JENNIFER: THIS CAMPAIGN SEASON HAS LASTED LONGER THAN MOST.
HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, WE’VE BEEN VETTING THE CANDIDATES FOR YEARS.
TOM: POLITICAL DIRECTOR ADAM SEXTON HAS BEEN THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
ADAM, REFRESH OUR MEMORIES ON HOW WE GOT HERE.
ADAM: HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, WE’RE LUCKY TO EXPERIENCE THE RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE FROM ITS HUMBLEST BEGINNINGS ALL THE WAY TO THE FRENZIED FINISH.
SOMETIMES IT’S EASY TO FORGET HOW THINGS GOT STARTED IN THIS CYCLE ALMOST FOUR YEARS AGO.
THIS EPIC 2020 ELECTION CYCLE STARTED JUST WEEKS AFTER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TOOK OFFICE, WHEN HE FILED FOR RE-ELECTION AND HELD A RALLY IN FLORIDA.
>> USA.
USA.
ADAM: NOT TOO LONG AFTER THAT, POTENTIAL CHALLENGERS STARTING SHOWING UP IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
JOHN DELANEY WAS FIRST TO OFFICIALLY THROW HIS HAT IN THE RING, BUT THE FIRST TO MAKE A REAL SPLASH HERE WAS A PUGNACIOUS LAWYER WITH A KNACK FOR PUBLICITY.
>> DONALD TRUMP’S WORST NIGHTMARE, MICHAEL AVENATTI.
[APPLAUSE] >> I BELIEVE WE CANNOT BE THE PARTY OF TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK.
ADAM: IT’S SAFE TO SAY MICHAEL AVENATTI TOOK HIS FIGHTS A LITTLE TOO FAR.
HE’S NOW A CONVICTED FELON AWAITING A PRISON SENTENCE FOR EXTORTION AND EMBEZZLEMENT.
BUT THERE WERE OTHERS WHO OPTED FOR A MORE TRADITIONAL APPROACH, AND MADE A REAL IMPACT.
JASON KANDER STARTED A CONVERSATION ABOUT VOTING LAWS THAT SPARKED A CHALLENGE TO SECRETARY OF STATE BILL GARDNER.
>> THIS IS IN A LOT OF WAYS GROUND ZERO FOR VOTER SUPPRESSION.
ADAM: THOSE ACCUSATIONS ULTIMATELY FELL SHORT AS GARDNER HELD ON TO HIS POST, AN EARLY INDICATOR THE SO-CALLED ESTABLISHMENT WASN’T READY TO BE TOPPLED JUST YET.
AS THE PRIMARY RACE GOT UNDERWAY, SEVERAL DEMOCRATS SOUGHT THAT MAINSTREAM, MODERATE SUPPORT, BUT NONE SEEMED ABLE TO EMERGE FROM THE SHADOW OF THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT, JOE
BIDEN.
ELIZABETH WARREN LED THE CHARGE FOR A RECORD NUMBER OF WOMEN RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
HER STORY OF A HUMBLE UPBRINGING AND HER DETAILED PLANS FOR CHANGE BROUGHT HER TO THE PRODIGIOUS HILLTOPS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND, BRIEFLY, TO THE TOP OF THE POLLS HERE.
>> I MADE THE DECISION UP FRONT I WAS NOT GOING TO SPEND MY TIME SUCKING UP TO CORPORATE EXECUTIVES AND BILLIONAIRES AND DOING A BUNCH OF CLOSED-DOOR FUNDRAISERS.
I WAS GOING TO DO THIS ENTIRELY FROM THE GRASSROOTS UP.
ADAM: MEANTIME, BIDEN SAW HIS LEAD BEGIN TO FADE, AS HIS CAMPAIGN TOOK HIM ELSEWHERE, AND WHEN HE WAS HERE, HE MADE MISTAKES ON THE STUMP IN CITIES LIKE KEENE.
JOE BIDEN: I LOVE THIS PLACE.
WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT VERMONT, IN TERMS OF THE BEAUTY OF IT?
WHAT A NEAT TOWN.
ADAM: PRESIDENT TRUMP CLEARLY DIDN’T LIKE THE LEGION OF DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES TRYING TO GRAB A PIECE OF HIS FORMER NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY STAGE.
HE PUT ON A MASSIVE SHOW OF STRENGTH, PACKING TO THE RAFTERS, ONCE AGAIN, THE SNHU ARENA, AND STRIKING AN OPTIMISTIC TONE IN A 1-ON-1 INTERVIEW WITH NEWS 9.
