Fred Karger in New Hampshire

Fred Karger arrived in New Hampshire on the first trip of his improbable quest on Feb. 28, 2010.  During 2010 he made a total of ten visits to the Granite State, and he has continued his intense activity throughout 2011.  On May 7 Karger did his first precinct walk.  In July Karger took his efforts to the next level, leasing a house in Manchester.  Karger's New Hampshire White House serves as the base of operations for his long-shot quest for the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC.



Photo: Fred Karger for President


Iowa Visits

New Hampshire
updated December 26, 2011


[December 13-19, 2011 New York and Chicago]

>November 29-December 12, 2011
...November 28 - travel from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Manchester, NH.
November 29 - Pinkerton Academy Speech to GSA - Derry
.
November 30 - Editorial board meeting with the Portsmouth Herald - Portsmouth.
                        World AIDS Day/AIDS Memorial Quilt at Franklin Pierce University - Rindge.

December 1 - Press Conference on release of Fred's Jobs Plan and new ad which begins airing statewide for one week - Manchester.

                       Editorial board meeting at Keene Sentinel - Keene
                       At UNH will do a "Stonewall Grads" speech and book reading, and dinner - Durham.
December 2 - Seacoast Republican Women's holiday party at One Liberty Lane - Hampton.
                       UNH College Republicans holiday party at Huddleston Hall - Durham.
December 3 - Fundraiser for AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region at 401 Winchester St. - Keene.

December 4 - Rye Republican Committee holiday party - Rye.
December 5 - Filming a commercial during the day; Rainbow Network holiday party at Karger's New Hampshire White House - Manchester.

December 6 - Visits Stonyfield Farm - Londonderry.
                      Meeting with Pinkerton Academy GSA-Part 2 - Derry.
                      Town hall at Franklin Pierce University - Rindge.
December 7 - Mock caucus at NH Institute of Politics, St. Anselm College - Manchester.

                      World AIDS Day event, Keene State College - Keene.
December 8 - Presidential Straw Poll, Plymouth State University - Plymouth.
                       Private meetings, Dartmouth College - Hanover.
December 9 - Commercial filming - Manchester.

                       Meeting and Eggs at The Golden Egg - Portsmouth.cancelled
                       Private meetings at UNH - Durham.

December 10 - Marriage Equality Forum hosted by GLSEN New Hampshire, UNH School of Law - Concord.

                         Participate in patch.com live debate blogging of Iowa GOP Presidential Debate - Manchester.

December 11 - Private meetings - Manchester.
December 12
- Commercial filming - Manchester.

                         Every Child Matters Presidential Forum at UNH, MUB - Durham.
                        Volunteer meeting at the New Hampshire White House - Manchester.


>November 18-21, 2011

November 18 - Marriage Equality Matters, Student Center, Keene State College - Keene.

November 20 - Meet and Greet, Granite State Candy Shoppe - Concord.

November 21 - On the Issues, interview at WMUR - Manchester.

                        Tide Pride GSA, Concord High School - Concord.

>October 31-November 10, 2011

October 31 - Karger NH White House Halloween candy distribution - Manchester.
                    Attends Portsmouth Halloween Parade, Prescott Park - Portsmouth.
November 1 - Attends Presidential Primary Club meeting at Concord High School - Concord.
November 2 - Private meetings - Hanover.
November 3 - Concord Monitor ed. board - Concord.
                     Interview with New Hampshire Capitol Access at Concord High School - Concord.
                    Attends Durham/Lee Republican Meeting at Durham Police Station, Community Room - Durham.
November 4
November 5 - Attends 26th annual Hampstead Mothers' Club Craft Fair at Hampstead Middle School - Hampstead.

November 6
November 7
- Campaigning and Fred frisbee giveaway at UNH Memorial Union Building - Durham.

                     Private meetings - Portsmouth.
                     Dinner speech at the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity at UNH - Durham.

