This has to be good news! Despite the fact that New Hampshire went narrowly for Kerry in 2004 (and nearly went for Gore in 2000) the local political scene, including the state legislature has always been bright red. And often with ties to the wacky religous right. Merricack was one of the first nationally to respond to the "start with the grassroots" effort promoted by Ralp Reed/Jerry Falwell, etc by electing a truly crackpot School Committee.
Well, there have been nine special elections since November, 2004 and the dems have won eight of them!!! That includes the seat in Londonderry that no dem has held for 96 years. see link
The night before last they picked up another seat about 6 miles from where the boy president would give a speech the next day. (I don't believe he mentioned it.) link
more below the fold
I worried that this may not be enough for a diary (and I'll delete if I get enough grief for it). But imagine what a huge deal it is to my friend who asked me to post it. She is one of 152 (increaingly less) lonely dem Representatives out of a House of 400. A few months ago they were only 144!! A 5.5% increase in less than 3 months.
We're all pissed off and disapointed in the national party for being largely gutless and and not daring to stake out an agenda. But something is absolutely happening at the grassroots level. Lets hear more stories like this from North Carolina, Virginia etc.