The New Hampshire Project

I’ve been quietly following Jerid at Buckeye State Blog’s extended road trip to New Hampshire that he’s calling The New Hampshire Project. The idea is to get the Ohio angle on the NH Democratic primary, and, more dubiously, to represent Ohio there- as if there’s a single set of Ohio positions, even among Democrats.

Regardless, Jerid’s out there doing it. Now maybe it’s too early to pass judgment on his effort, but I am really unimpressed so far. He has certainly not elevated the project with this morning’s post from New Hampshire. Republican candidate Mitt Romney was quoted last week:

“I oppose discrimination against gay people,” Romney said. “I am not anti-gay. I know there are some Republicans, or some people in the country who are looking for someone who is anti-gay and that’s not me.”

Now one might think that as a good Democrat, who therefore favors something approaching gay equality, Jerid might applaud Romney’s statement as a victory for a putative Dem position, or in a more reporterly way, find out how far Romney’s non-discrimination position goes. Jobs? Housing? Marriage?

But no. In pure Gotcha! style, he focuses on Romney’s admission that there are anti-gay Republicans, or more exactly, Republicans looking for anti-gay candidates. This is news? His killer idea is to ask Romney on camera, like a cut-rate Mike Wallace, to estimate how many Republicans are anti-gay. When Romney’s “goons” come along to escort Jerid away, victory is declared. Here’s the video:

“So keep asking him.” Can I ask why?

One of the things that’s wrong with Gotcha! style journalism is that it discourages people from being forthcoming. Any candid remark or admission against interest becomes the focus of a media circus and various media stunts, and since everyone knows this, everyone ends up saying nothing of importance whatsoever. Bloggers are probably worse on this score than the MSM, by the way.

And more specifically, does Jerid really think that there are no anti-gay Democrats? Or is the story supposed to be that no Democratic candidate would ever be honest enough to say so? I guess that lack of transparency is supposed to be a good thing.

It’s good that an Ohio blogger is covering the NH primary. But it would be better with more substance and fewer stunts.