November 8 - Ed. board meeting at the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, followed by a lunch meeting - Peterborough.
                     Meeting of the Deerfield Republican Town Club at Deerfield Library - Deerfield.
                     Meeting of the Bedford Republicans at Bedford Public Library - Bedford.
November 9 - Volunteer lunch meeting at St. Paul's School - Concord.
                     Campaigning and Fred frisbee giveaway at The Green at Dartmouth College, followed by volunteer meeting - Hanover.
                     Michigan Debate viewing party at the NH White House - Manchester.
November 10 -
Granite State Patriots Liberty Political Action Committee's "Constitutional Conversation" - Hampton.


 

>October 19-20, 2011
October 19
- The Patch forum at The Draft  - Concord.

October 20 - Keene Sentinel - Keene.

                     Equality Event with AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region and Miss New Hampshire, Central Square - Keene.


>October 7-17, 2011

...October 6 - travel L.A. to Manchester, NH.
October 7
- Gay Straight Alliance Dinner, St Paul’s School - Concord.

October 8 - Precinct Walk - Nashua.
                   Stop Youth Bullying, Laconia High School - Laconia.
October 9 - meetings.
October 10 - Grafton County Republican Dinner, Speech and Straw Poll, The Common Man Inn - Plymouth.
October 11 - National Coming Out Day, Speech at St Paul’s School - Concord.

                     Dartmouth Debate - Hanover
October 12 - private meetings all day in Boston.
October 13 - Nashua Telegraph Editorial Board, New Hampshire Press Association Conference, 2500 North River Rd. - Manchester.

October 14 - Speech at Concord High School, 170 Warren St. - Concord.
October 15 - Precinct Walk - Manchester.
October 16 - Rockingham GOP Octoberfest, The Stone Church, 5 Granite St. - New Market.
October 17 - Files to be a candidate with the Secretary of State at the State House - Concord.
October 18 - Concord High School Presidential Primary Club - Concord.
                     UNH- The Alliance Meeting, The Memorial Union Building - Durham.

...to New York from afternoon of October 17 through much of the day on October 19.


>September 9-10, 2011
...September 8 - travel L.A. to Manchester, NH.
September 9 - Attend meeting of Capital Gay Men, Wesley United Methodist Church, 79 Clinton St. - Manchester.
September 10 - Precinct Walk with Bagpiper & Fred Frisbee Giveaway - Concord.
                         12th Annual Seacoast Republican Women's Chili Fest, Scamman Farm (Rte. 108) - Stratham.

                         Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, off Rte. 27 East - Hampton.
...September 11 - travel Manchester, NH to Tampa, FL.



>August 19-21, 2011

...August 18 - travel NYC to Manchester, NH.
August 19 - Manchester.
August 20 - Precinct walk - Dover.

                   NH Young Republican Annual Presidential Straw Poll, The Great Island Common - New Castle.
August 21 - Strafford County GOP Picnic, Guppey Park - Dover.



>
August 2-6, 2011
August 2
- National Night Out with Concord Police Dept. at Rollins Park on Broadway Ave. - Concord.
August 3 - Beach Cleanup with Blue Ocean Society - Jenness Beach at Route 1A - Rye.
August 4 - The New Hampshire White House - Open House, 377 Highland St. - Manchester.
August 5 - Fred as Guest Host at “Keene Idol” Finale at 12 Emerald St. - Keene.
August 6 - Weekly Precinct Walk + Bagpiper starting at The Gazebo in Central Square - Keene.



...16 total visits prior to leasing house

>July 13-17, 2011.
On July 13 he viewed a house on Highland Street near the Derryfield Country Club in Manchester; and was the featured speaker at the Bellknap County Republican Committee meeting at 331 South Main Steet in Laconia.
On July 14 he met with Mayor Gatsas; and attended Seacoast Republican Women Luncheon at One Liberty Lane in Hampton.
On July 15 he was interviewed on the Mike Pomp Radio show on WTSN; and guest hosted "Keene Idol" (benefit for AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire) at McHue's Billiards & Sports Lounge in Keene.

