Hey, come on, come along take a ride

February 14, 2020

By Jamelle Bouie

Opinion Columnist

I was in New Hampshire for the day before the primary and the primary itself. I wanted to see as many candidates as I could; to talk to supporters and get a vibe for what these campaigns feel like on the ground. In a little less than 48 hours, I saw Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Andrew Yang. I wanted to try to catch Joe Biden, Deval Patrick, Michael Bennet and Tulsi Gabbard as well, but I couldn’t find the time. I spoke to a lot of voters, and I took a lot of pictures. And so, instead of giving you a take for this week’s newsletter, I want to share my thoughts, observations and photos.

The first event I went to was for Amy Klobuchar in Nashua, a private meeting for the local Rotary club. I was a little surprised to find that it was packed, and that most of the attendees were either supporters of or enthusiastic for the Minnesota senator. These were mostly older voters, and they liked her pitch for moderation and compromise.

Amy Klobuchar in Nashua, N.H.Jamelle Bouie

The same was true of the Pete Buttigieg crowd in Exeter. The event was at a high school, and there were some young people there. But most attendees were older — in their 50s, 60s and 70s. They were jammed into the gym and they were enthusiastic. I was curious to hear what attendees thought of the other candidates and everyone I spoke to thought the field was strong. They just preferred Pete and his message of unity and decency.

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Pete Buttigieg in Exeter, N.H.Jamelle Bouie

Elizabeth Warren filled a church in Portsmouth, where she emphasized her plans, her ability to win improbable fights and her personal story as a small-town girl who made good. I have seen and heard Warren many times in the past, so there was nothing new for me. Still, I was impressed with the overwhelming enthusiasm of her supporters, which is why her poor performance on Tuesday left me a little surprised.

Elizabeth Warren in Portsmouth, N.H.Jamelle Bouie

I actually saw Bernie Sanders twice in one day: once at a brief campaign stop for supporters and volunteers in Nashua, again at his primary night rally in Manchester. There’s not much to say about Bernie! He’s always on message! But I am struck by how, whenever I talk to someone at a Sanders rally, they’re usually young, and they’re usually new to electoral politics.

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Bernie Sanders in Nashua, N.H.Jamelle Bouie

I saw Andrew Yang last at a brief stop in Concord, the state capital. He was visiting a small group of supporters at a downtown coffee shop. He looked exhausted but was otherwise in a good mood, enough that he spent the visit telling himself jokes. I captured him cracking up at one of them. (I don’t remember the joke.)

Andrew Yang in Concord, N.H.Jamelle Bouie

And that was New Hampshire! I don’t know if I’ll be able to visit other primary states, but I do intend to go to events when the candidates eventually make their way to Virginia. If I do, I’ll take pictures, and I’ll share them with you again.

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Now Reading

Michael Hobbes on our golden age of white collar crime in HuffPost.

Anne Applebaum on the new nationalism and the end of postwar conservatism in The Atlantic magazine.

Simon Barnicle on why American politics needs new states in The Atlantic magazine.

Osita Nwanevu on how to save American democracy in The New Republic.

Sarah Seltzer interviews Arielle Angel of Jewish Currents magazine for The Nation.

Feedback

If you’re enjoying what you’re reading, please consider recommending it to friends. They can sign up here. If you want to share your thoughts on an item in this week’s newsletter or on the newsletter in general, please email me at jamelle-newsletter@nytimes.com.

Now Eating: Belgian-Style Yeast Waffles

We got rid of a lot of stuff when we moved into our new house, including an old waffle maker that was hard to clean and a little gross. I recently bought a new waffle maker, and I plan to break it out for brunch with my parents this weekend. I like waffles just fine, but I like these yeast waffles a whole lot. The overnight rise produces rich, yeasty flavor, which works well with whatever sweet topping you choose to use. (I’ll probably make a fruit compote of some sort.) The recipe comes from King Arthur Flour, whose book I recently bought for my wife as inspiration for baking, but which I use almost weekly.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups lukewarm milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup, optional
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, leaving room for expansion; the mixture will bubble and grow.

Stir to combine; it’s OK if the mixture isn’t perfectly smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter overnight to cook waffles the next day.

Preheat your waffle iron. Spray with nonstick vegetable oil spray, and pour ⅔ to ¾ cup batter onto the center of the iron. Close the lid and bake for the recommended amount of time, until the waffle is golden brown.

Serve immediately, or keep warm in an oven heated to 200 degrees. Makes about four Belgian-style round waffles.

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