News Post #6

“Romney’s move in New Hampshire”

In this Politico article, written by James Hohmann, Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in New Hampshire takes center stage. The primary sources in the article are personal interviews and materials obtained by the writer. The article begins by stating that this Saturday night Romney will be “unofficially” kicking off his 2012 campaign in New Hampshire. Romney will speak to about 300 activists at the Carroll County Lincoln Day Dinner in Bartlett. Additionally, the article points out a recent endorsement from state Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, who will emcee the event held Saturday night. In his endorsement, Bradley told Politico that Romney could lead the country better than anybody. The article also includes one quote from State GOP spokeswoman Christine Baratta, who referred to Saturday night’s speech as a “big deal.” Politico obtained an excerpt of Romney’s speech for Saturday night. In the speech, Romney will discuss the economy, Obama’s damaging policies, and “putting Americans back to work.” The remainder of the article is devoted to political commentary from political scientist Andrew Smith, Director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. Smith tells the writer that Romney will “fit right in” with the voters of the state, but not necessarily the activists of the state. Smith goes on to tell Politico that his speech Saturday night may be given to a somewhat hostile crowd, but the event will be critical to Romney’s success in New Hampshire. Romney has an excellent base in the state and will no doubt have a high-turnout primary. The article ends with a quote from Smith: “Everyone knows that he’s been running for president since 2007 and hasn’t stopped.”

The article takes a hard news approach and begins with a strong, yet somewhat lengthy lead. However, the second half of the lead refers to a major endorsement Romney won in New Hampshire, but does not give the name of the endorser. The reader assumes that the individual endorsing Romney will be revealed in the second paragraph, but it is not. Instead, the second paragraph discusses where the Romney event will be held, and the story does not address who endorsed Romney until the third paragraph. The order of the paragraphs is unusual and confusing. If rewritten, the second paragraph should discuss who the individual is endorsing Romney. For the remainder of the article, the story flows well. Beginning with a quote in the fourth paragraph, the article consistently has quotes throughout. Perhaps the strongest aspect of the article is the contribution from political scientist Andrew Smith. Smith gives insight into the political environment of New Hampshire and what the event Saturday means for Romney. His contribution educates the reader and gives readers a better understanding of what Romney’s speech means for his political future. The story ends with a quote from Smith. The quote wraps the story well, referring to the history of Romney’s campaigns in New Hampshire. By including this quote, the story leaves the readers with a resolution to the article, yet also instills in them a curiosity to continue following Romney’s campaign.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/50705.html