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ADAM SEXTON THAT SHE’S NOT GOING TO LET THAT STOP HER. >> TULSI GABBARD MADE HER CASE FOR ENDING WHAT SHE CALLS AMERICA’S COSTLY REGIME CHANGE WARS. SHE TOLD THE NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL’S MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD AUDIENCE THAT U.S. FOREIGN-POLICY IS COSTING THIS COUNTRY ON THE HOME FRONT. >> WE SEE THESE DOLLARS BEING TAKEN OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS, THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, THE COMMUNITIES, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS. >> IN A ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW, SHE SAYS IT IS NOT GOING TO STOP HER FROM BUILDING MOMENTUM IN THE EARLY STATES. SHE’S USING SOCIAL MEDIA, GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNING, AND A SMALL ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS. >> IT IS A BIT OF AN OLD-SCHOOL CAMPAIGN IN THE SENSE THAT WE HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE PART OF THE CAMPAIGN DEDICATING THEIR TIME, ENERGY, AND RESOURCES BECAUSE THEY REALLY BELIEVE IN A LEADERSHIP I BRING AND THE MESSAGE OF OUR CAMPAIGNS. >> SHE SAYS HER SPEECH WILL HAVE A STRAIGHTFORWARD FOCUS. >> WHY I’M THE BEST CANDIDATE TO DEFEAT DONALD TRUMP. >> SHE CONTINUES TO DRAW SIZABLE CROWDS AND GENERATE BUZZ IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WHICH LONGTIME PRIMARY OBSERVERS SAY SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED.

Advertisement Gabbard says ‘simple acts of Aloha’ can begin effort toward national unity Hawaii congresswoman, presidential candidate, speaks at Politics and Eggs breakfast event Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Hawaii U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard suggested Thursday that a move toward unity in Washington and throughout the nation can begin with “simple acts of ‘Aloha.”Gabbard began a three-day presidential campaign visit to the state with a stop at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics to speak to local leaders at a traditional Politics and Eggs breakfast.>> Download the FREE WMUR appThe 38-year-old four-term Democrat cited a long list of problems facing the nation – from the opioid epidemic, gun violence and health care challenges to what she called a failed foreign policy. A U.S. Army veteran and National Guard member, she called for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from AfghanistanHow does a leader begin to address the divide? Gabbard cited a simple, kind gesture.She noted that the word, "Aloha," means more than, "hello" and "good-bye.""The real meaning of 'Aloha' is, 'I come to you with respect. I come to you with an open heart and with care and compassion' and the recognition that we are all connected, that we are all children of God and connected regardless of where we come from, our race, religion, orientation, Gabbard said."All of these different things that, unfortunately, in this current political climate are too often used as wedges to divide us, to tear our country apart."Gabbard recalled that when she entered the U.S. House in 2013, she reached out with “the universal language of food.”She said she asked her mother to prepare 434 boxes of her special macadamia nut toffee for all of her colleagues of both parties. Her mother prepared those boxes, and then made an additional 434 boxes for the staffs of her colleagues.The “very small and simple gesture of just reaching out, of saying ‘Aloha,’” helped her begin to build relationships with members on both sides of the aisle.Dealing in a bipartisan way with the myriad of issues facing the nation “starts at the top. It starts with leadership. But it also needs to happen within our communities.“It can’t be a one-sided thing that’s dictated from the top. We, as people, need to recognize the role that we need to play, whether it’s within our workplace, at school, even at home,” Gabbard said.“Where it must begin is with that recognition that the things that we care about, the things that make us angry and frustrated are things that should drive us to bridge this divide, that we have to start at a place of respect. And this is the kind of leadership I would bring.” “It’s the kind of work that I’ve been doing already in my almost seven years in Congress.”“That’s what has allowed me to be effective throughout my time in Congress."Gabbard said she learned the value of cooperation and finding practical solutions to problem not only in her upbringing, but also during her service in the U.S. Army. She remains a member of the U.S. Army National Guard and recently stepped away from the campaign trail for two weeks to serve on a training exercise in Indonesia.In the military, she said, the mindset is “being a realist and really understanding the situation.”Following her speech and question-and-answer session, Gabbard told reporters she takes issue with the Democratic National Committee’s handling of the debate process. Gabbard did not qualify for the third debate on Sept. 12.“It would have been good to be there,” she said. “It’s unfortunate that we’ve seen really a lack of transparency in how the DNC has been choosing which polls they would recognize as qualifiers versus not.”“Regardless, the debate is not the only way to reach voters.”“It’s a minor setback but not one that can’t be overcome,” Gabbard said. Gabbard later Thursday was headed to campaign events in Weare and Nashua. On Friday, she will be in Concord, Newmarket and Dover.And Saturday, she will join 18 other Democratic presidential candidates at the New Hampshire Democratic Party state convention at the SNHU Arena in Manchester.