GOFFSTOWN, N.H. – A frigid and drizzly evening couldn’t stop activists outside Saint Anselm College in the hours leading up to Friday night’s Democratic National Committee debate with a generally congenial tenor found between supporters of all the campaigns.
MIT student Russell Pasetes was on hand to cheer for Andrew Yang, one of the many moments of volunteering he’s given over the past several weeks.
The scene was different than anything he’d seen in his native Guam, and he felt a sense of camaraderie with fellow volunteers from across the Democratic spectrum chanting and waving at passing traffic.
“We are all really trying hard for all of our candidates. We all have our reasons for why we think our candidate is the best against Trump,” “I appreciate every person coming out here in this process, because with the Trump presidency I think we’re all beginning to wake up and understand what it means to take part in our democracy. I was lucky to find a group of people I can find a home with like Andrew Yang’s (campaign.)”
Pasetes says he will support the Democratic nominee whoever it is, a sentiment shared by Edward Kimmell of Takoma Park, Maryland.
Kimmell was out holding signs for Elizabeth Warren and has flown up to New Hampshire during earlier primaries to support Hillary Clinton. Like Pasetes, he felt a sense of camaraderie out in the snow with his fellow volunteers, both for Warren and other campaigns.
“I’m thrilled, I like to see a lot of excited and hard-working Democrats. I hope they pull together in the general,” “I hope (Warren) pulls it together, I’m sure she’ll do well in the debate, she always does. But I’ll support whoever gets the nomination, it’s very important.”
Among the candidates participating in the debate, only Tom Steyer and Bernie Sanders were not represented as of 5:30 p.m., but non-candidate activists were also out in force such as Doug Whitbeck of 350 Forward, a climate awareness organization.
Whitbeck, a Sanders supporter, said he felt a sense of excitement, but also a sense of surprise that Sanders’ activists were not present.
“I’m disappointed, I don’t know what the story is on why they aren’t here, he said.