The waiting is the hardest part.
Tom Petty sang those prophetic words in 1981 on a track that helped define his “Hard Promises” album. The Gainesville, Fla. rocker has said “The Waiting” took a long time to write.
“And I just couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out where to go with it,” Petty later said. “Eventually, I did.”
For campaign staffers and political junkies, Election Day is often extremely hard, full of waiting for results with little left to do that can impact the outcome.
As a result, many political professionals have come up with traditions — or, in some cases, superstitions — that are part of every Election Day.
Former President Barack Obama played basketball on every Election Day during the 2008 primary — except one: The New Hampshire primary. Which he lost in a surprise upset to Hillary Clinton.
“We made the mistake of not playing basketball once. I can assure you we will not repeat that,” Obama aide Robert Gibbs said afterward.
At a campaign stop at Alley Cat Pizzeria with Gov. Chris Sununu Monday, Republican candidate for governor Kelly Ayotte told NHJournal she has a ritual she got from her grandfather.
“Before an election, and before murder cases too, in the morning for breakfast, I have peanut butter and fluff toast. You’ve got to toast it– and when you do, the peanut butter and fluff just melts.”
Her Democratic opponent, Joyce Craig, told WMUR her tradition is to spend the night before the election at the Puritan in Manchester.
Sununu said the place for him on Election Day is at the polls, whether he’s on the ballot or not.
“You go to the polls and you say, ‘Thank you,’ right? You can be there to shake hands and hopefully get an extra vote, but it’s really about saying thank you to the people who are taking the time to come out.”
Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais who, as a longtime political staffer, is a veteran of many election days. His ritual?
“I’m a grinder. I’m still knocking on doors on Election Day.”
NHJournal also asked some other Granite State political activists and operatives for their Election Day traditions.
Alicia Preston, New Hampshire GOP political consultant, columnist for Seacoast Media:
“My routine is kind of boring. I glue my face to the TV all morning. Go vote. Go have lunch by myself so I can scroll on my phone without distraction as though I will glean any insight whatsoever by doing so; go home frustrated and anxious for the results, and turn on reruns of SpongeBob until it’s time to make dinner.
“(Not a joke! SpongeBob is a happy, stress-reducing distraction).
“After dinner, my husband and I will play a couple of PlayStation games —we love FIFA/EA FC—until I think there may actually be enough numbers turned in to turn on the news and watch the results.
“Through the day and night my politico friends and I are obviously calling and texting each other ‘Are you hearing anything?’ although that is a useless but time passing effort as well. Vote SpongeBob!”
Andrew Smith, director, University of New Hampshire Survey Center:
“Generally an ordinary day, but with many interviews. I have class in the afternoon, then home for dinner and early to bed! No sense losing sleep when you can see the results in the morning.”
Greg Moore, New Hampshire state director, Americans for Prosperity:
“My Election Day routine is to travel to a number of the polls in the greater Manchester area, check the vote count, and talk to the poll workers to get a sense of what they’re seeing. I usually tweet out the time, location, and count and all the ‘lurkers’ try to figure out what that means. I will also often get a haircut on Election Day.”
Tom Rath, former New Hampshire attorney general, senior GOP presidential campaign advisor to candidates George W. Bush, Bob Dole, Mitt Romney, etc.
“My ‘ritual’ on Election Day is pretty standard, unless I am actively involved in a campaign.
“If I am, my job is usually to be the candidate hand holder. Do whatever they want, usually tell stories about old campaigns. I have some ritual phone calls/emails to old campaign cohorts, reporters, and candidates. Play a lot of ‘What do you hear?’
“I will typically drive by most of the local polling places. I have a pretty good sense of when exit polling gets meaningful and some friendly media types usually share.
“I snack a lot but don’t eat much and my remote usually needs new batteries at the end.
“In New Hampshire, there are a bunch of old campaign hands who informally gossip a few times during the day. I like to see the early exit polling, good or bad.
“And I am always glad when the campaigns are over, but I always look forward to when the next one starts.
“In case you wondered, after all these years (my first New Hampshire race was the 1964 GOP primary), I still love this stuff.”
Fergus Cullen, former NHGOP chairman, founder/principal Fergus Cullen Communications:
“I’m a runner (have averaged 6 miles a day for 37 years). I usually go for a longer run on Election Day, often taking my ID, and run to the polling place and vote as part of that. People in my ward are pretty used to seeing me out in my running kit anyway, so the moderators aren’t surprised.
“Dan Quayle used to schedule his teeth cleaning on Election Day, by the way.”
Ginger Heald, chairwoman, Merrimack Republican Town Committee:
“Election Day routine for me is usually this … I’ll be at the polls before the sun comes up.
“I will run between the 3 polls in town making sure my candidates have what they need. Do they need a snack or need to take a break?
“During the day I’ll be checking the machines to see how many voters we’ve had at different times of the day.
“Not gonna lie, I try to sneak in a nap around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and at the end of the day when the polls are closed, I may hang around to record the town’s results.
“But for a presidential election, I will wait out the big results at home with a bottle of champagne chilling just in case my candidate wins. I’ll have some cable news channel playing on every TV in the house so I can walk from room to room and not miss a thing.
“I will not sleep till I know who the winner is. Imagine my surprise in 2020?!
“Many will go to a watch party and try to get me to join them. I don’t want to be in public when it goes against the way I voted.
“Did that once and was caught on TV doing the ugly cry. LOL!”
Patrick Hynes, president, Novus Public Affairs; Manchester Union Leader columnist:
“On Election Day I’m going to go to church and give it all up to God. It’s easy to get caught up in the here-and-now of electoral politics, and I often do. So I’m going to Mass and reflect on eternity for a while. Then I’m going to vote. Then I’m going to go to the gym and lift weights for an hour, followed by another hour of cardio. Hopefully, some time at the gym will provide me with a good outlet for my nervous energy.”
Drew Cline, president, Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy:
“I do policy, not politics, so I’ll be working tomorrow as usual. Not a day off for me.”
