. Czarkowski’s whining doesn’t move me.
There’s also compelling evidence that Ayotte would prove worse on abortion rights than current Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. That’s a freedom we should worry about maintaining in New Hampshire.
Ayotte has seemingly embraced the MAGA routine of deliberately insulting people and bravely refusing to apologize. During her campaign launch event Monday night, she said, “Here is what I want them to know. I am never going to apologize for our great state and how awesome we are and I will never back down when it comes to fighting for the people of New Hampshire.”
Yeah, she’s freely borrowing “never back down” rhetoric from Ron DeSantis, which is great if she’s running for state bully. I think I’ll go cleanse my palate with a more admirable New Hampshire governor.
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