Biden Campaigns in New Hampshire

Claire gets a selfie with former Vice President Joe Biden at his January 25 campaign event in Salem, New Hampshire. 

“Imagine all the progress we can make in the next four years if we can all come together,” said Joe Biden.

The former Vice President was speaking at a campaign event on January 25 in Salem, New Hampshire. Biden is campaigning to be the Democratic nominee for president. 

Hundreds of people attended the Salem rally, which was held at Mary A. Fisk Elementary School. Voters were eager to learn more about Biden’s views on the issues before they go to the polls.

New Hampshire will hold its primary election on February 11, just eight days after the Iowa Caucus. The candidate who wins the most support in the country’s primary elections and caucuses will likely face President Donald Trump in November’s general election. Trump, who is a Republican, is seeking a second term in office and already has his party’s support. 

The former Vice President tells Claire that climate change is the biggest threat facing the United States. 

EVALUATING THE CANDIDATES

Many Democratic voters still don’t know which candidate they’ll support. That means the stakes are high at each campaign appearance.

“I’m here to learn more about Joe Biden,” said Massachusetts resident Alan Ulrich, who attended the Salem rally. “So far, I like what I’ve heard. But I’m also interested in a couple of the other candidates.”

In his bid to become the Democratic nominee for president, Biden is facing competition from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, and former Indiana Mayor Pete Buttegieg, among other candidates. 

DECADES OF SERVICE

Biden served as Vice President of the United States from 2009 until 2017. Before Barack Obama chose him as his running mate, Biden represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate for 36 years. He was first elected to the Senate at age 29, making him one of the youngest Senators in U.S. history. 

Biden came to Salem to convince Democrats that he can defeat President Trump. “We need someone that actually knows how to bring people together and actually is able to get things done,” Biden told the crowd.

I asked the former Vice President what he saw as the most pressing issue facing the U.S. “Climate change is the most important issue in America,” he said.

As President, Biden would focus on renewable energy. “We’re going to develop solar and wind and a whole lot of new technologies to create millions of jobs,” he said. “And we’re going to solve it [climate change].”

At the campaign event, Claire got reporting tips from veteran journalists.  

TIPS FOR A ROOKIE REPORTER

At the event, I got some pointers from other journalists. “You have to write a lot and write every day,” advised Steve Myers, an editor at USA Today. “And don’t worry about whether it's good. Just keep writing.”

I also spoke with Shaul Amsterdamski, senior economics editor at Israeli Public Radio. “When you’re at an event,” he said, “take a step back, and just look around the room, and try to see what everybody else is missing.”