The Manchester Free Press

Monday • January 26 • 2026

Vol.XVIII • No.V

Manchester, N.H.

Syndicate content Granite Grok
News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
Updated: 14 min 50 sec ago

NH Republicans: We’ve Seen Enough, Close the Primary!

Sun, 2024-01-28 11:00 +0000

There are 276,262 registered Republicans in NH as of 12/28/23. The total number of Republican primary voters is reported to be 322,284, a 121% turnout. How was this possible? Assuming an 80% registered Republican turnout, I estimate that 109,000 non-Republicans crossed over on election day to tip the scales!

What would have happened if the primary was closed to only registered Republicans? Assuming a high turnout of about 80%, there would have been about 213,000 cast. (FYI, Democrat turnout was 120,851, approximately 46% of the 262,262 registered Democrats). Now, according to CNN’s exit poll (hardly a Trump-supporting organization), Trump received 70% of the votes of registered Republicans, while Haley won only 27% of the Republican vote, far less than her 43% official total. I am providing a link to a news story confirming these numbers.

It should be noted that not all of the undeclared who became Republicans for a day voted for Haley. If you assume that Trump received 70% of the votes from an 80% registered Republican turnout, his vote tally would be about 149,700. Trump’s actual final vote tally was 175,153. This means that Trump got about 25,400 of those crossover votes. The good news is that those votes will be there for Trump in November.

Using the same approach for Haley, 27% of 80% of 267,262, her vote tally would have been 57,700. Trump would have crushed her except for the 81,900 cross-overs that voted for her. The real difference being that next to none of those voters will be there for her in November.

Thanks to a great NH Republican turnout and with the help of patriotic Undeclareds, Trump won the primary and the Uniparty was defeated. The shame is that Trump had to spend more time, effort and money than he should have needed and he received less Republican delegates than he deserved. This primary result also allows the farce of a two-person race to continue keeping Trump from focusing all his energies on defeating the regime hell-bent on destroying America.

I have voiced my displeasure with the open primary system to the Republican Party and have been told they wish to maintain the status-quo in order to appear to be a welcoming party to potential recruits. I reject that reasoning. The Republican party has been around for a long time and our party platform is written for all to see. If a person can’t make the small effort to get on board, keeping an open primary in the hopes of recruiting a few new members isn’t worth the price we, and America, just paid.

NH Republicans, we’ve seen enough, close the damn primary!

The post NH Republicans: We’ve Seen Enough, Close the Primary! appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Lily Tang Williams Statement Supporting Texas Governor Greg Abbott

Sun, 2024-01-28 05:00 +0000

President Biden and his Administration have left Americans and our country completely vulnerable to unprecedented illegal immigration pouring across the Southern border. Instead of upholding the rule of law and securing the border, the Biden Administration attacked and sued Texas for stepping up to protect US citizens from historic levels of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs like fentanyl, and terrorists entering our country.

NH Republican Congressional Candidate, District 2, Lily Tang Williams, said:

“I stand with Governor Greg Abbott and the State of Texas in utilizing every tool and strategy to secure the border. Because the Biden Administration abdicated its constitutional compact duties to the states, Texas has the right to protect the sovereignty of our states and our nation.”

“The southern border is a complete disaster, and my opponent Ann Kuster is supporting President Biden’s undemocratic subversion of the rule of law, which is condescending to the American people and the US Congress. It is just another example of Anne Kuster towing the Democratic party line instead of focusing on what’s good for New Hampshire and the nation.”

Please Submit Group communications or Press Releases to steve@granitegrok.com.
Submission is not a guarantee of publication – Publication is not an endorsement.

Lily Tang Williams is a Chinese-American who survived Mao’s Cultural Revolution. She came to the U.S. legally in 1988. She has offered her immigration policy on her website, www.lilytangwilliams.com. Moreover, considering that Texas has 28 legal ports of entry, her policy also includes a solution to illegal immigration:

“Border security is essential for our national security. We must enforce current laws, build necessary barriers to stop drug smuggling, human trafficking, and prevent people who want to harm us from entering our country. Without a border, we do not have a country.”

