Manchester, NH
After meeting with the Dole and Bush campaigns both in DC and in New Hampshire, it was clear I wouldn’t get the job I wanted: New Hampshire press secretary. Others with more experience were in line ahead of me. Despite not getting a Bush job, Ron Kaufman, Bush’s political director and NH expert was always helpful, friendly and returned calls.
I was intrigued by the campaign and issues agenda of former DE Gov. Pete Du Pont — ending welfare, supply-side tax cuts, ending farm subsidies and other libertarian-oriented proposals.
The campaign offered me the New Hampshire press secretary job, and is the best “gaining experience” move I ever made in my political career: I got to work directly with national presidential campaign press corps — not as Bush or Dole press staff underling — and did regular WMUR-TV hits, spoke at candidate forums on behalf of Du Pont, and participated in debate negotiations.