On July 16 he manned a booth at the American Independence Festival at Swazey Parkway in Exeter; and led his third big precinct walk, starting from 55 Bay Street in Manchester.
On July 17 he signed the lease for the house; and participated in the Karger for President Tea Dance at Club 313 in Manchester.


>June 10-15, 2011.

On June 10 he appeared on NHPR's "The Exchange;" went house hunting in Manchester and Bedford; and attended a house party at the home of Gary DeVost in Manchester.
On June 11 he went to Portsmouth Market Day; and started a precinct walk and frisbee giveway in Manchester, then due to the rainy weather moved to the Mall of New Hampshire to meet voters.
On June 12 he spoke at the Hillsborough County Flag Day Picnic at the Barbara C. Harris Center in Greenfield (Cain and Pawlenty also spoke at this event).
On June 13 he held press conference at Hilton Garden Inn in Manchester to announce filing of formal complaints with Massachusetts officials over Romney residency issues and released and screened his ad "Tyrannosaurus Rex."  In the evening, after the debate, he was active in the spin room at Saint Anselm College.
On June 14 he did an interview on the George Russell Experience, WYCN TV Nashua/WSMN Radio; met with Ovide Lamontagne at his office Devine Millimet in Manchester; and attended a Manchester Chamber luncheon.
On June 15 he taped WMUR's "Conversation with the Candidate" at WMUR in Manchester.

>May 6-7, 2011.
On the evening of May 6 he attended the annual Dartmouth College Gay Pride Dinner.
On May 7 he led his first precinct walk.  Karger and volunteers gave away hundreds of Fred Frisbees to registered voters in Hanover and Lebanon as they campaigned door-to-door.
Leaves May 8.

>March 28-31, 2011.  First full week as a declared candidate.

March 27 arrives and overnight in Manchester.

On March 28 he did house viewings in Manchester; a stop at St. Anselm College; met with staff and volunteer at the Greater Manchester AIDS Project; did meet and greet with Saint Anselm students; had dinner with volunteers in Manchester; and did a radio interview with OUTspoken.
On March 29 he did an interview with Hippo Press in Manchester; private meetings in Manchester; attended the NH GOP's First in the Nation reception and dinner at Grappone Center in Concord.
On March 30 he met with NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire; delivered a guest lecture at Saint Anselm's Presidential History class; private meetings in Concord; and in the evening spoke to the Political Students Club and College Republicans at Keene State.

On March 31 he did private meetings; in Concord visited the Capitol during demonstrations over budget cuts, had lunch at Brown Bag Deli, and stopped at the Flag Works store; and in the evening was at Saint Anselm College for the announcement of the Saint Anselm College Republicans' Straw Poll results. [press release]
April 1 leaves NH. 


>February 17-18, 2011.

On February 17 he testified at the State House in Concord in support of same sex marriage at a hearing by the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives on HB 437 and 443, two bills aimed at repealing the state's same sex marriage law.  In the evening he spoke at Dartmouth College in Hanover at a  student rally in opposition to HB 176, a bill which would prevent non-resident college students attending from voting in state and local elections.
On February 18 he was in Portsmouth, including an interview with New Hampshire Primary 2012's David Anderson.


>January 24-28, 2011.

January 24 was a travel day, L.A. to Boston.
On January 25 did meetings and press activities and in the evening spoke at the UNH Gay Straight Alliance Pizza Night at UNH in Durham.
On the afternoon of January 26 at Dartmouth College in Hanover he appeared at a Dartmouth College Republican meeting at Rockefeller Center; and gave a Rockefeller Center speech "Where Have All the Moderates Gone."  In the evening he held a town hall meeting at Margaritas in Keene.
On January 27 he appeared on the Charlie Sherman Show at WGIR in Manchester; released a new commercial by Rights Equal Rights; attended the Save Sagamore Bridge meeting at The Golden Egg in Portsmouth; attended a town hall meeting at the home of Norm Patenaude in Portsmouth; and held a town hall meeting at The Element Bar in Manchester.
On January 28 he appeared on the Dan Mitchell radio show on WKBK in Keene.


