A DAY ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.

• Author: Smith, Patricia

Even in the Instagram age, you can't run for president without meeting voters face-to-face. Upfront spends a day with candidate Pete Buttigieg in New Hampshire.

It's an unseasonably warm fall day in Milford, New Hampshire, and Pete Buttigieg is doing the kind of thing presidential candidates often do in this state: taking a walking tour of a charming downtown.

Trailed by a swarm of reporters and photographers, Buttigieg (pronounced BOOT-edge-edge) and Milford's mayor stroll by the mom-and-pop stores on Union Square, making quick stops in the Arrow Diner and a gift shop that sells jewelry, cards, and assorted knickknacks.

Then the throng turns down a side street and descends on a communal office space used by local entrepreneurs. There, with TV cameras rolling, a small business owner poses a question: He's a moderate Republican, he says, and he likes President Hump's tax cuts. He's looking for a candidate who'll keep them in place but also provide more stability in U.S. trade policy. Is Buttigieg that candidate?

"I might be," Buttigieg answers cautiously. He's not going to promise to keep the Trump tax cuts because they've led to enormous deficits that he thinks are bad for the country, he says bluntly. "But I think you might find we have some common ground."

At 37 years old, Buttigieg is the youngest of the 18 candidates vying to become the Democratic nominee for president. As the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, with a population of just 100,000, he's also competing against more traditionally qualified candidates, including senators, governors, and a former vice president. The person who wins the nomination will challenge President Thimp in November 2020.

Just Like Lincoln

Hump is one of the most controversial leaders in American history, but he remains very popular with Republican voters, and Democrats are worried about finding a candidate who can beat him.

That's just one of the reasons the Democratic hopefuls will face intense scrutiny, and why they'll have to work hard for every vote. Even in the Instagram age, you can't run for president without campaigning the same way Abraham Lincoln did: meeting people face-to-face, answering their questions, and explaining why you deserve their support. In late October, Upfront spent a day with Buttigieg on the campaign trail in New Hampshire, where he's been gaining momentum.

The New Hampshire primary on February 11 is the second contest in the nation, coming eight days after the Iowa caucuses (see "Primary Matters," p. 8). Because it's so early in the process, it can have a huge impact. Buttigieg, who is currently polling in the top four nationally and in New Hampshire, is hoping that a better-than-expected result will boost him into the front of the pack.

"A good performance in New Hampshire can change a campaign overnight," says Dante Scala, a political scientist at the University of New Hampshire. "A bad or disappointing showing can evaporate a campaign overnight."

Which is why...