Keene Town hall: Top photo: Tulsi taking questions. Bottom left: Vermin Supreme talking with an attendee. Bottom right: Tulsi answering questions from the media. Photo by Cullen Tiernan and Chloe Combi

As we reach the last stretch of the New Hampshire primary (just five days, so make sure your plans are in place to go and vote even if the weather is bad!), enthusiasm for Tulsi’s town halls remain undimmed. It was a packed house with some colorful characters showing up to register support in the last week.

The theme of unity was never far away after a tumultuous week in national politics, where almost everyone — with a few notable exceptions — acted in partisan and personal interest, rather than the interests of the people and country. Tulsi’s plea for reaching across the aisle and compromising in such a divided time was a message we all need to hear.

The crowd was an interesting contrast of young and older, with many students asking questions and much older people too — with a gentleman of the grand age of 91 — expressing his concern about voter manipulation and stating the critical need for a paper ballot to ensure election integrity. The chaotic nature of the Iowa caucus (still unsatisfactorily resolved), understandably has people nervous about new-fangled, but untested voting technology. Tulsi returned to her pledge to secure the vote, and highlighted how this issue was one of the biggest threats to national democracy.

Vermin Supreme (right) with David Skrabal, a Tulsi supporter. Photo by Chloe Combi, @StandwithTulsi

Vermin Supreme — a notorious character in the state — from the Libertarian Party Platform, asked Tulsi what she would name her pony? This wasn’t a euphemism — apparently a free pony for everyone is central to the LPP’s manifesto. Later wearing a black boot on his head, Mr Supreme seemed to enjoy having his picture taken with Tulsi and other members of the audience (pictured left.)

The night rounded off with Generation Z concerns. A male student wearing a ‘US Postal Service’ t-shirt expressed concern about the possibility of drug legalization leading to increased rates of addiction. Tulsi pointed to the success of the Portuguese model, which has resulted in lower addiction rates, particularly with young people, and how she broadly supports the implementation of a similar model in the US.

A young woman called Katie, also a Keene student discussed how expensive all elements of life have gotten for Gen Z’s and millennials, with college debt and house prices effectively excluding lots of the younger generations from the same opportunities and freedoms enjoyed by their parents and grandparents. Tulsi reiterated her vision for making the system fairer for young people, but tackling the pay to play nature of America, which rises prices exponentially for the people who can least afford it. She discussed how anxiety about the future was diminishing so many young people’s enjoyment of the years that should be full of hope and freer from worries about healthcare bills or being able to afford rent.

Of course in 2020, everyone under 40, knows just how much economic anxiety is a part of generational anxiety, which emphasizes — again — just how badly we need change.

Make that change happen on February 11th!

Chloe Combi, Writer @StandwithTulsi