2010  ...10 visits

In 2010 (+), exploratory candidate Fred Karger spent more time in Iowa and New Hampshire than any of the other potential presidential candidates.  Because he is not well known, Karger has had to do more foundational work than better known prospects.  Lessons he has learned in his decades of experience working on campaigns, were seen in his activity on the early trips.  His meetings with gay activists, politicos and journalists in the two states provided a solid basis for a campaign.  He
spent a lot of time at major campuses, and could benefit from the energy and enthusiasm of students attracted by his message.  His "coveted" Fred Frisbees and tee-shirts and early advertising started to spread his message to a wider audience.

>December 8-13, 2010.
On December 8 he drove up from New York. 
Schedule called for "a series of meetings, holiday parties and visits to Manchester, Durham, Portsmouth, Hanover and ending up in Keene Sunday night."  Among the highlights of this trip, he met with Andy Smith and Dante Scalia of UNH, enjoyed breakfast with former Senate candidate Bill Binnie at the Golden Egg in Portsmouth, and (December 13) was interviewed by WKXL Concord talk radio.

>November 3-6, 2010.
...The focus of this trip was filming a second NH commercial ( "Frisbee"... "It has a science fiction theme and took four days to shoot."). 
On November 4 and 5 Karger was at Dartmouth in Hanover.
On November 6 he went to UNH in Durham.

>October 12-15, 2010.
On the evening of October 12 he attended the Rainbow Network meeting and happy hour at the Breezeway in Manchester.
On October 13 he visited UNH in Durham for UNH LGBTQA Coming Out Week (National Coming Out Day Oct. 11) festivities and in the evening saw former Air Force Captain Reichen Lehmkuhl speak at the MUB.
On October 14 he again visited University of New Hampshire in Durham, speaking to UNH College Republicans over lunch in the MUB; and in the evening he spoke to the Dartmouth Political Union at Rockefeller Hall at Dartmouth in Hanover.
On October 15 he did a radio interview on the Dan Mitchell Show, "Open Mic" on WKBK in Keene; appeared on Susan MacNeil's television show, "Speak Up" on Cheshire TV; and attended the Keene Pumpkin Festival.

>September 18, 2010.
Karger was the guest speaker at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, sponsored by the St. Anselm College Republicans, on Saturday afternoon.
Note: Karger's 60-second TV spot, "Good Morning New Hampshire," aired statewide on WMUR-TV on September 18, went into six more NH markets on September 20, and continued running through September 24.


>August 30, 2010.
After a week on Martha's Vineyard, a day in New Hampshire.
Karger campaigned with several friends around campus and in front of the Memorial Union Building (MUB) at the UNH in Durham on the first day of classes.


>August 20-21, 2010
Two days in Manchester.  Karger held several meetings and went car shopping, looking for an SUV hybrid.  He stopped by City Hall.  Also he "became the first possible Presidential candidate for 2012 to ride a Segway out of the brand new flagship Segway store."
August 22 drove to Woods Hole for the Weekend Renewing America's Promise (W.R.A.P.) training retreat at Martha's Vineyard, MA.


>July 27-August 3, 2010
He started in Wolfeboro and had "meetings including local journalists [including editor of Granite State News], community leaders and even joined the Wolfeboro Chamber of Commerce.  We took a tour on the famous Belle all around the lake, and hiked to the top of Mt. Major." 
Weekend in Ogunquit, ME.
Back to New Hampshire for meetings "with reporters, as well as political, business and religious leaders in Concord and Manchester."  Also stopped in Peterborough to see his 97-year old Aunt Mimi Karger and posed for a shot in front of the Peterborough Diner.  Karger stayed at the Centennial Hotel in Concord.
On August 2 in Keene, at the Keene Sentinel, he met privately with editor and president Jim Rousmaniere, Jr.. 
On the evening of August 3 at the Centennial in Concord he filmed his announcement that he was officially forming the Fred Karger Presidential Exploratory Committee.
August 4 to Baltimore, MD.