“To streamline the process and encourage people only to come here legally, those who insist on crossing the border illegally should be detained, identified, and sent back. Thus, the practice of crossing our borders illegally, then immediately claiming sanctuary to somehow sanitize coming here illegally, must end; no more catch and release.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Weare, New Hampshire
January 26, 2024
Contact: Richard Zang <Richard.Zang@unh.edu>

The post Lily Tang Williams Statement Supporting Texas Governor Greg Abbott appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Night Cap: State Transformations and the Role of Activism

Sun, 2024-01-28 03:00 +0000

The radical Democrats wish to transform our State fundamentally. They have always dreamt of making the great State of Texas into another California. But we cannot let that happen.

Throughout history, Texas has been defined by a bold, tenacious spirit and brave, unabashed figures. However, recent years have seen a resurgence of Democratic influence, which could transform Texas into another California.

Historically, the state has witnessed significant transitions over the years. It was a Democratic stronghold but gradually aligned with the Republican Party in the mid-twentieth century. Various factors influenced the shift from Democratic to Republican dominance in Texas. The Texas Democratic Party was divided into liberal and conservative factions over race, civil rights, New Deal economic policies, and anti-communism. As many Texans became alienated from a national Democratic Party that was shifting to the left, the long-dormant state Republican Party began to revive in the 1960s.

Today, Texas is considered an essential Republican state. Still, with deliberate changes in demography coupled with frauds perpetuated as and when necessary, this is, at least by the book, going to change Blue. This is not a resurgence of a Democrat influence in Texas as it is made out to be. This is not a transformation, and the change has to be seen as undesirable by the original Texan populace, who fear the potential for increased taxes, labor regulations, and environmental policies that are perceived to stifle economic growth.

It is in our unity and shared understanding of the unfolding events that Texas is likely to retain its distinct identity. The battle between conservative and liberal ideologies in Texas is not just about party politics but reflects deeper societal values and beliefs. It is a contestation over the state’s future direction – whether Texas will hold onto its conservative roots or embrace a liberal path. This is, indeed, a political tug-of-war but not one that should be a testament to the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of democracy.

Undeniably, we are in the most critical fight of our lives. We can only stop this social cataclysm from eradicating our way of life with our activism. The fact of the matter is that we are living in precarious times. Our society stands at a crossroads, and our actions, or lack thereof, will determine our path.

Activism, in this context, is not merely about protesting against unfavorable conditions but about striving to create meaningful change. It involves recognizing and challenging the instruments of governance that perpetuate precarity. It is about refusing to allow ourselves to be divided and exploited to protect some against the threatening others.

The post Night Cap: State Transformations and the Role of Activism appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Bear Pond Conservative Chronicle: Come On Maine, Where Are These People From

Sun, 2024-01-28 01:00 +0000

The situation in Augusta has gone from ridiculous to bizarre. The Liberals who have the power at the moment are grasping their minute in the spotlight and trying to jam as much “garbage legislation” through the system as they can before they get booted out of office.

They are hitting all of the hot-button topics like immigration, guns, trans, and marijuana, but with Democrats, you can always count on them circling back to abortion. Nothing stirs up the Liberal base like abortion. You can disguise it and call it Reproductive Rights, but it is abortion; the killing of an unwanted fetus because it is not convenient to your lifestyle.

The Democrats passed the most Liberal abortion law this past fall, but they are not satisfied that the law will hold up. So, in this legislative session, the Democrats will work to codify abortion by putting the right to abortion in the Maine Constitution. That way, when Maine comes to its senses and boots these Democrats out of office, abortion rights will survive.

Democrat Aaron Frey proposed the amendment to Maine’s state constitution on Monday, claiming it would enshrine the right to abortion and apply to ‘persons who have uteruses.’ ‘The ability to carry a child belongs to that person who has a womb. I understand that there are others who believe they know better than the person who has the womb as to how they should use it,’ Frey said.

Brilliant, Mr. Frey. Don’t narrow the conversation about pregnancy and abortion to women. You move to the front of the WOKE class by making sure you include trans men who have a uterus because God gave it to them when he created them as a woman. It is simply amazing how Democrats have a problem with the term woman. This goes back to the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson, who could not answer the question, “What is a woman.”

Social Media exploded with criticism of Frey’s comments. Some of the reactions:

One comment reads: ‘We are women. You are NOT allowed to take that from us!’
Another says: ‘Living here is becoming more and more like Funny Farm every day. Actually, it’s moving toward One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest territory.’
A third added: ‘Why is Maine trying to be a joke?’

