Many Choices in New Hampshire Primary
Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum may be getting most of the ink in the buildup to next week’s New Hampshire primary, but theirs are just two of the 30-names that will appear on the Granite State’s GOP presidential primary ballot.
Ballot access is relatively easy in New Hampshire, where citizen candidates like Bear Betzler can find themselves doing much more than participating in democracy. Betzler, a management consultant from Philadelphia, is the sixth name listed on New Hampshire’s Republican primary ballot. “My name’s in just as big of letters as Mitt Romney’s,” Betzler tells us. “The box that you get to cross off is just as big as Rick Santorum’s or anybody else’s.”
Betzler believes Americans are fed up with partisan bickering in Washington, and he wants to set aside divisive social issues to focus on the nation’s massive debt. “You don’t run into anyone who says this isn’t a problem. So we all agree on it, but no one is working on practical solutions.”
No matter how many votes Betzler tallies on Tuesday, he already views the experience as a success, and points out New Hampshire residents welcome lesser known candidates with open arms.
Betzler isn’t the only Pennsylvanian taking advantage of the opportunity to have his voice heard on a national stage. Longtime state Senator Stewart Greenleaf (R-Bucks/Montgomery) will also compete in next Tuesday’s New Hampshire GOP presidential primary. Greenleaf’s been a state lawmaker since 1977.