>June 20-25, 2010.
Arrived in NH on June 20.
On June 21 he attended the fundraising breakfast featuring Newt Gingrich for the New Hampshire Republican Party at wedu design in Manchester; Karger also saw Gingrich speaking later at the New Hampshire Republican Party/NH House Republican Victory PAC candidate training session at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College in Manchester.  At the Institute, Karger met with the executive director and had a tour. 
On the evening of June 23 he held his second town hall meeting at The Element Lounge, a gay club in Manchester. 
On the morning of June 25 he was a guest on the Dan Mitchell Radio Show on WKBK Radio in Keene.
...also on this trip WMUR and a stop at the Red Arrow Diner. 
On to New York City where on June 27 he rode in the New York Pride Parade.


>late April 2010-May 1, 2010.
Arrived in Boston on April 26.
On the evening of April 29 after drive from Concord to Hanover, he spoke to a group at a PRIDE Week event at Haldeman Hall, Dartmouth; and in the evening did his first town hall meeting/meet and greet at Margarita's Mexican Restaurant in Keene.
April 30 Attended Pride Week final banquet at Dartmouth in Hanover.
May 1 Attended AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region 20th Anniversary Dinner, which honored Cleve Jones (founder of the AIDS Memorial Quilt) at Heberdon Hall in Keene. 
...also on this trip Karger also met with NH Democratic chair Ray Buckley in Concord. 

May 2 to New York City.


>Feb. 28-March 3, 2010
February 28
Drive from New York City and Karger family brunch.  Overnight in Peterborough.
Based in Concord.

March 1
Met with NHGOP exec. dir. Andy Leach at the party headquarters in Concord; attended a Manchester Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
March 2
Spoke to over 40 students at the UNH Alliance at UNH in Durham.
Coffee with Dante Scala, associate professor of political science at UNH.
March 3
Met with nine students at Dartmouth in Hanover (finals week).



Iowa

...8 total visits 
>August 10-13, 2011.
August 9 Evening arrival in Des Moines.

On August 10 he marched in the 2011 Iowa State Fair Parade.
On August 11 he was at the debate site at Stephens Auditorium, Iowa State University in Ames.
On August 12 he was at the Iowa State Fair for much of the day including a speech from the Des Moines Register "Soapbox" and the Iowa Pork Producers tent.

On August 13 he ran a write in effort at the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames.  In the evening travels to New York.

>July 27-29, 2011.
"...meeting with supporters to plan our activities around next month’s Presidential Debate, The Ames Straw Poll and the State Fair."


>April 25-27, 2011.
On April 25 he did private meetings in Des Moines; appeared on the Simon Conway Show at WHO in Des Moines; and did a meet and greet with Iowa State University students and faculty at Legends American Grill in Ames.
On April 26 he was the guest speaker at a Drake University honors course on presidential popularity; spoke at Pomerantz Stage in the Olmstead Center at Drake; (drove to Cedar Rapids) attended the Republican Party of Iowa Chairman's Series reception with Rick Santorum at The Clarion Hotel in Cedar Rapids; (drove to Iowa City) did a meet and greet at Mark Moen's at Plaza Towers in Iowa City; and spoke to University of Iowa College Republicans at Schaeffer Hall, University of Iowa in Iowa City.
On April 27 he spent the morning in Iowa City; (drove to Des Moines) did a meet and greet at the home of Michael Simonson in Des Moines; and appeared on the Fallon Forum Radio Show from Urbandale.


>February 23-25, 2011.
On February 23 he arrived and made a brief appearance at a dinner for sponsors of the LGBTA youth conference.

On February 24 he attended the 6th Annual Iowa Governors Conference on LGBTA Youth at Drake University in Des Moines.

