In the final days before tomorrow's primary election in New Hampshire, candidates and their spouses are visiting all corners of the state in last minute efforts at garnering support for presidential bids.
Laura Bush, Cindy McCain and Carol Bauer were in Hanover Saturday evening for the Grafton County Republican Committee's Lincoln Day reception and fundraiser at the Top of the Hop.
Bush, the second guest of the event, spoke to a crowd of approximately 100 local Republicans, many of them supporters of her husband -- Republican-party frontrunner Texas Governor George W. Bush.
Sharing stories of her many years on the campaign trail, Laura Bush urged her listeners to vote for her husband.
She stressed the gains the Republican party had made in Texas since the election of her husband."In 1994 only half of the 28 state-wide elected seats were Republican, today every single one is held by the member of the Republican party," she said.
Laura Bush also paid tribute to Republican party founder Abraham Lincoln adding that his famous plea for party unity was still relevant today.
"Lincoln's words, 'a house divided against itself can not stand,' referred not to the Civil War but was a warning against internal division in the Republican party," Bush said.
"We might disagree about which candidate is the best," she said. "But, we all know which party is the best," she concluded to enthusiastic cheers.
"I feel good about Tuesday," Bush told The Dartmouth following her speech. "Although we are at a disadvantage because of campaigning in Iowa, I'm glad that we had a national campaign."
Senator John McCain, Bush's chief competition in N.H., chose not to campaign in Iowa, spending only two days and little money there. Instead, he has concentrated in the first primary state, where he has significant support.
The senator's wife Cindy was the first speaker of the night, she thanked her audience for making her days on the campaign trail in New Hampshire enjoyable.
"New Hampshire teaches America what involvement and commitment to democracy is all about," McCain said.
"This is has been a spirited race and spirited primary," she said.
"I am very confident," McCain told The Dartmouth, after her address. "This is a tight race, but you know who I think will win."
The McCains will remain in the state until tomorrow and the Senator will visit the College today for the sixth time in his campaign. He is speaking on the lawn of Alpha Delta fraternity this morning at 9:45 a.m.
Carol Bauer, the wife of the former Reagan administrator Gary Bauer, arrived after most of the audience had left.
Although she gave no formal speech, Bauer did speak with The Dartmouth.
Bauer said she found campaigning interesting but exhausting.
"I love finding out what's on voter's minds," she said.
Two events particularly stood out in her campaign memories, she said.
"I met these wonderful kids at the Peter Woodbury school in Bedford, N.H., who recited the Declaration of Independence perfectly, line by line," she said.
Bauer also recalled meeting a woman and her nine-year old daughter after a speech. The woman said she had been pregnant with her child and considered an abortion, but changed her mind after hearing a speech on the right-to-life issue by Gary Bauer.
"It amazed me how much the impact of an individual could be," she said.
Bauer said she was optimistic about her husband's chances in the state primary.