TRUMP: IF WE GET THE HOUSE, WE HOLD THE SENATE, WE KEEP THE PRESIDENCY, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE GREAT HEALTH CARE.
ADAM: THE DYNAMIC CAMPAIGN SEASON INTENSIFIED, GIVING US MEMORABLE AND UNIQUE NEW HAMPSHIRE MOMENTS.
JOE SESTAK WALKING FROM THE CONNECTICUT RIVER TO THE SEACOAST, AND STOPPING ALONG THE WAY TO CAMPAIGN IN A JAIL.
DECORATED IRAQ WAR VETERAN SETH MOULTON SHARING HIS PERSONAL STRUGGLE WITH PTSD.
TULSI GABBARD MAKING THE GRANITE STATE HER TEMPORARY HOME.
>> WE FEEL WELCOMED TO JOIN THE COMMUNITY AND BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
ADAM: TWO YOUNG UPSTART CANDIDATES, ANDREW YANG AND PETE BUTTIGIEG, CONNECTED WITH VOTERS IN WAYS THAT TRANSFORMED THEM FROM UNKNOWN OUTSIDERS TO HOUSEHOLD NAMES AMONG DEMOCRATS.
>> THE OPPOSITE OF DONALD TRUMP IS AN ASIAN MAN WHO LIKES MATH.
ADAM: BUTTIGIEG, AN AFGHANISTAN VETERAN AND MIDWESTERN MAYOR, RODE A WAVE OF SUPPORT TO A SECOND PLACE FINISH HERE.
>> THANK YOU, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
ADAM: IN THE END, BERNIE SANDERS WAS ABLE TO GO BACK-TO-BACK, PULLING OFF THE RARE REPEAT VICTORY IN COMPETITIVE FIRST-IN-THE-NATION PRIMARIES .
BUT NEW HAMPSHIRE TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF HIS LAST CONSEQUENTIAL WINS.
AS COVID-19 HALTED THE RACE AND MUCH OF AMERICAN LIFE, JOE BIDEN CONSOLIDATED PARTY SUPPORT.
WHEN THE CAMPAIGN RE-EMERGED THIS SUMMER, NEW HAMPSHIRE REMAINED A TOUCHSTONE.
ALTHOUGH BIDEN FINISHED FIFTH HERE IN FEBRUARY, HE MADE A CONNECTION WITH A CONCORD AREA BOY OVER THEIR SHARED STRUGGLE WITH STUTTERING THAT WOULD BECOME ONE OF THE INSPIRATIONAL
STORIES OF HIS CAMPAIGN.
>> I’M JUST A REGULAR KID, AND IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, JOE BIDEN MADE ME MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT SOMETHING THAT’S BOTHERED ME MY WHOLE LIFE.
ADAM: AND IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TWICE FLOWN INTO THE GRANITE STATE FOR OPEN AIR RALLIES, MOCKING HIS OPPONENT’S UNWILLINGNESS TO RETURN TO
FULL-FLEDGED CAMPAIGNING AMID THE PANDEMIC.
TRUMP: HE’S CONSTANTLY PUTTING THE LID ON.
CONSTANTLY PUTTING THE LID ON.
THE LID MEANS, I GUESS HE’S REFERRING TO A GARBAGE CAN, RIGHT?
YOU PUT THE LID.
ADAM: TOMORROW IT WILL BE VOTERS PUTTING A LID ON THE 2020 ELECTION.
IT’S PROBABLY IMPORTANT TO ADD THE VOTERS WILL HAVE THEIR LID, BUT THE COUNT OF ALL LEGAL VOTES COULD TAKE LONGER TO SORT OUT, SO THE 2020 SAGA COULD STRETCH ON FOR A FEW MORE DAYS WHILE
EVERYTHING IS MADE OFFICIAL.
TOM: THAT WAS A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER.
WE HAVE MUCH MORE TO COVER IN THESE FINAL HOURS OF THE 2020 CAMPAIGN.
STILL AHEAD, THE CLOSEST MAJOR RACE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TONIGHT APPEARS TO BE THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
JENNIFER: AND WE’VE ALREADY SEEN A RECORD NUMBER OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS THIS YEAR.
BUT ELECTION OFFICIALS SAY TURNOUT AT THE POLLS COULD ALSO REACH A NEW HIGH.
TOM: AND, HOW CONFIDENT ARE VOTERS IN THIS UNPRECEDENTED ELECTION PROCESS?
ALL THAT AND MORE, JUST AHEAD . OUR SPECIAL COVERAGE OF COMMITMENT 2020: THE FINAL COUNTD