On February 25 he held a press conference to announce he was filing a complaint with the FEC charging that the March 7 IFFC forum violates federal election law because it constitutes a donation to those candidates who were invited; also at the press conference he unveiled the LetFredIn.com website.


2010  ...5 visits

>November 23, 2010.
On November 23 in Des Moines he appeared on "Mickelson in the Morning" at WHO for a full hour; and held a press conference at the Embassy Suites Hotel to unveil his first Iowa commercial "Independence Day" and name Nathan Treloar as state director of his Presidential Exploratory Committee.
Left on November 24. 
Note: "Independence Day" was scheduled to run November 23-29 on FOX News stations in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities, Mason City, Ames, Burlington and Fort Dodge.

>October 25-28, 2010.
...A focus of this trip was filming the Iowa spot "Independence Day."
On October 25 he arrived in Des Moines and made the drive to Iowa City.
On October 26 he did three events at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.  He spoke at a meeting of Outlaws, the LGBTQ law students at U of I; was a guest lecturer in Professor Angela Onwuachi-Willig's family law class at the University of Iowa Law School; and spoke to a meeting of College Republicans at Schaeffer Hall.
October 27 "was filled with meetings, a drive to Cedar Rapids, then Des Moines and finally up to Ames to attend and speak at a fun Halloween party at Iowa State University." 

>August 16-19, 2010.
On August 18 he spent all day at the Iowa State Fair, including "Mickelson in the Morning," a couple hours in front of the Iowa Republican Party booth in the Varied Industries Building, partaking of plenty food on the Grand Concourse, and interviews with Dave Price and Kathie Obradovich.

>May 9-14, 2010
May 9 Overnight in Iowa City. 
May 10 Meetings with business owners and LGBTQ activists in Iowa City.  To Des Moines; stopped in at One America's First Annual Business Symposium at Embassy Suites on the River in Des Moines. 
May 11 Reception and meet and greet at Dos Rios, a Mexican restaurant in downtown Des Moines.
May 11-12 Meetings with political reporters, LGBTQ leaders and politicos.

>April 2-7, 2010
....lots of meetings; among others Karger met with Jonathan Wilson of the Davis Brown Law Firm and later in the day with Steve Roberts of Davis Brown.
April 3 Attended One Iowa's banquet celebrating 1st anniversary of gay marriage at the Temple for the Performing Arts in Des Moines.
April 5 Pride week at Iowa State and Drake.
April 6 Still in Des Moines.



South Carolina  ...2 visits

>May 4-6, 2011.
Karger was in Greenville
for the debate: "I will be in Greenville Thursday evening to either be in the Debate or watch it from the audience."

On May 5 he held a press conference at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown Greenville (across from the Peace Center) to announce what he would say if he were in the debate and release the "Demon Frisbee" ad; and he watched the debate from "front row center of the upper, upper balcony" at the Peace Center.

>April 21-24, 2011.
On April 21 he met with SC Equality; had a private lunch meeting; met with Joel Sawyer, executive director of the South Carolina Republican Party; did an interview with the Greenville News; visited the Peace Center in Greenville, site of the debate; spoke at the University of South Carolina's Aamco lecture hall in Columbia, sponsored by the B.G.L.S.A. and The Safe Zone Ally Project; and followed that with diner with USC students and the director of the Safe Zones program.

On April 22 he did an interview with the Free Press in Columbia; made a stop in Orangeburg; and in the evening did a reception hosted by South Carolina Log Cabin Republicans at Fish In Charleston; and had dinner with South Carolina Log Cabin Republicans and College of Charleston students.
On April 23 he enjoyed Charleston including the Pantheon and the farmer's market; and had dinner with a board member of the National Log Cabin Republicans; and visited Patrick's Bar, where he spoke and campaigned.
On April 24 he enjoyed Charleston including brunch at Jestine's Kitchen.


2010  ...0 visits

>On the morning of September 4, 2010 he had planned to appear at Gay Pride 2010 at Finlay Park in Columbia.