Episode 4: The identity crisis

When New Hampshire is up against the wall, when other states are trying to creep up on the first-in-the-nation primary, people here insist we’re special. That no one else can do it like we do.

This episode is about that stranglehold.

For decades, New Hampshire could stand its ground and knock down anybody that tried to steal its prized possession. But how long can a state hold on? Battle lines are being redrawn, and these days, the threats aren’t coming from the usual suspects.

National politics…the media…technology…it’s all changing - and the New Hampshire primary can’t escape it.

episode photos

When Stranglehold’s Lauren Chooljian was a student at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, she had a front row seat to the 2008 New Hampshire primary, as promised in the school’s recruitment effort.

She also joined a group called Protect Our Primary, a campaign that recruited students in an effort to get candidates to help New Hampshire keep its first-in-the-nation status.

(Click the photos to see captions.)