Maine is a dichotomy between the liberal-filled cities and legislature and the conservative rural regions. The Liberals have clawed their way to power, but they realize it is tenuous. They can feel the pendulum moving in the other direction, and they may be only one election cycle from the minority.

PACS like The Dinner Table is growing exponentially, and every time there is a bizarre play by the Democrats in Augusta, their membership grows. It is a similar scenario with Trump, who had a very poignant comment a few weeks ago that he was one indictment away from the White House. One thing the Democrats have yet to grasp is the Republicans rally around their own when attacked. The Dems are in attack mode and may pay the price for that play.

The post Bear Pond Conservative Chronicle: Come On Maine, Where Are These People From appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Musical Chairs

Sat, 2024-01-27 23:00 +0000

Remember how fun it was in grade school playing the game of musical chairs? You’d circle around the chairs to music and when the music stopped everyone had to grab a chair.  But, they were one short. Out went the kid who didn’t get the seat. It was a frantic, fun game that honed kids’ listening, social and problem-solving skills.

The Nashua Board of Aldermen engaged in that game in their chamber recently. The Board of Alderman gallery had a press table in the back.  We all remember the time when press was attending governmental meetings and then, once COVID hit, the press was gone. Nashua’s press table, which had two seats, was sadly empty.

As often a lone attendee at Board of Alderman meetings, typically, I’d bring my computer to sit at the unoccupied press table, work, capture my thoughts, and sometimes contribute to public comment. I’m not a popular person with my city government, so they became irritated.

Initially, I was asked not to sit there. When I questioned the Board President on why that would be a problem, she explained it was a press table and I was not press. The idea that nobody was sitting there did not resonate with her. She was having none of that!

Ignoring the silly comment, I came to the next meeting and sat at the unoccupied press table. I received glaring looks of disapproval and frustration from the Board.

At the next meeting, the two chairs were removed, and only the “press” table remained. The game of musical chairs had begun.

As a woman who knows how to fix a problem, I inquired about the chairs and unsurprisingly learned that the Board President requested the chairs be taken away.

As a creative problem-solver, likely honed from my elementary school musical chairs days, I took a chair from the hallway right outside the chamber and carried it into the gallery, quietly placed it at the table and took my seat. Whoa, I had crossed the line! The President and others moved beyond glares and verbalized their disapproval of my boldness.

All of this was giving me a chuckle. How silly! How childish! But musical chairs is a child’s game.

Well, at the next meeting, the Board of Aldermen upped their game. Not only would the chairs remain missing at the ‘press’ table but the chairs at the public table in the hallway were mysteriously missing as well. The President harshly verbalized that if you’re not a member of the press, you cannot sit at the press table. Mind you, it was never labeled a press table. 

In a brief history, Nashua had a senior woman in her 80s who came to meetings for years and sat at that table when the press wasn’t there. She was a terrific participant in her local government. Would the Board President object if the Mayor had wanted to sit at the table?

As a creative problem-solver, at the next meeting, I carried my own chair to the chamber, quietly unfolded it at the back “press” table, took a seat with my computer, and began my listening and working. That earned me a harsh tongue-lashing for my bold and brazen move and “lack of decorum” in the chamber. They hollered, “you’re not ‘the press’. YOU can’t sit at that table”.

Again, as a creative problem-solver, I reached out to Granite Grok to request a press pass as I’ve written articles for the paper. Alas, I would have those essential and critical press credentials necessary to entitle me to a seat at the “press table”. I sent a letter to the Board of Alderman, I was official, I had a press pass. The table’s official use had been restored!

Excited, I appeared at the next meeting with my press badge prominently displayed. But the Board President and Alderman one-upped me. This time, they removed the table! And the space in the back was now an empty hole.

The adrenaline-fun-filled game of musical chairs in Nashua had ended. I lost—a fitting ending illustrating the Board’s welcoming of the public. Corporation Counsel for Nashua announced he might like to put a legal library in that back area. This never came to fruition. Perhaps a few books on 1st Amendment Rights and the Right to Know Law might be helpful in the gallery of the Board of Aldermen chamber.

Pay attention to your local governments. Sometimes, they’re really a hoot.

The post Musical Chairs appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

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