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Primary People: In step in with Paul's campaign

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By CLYNTON NAMUO
New Hampshire Union Leader Correspondent

Some supporters hold signs on street corners for their candidates.

Others raise money or talk to their friends.

For resident Kelly Halldorson, those acts simply weren't enough for her favorite candidate, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, who faces an uphill battle for the Republican nomination.

So Halldorson, 34, plans to tell more people than the average supporter about Paul when she hands out literature this Saturday while she walks to Concord. From Dover.

"Instead of giving $2,300, I'm going to walk 38 miles," Halldorson said.

Paul, who represents the Gulf Coast area of Texas, is by every means a maverick. He wants to abolish the IRS and the Department of Education. He believes in withdrawing from free trade agreements and international organizations he says infringe upon America's independence, including the United Nations, the WTO and NAFTA, among others.

Above all, Paul pushes personal freedom and small government with lower taxes. He also strongly believes troops should be taken out of Iraq.

"His views are so much in line with mine," Halldorson says. "I agree with him on 95 percent of the issues. How many candidates do you find that you agree with that much?" Halldorson said she knows first hand what government assistance does -- not much.

After living in a housing project and then a trailer in Dover, Halldorson said she moved out to Los Angles with her then boyfriend and now husband, Jeff, just in time for the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, which killed dozens and injured thousands.

Disappointed with government

Halldorson said the government's response after the earthquake had a profound effect on her view that less government is better for everyone.

"I think that had a huge impact," she said, noting a terrible federal response after Hurricane Katrina as well. "To me the federal involvement was a huge failure." Earthquake victims lined up and got federal money with little proof they even needed it, Halldorson said. She said federal help overall is a failure and points to her time living in the projects as evidence.

"A lot of the urban housing in these districts have so much crime and so much pain," she said, adding "I've lived in the projects. I don't think those projects help anyone." The solution for much of society's ills is self-reliance, Halldorson said.

She, her husband and their three children -- sons Wolfgang, 12, and Griffin, 10, and daughter, Zoey, 9 -- have their fair share of money problems, she said, but they get by however they can, whether asking family for help, cutting back on expenses or getting another job.

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"You don't have to have the answer," she said, noting that her family deals with problems as they arise and always finds a way out.

For example, when her one of her sons hurt his tooth, Halldorson said she had no money to fix it.

So she took him to a free clinic at Dover's Wentworth Douglass Hospital, but only after making sure the clinic received no public funds whatsoever.

Likes his independence

This ideal of personal freedom and self reliance is a cornerstone of Paul's campaign, and Halldorson believes more people, particularly in Live Free or Die New Hampshire, would support the congressman if they knew more about him and his views.

With little name recognition and even less media coverage, however, it is up to supporters like her to spread the message. In this case, she'll spread the message from her home in Dover along Route 9 to Route 4 and all the way into Concord.

"I think the word just needs to get out," she says.

For its part, the Paul campaign plans to have water and additional supporters along Halldorson's route, said New Hampshire coordinator Jared Chicoine. He said Paul and his views attract ardent grassroots supporters that are a key element needed to win a primary like New Hampshire's.

"I think it really energizes supporters to get out there and work for him and do incredible things," he said.

Chicoine said the many news stories calling Paul a long shot miss the point that New Hampshire is a state made specifically for those candidates to break out.

"From a New Hampshire point of view, if they call us a long shot, fine, fine," he said. "We're still gonna work hard and our base is motivated.

"Our supporters here are ready to go. I don't get discouraged by it, to be honest with you. I just think it's more motivation to work harder."

Halldorson plans to leave her Dover home at 5 a.m. Saturday for the trek to Concord and is shooting to get to the Statehouse by 10 p.m., if not earlier.

A vegan herself, Halldorson plans to stop at Susty's Radical Vegan in Northwood for lunch before continuing on to Concord.

Despite having never walked such a long distance before, Halldorson said the only things that could stop her are thunder and lightning.

"I'm not going to get electrocuted doing it," she said.

"If it's just raining I plan to keep going."

YOUR COMMENTS


"With her response to the earthquake and hurricane Katrina, it appears to me she was unhappy with the 'limited' government response and would have liked more."

Nope, I was unhappy with the results of the attempts of FEMA to control/overseeing etc..."solve" everything. In my view they solved nothing and did more harm than good.

FAILURE!
- Kelly Halldorson, Dover, NH

the constitution was written to keep the power in the peoples hands. it is in the nature of the government to acquire power. the founders knew this which is why the constitution says any powers not specifically designated to the federal level shall be reserved for the individual states to decide. it served us well before and can again with Ron Paul as president.
- Geoff, Manchester

Ron Paul kicked em hard at the debate. Every time the man speaks he gains more supporters. The media and the machine are doing all they can to silence or ridicule Dr. Paul and he keeps turning the tables on them. He shines the light of truth on all their deceptions and comes out smelling like a rose. The more they marginalize and attack, the more the people see it for what it is. A snow job to silence a true patriot. Ron Paul will be heard, if not on TV then EVERYWHERE else! We the people will see to it!
- Rahn, Loxahatchee, Fla.

While I agree w/ the tenets of abolishing the IRS and the NEA; withdrawl from the UN etc..., I think Paul is dead wrong about our premature military withdrawl from Iraq. The reasons should be obvious: A psychological, political and ultimate military win for the enemy.

Then we can watch the fun and blood will really start to flow.

Regarding Kelly's attempting to walk 38 miles in support of Paul, I say good luck and wear comfortable shoes.

I participated in a POW/MIA Walk for Awareness a few years ago and walked 18 miles from Veterans Park in Manchester to the State House in Concord. It took 6 + hours and my hips/ legs were sore enough I could barely get into the van for the return trip home. I was sore for 3 days after the walk. I would do it again today if we could raise money AND awareness for American Vet's and their families.

What is the U.S. doing to keep military aged Iraqi men and women from abandoning their country only to have our military fighting their battles? It's a disgrace. We have thousands of Iraqi 'refugees' in this and other countries while we fight their battles.

Reminds me a bit of Kuwait and the out flow of its citizens during Desert Storm in 1991. Despicable.
- Rick, Manchester

Kelly is a fine American! Abolish the IRS, get us out of the UN, give government back to the people! Ron Paul's message is a true inspiration.
- Nathan LaHue, Concord

John, I think her point was that the Federal response is always lacking in substance, so why should tax payers support it. Ask a Katrina victim "who helped more, the government at any level, or the Red Cross?"
- Nick, Clifton Park, NY

With her response to the earthquake and hurricane Katrina, it appears to me she was unhappy with the 'limited' government response and would have liked more.
- John Edward Mercier, Belmont, NH

Thank you Kelly Halldorson!!! Speaking as someone who will be voting in the New Hampshire primary. I will be voting as a Republican and for Ron Paul. Why because he tells the truth is wise and truly believes in smaller government and less regulation. His voting record proves it.
Libertarian Ken Blevens
- Libertarian Ken Blevens, Bow

Godspeed, Kelly! And God Bless Ron Paul! He is a true American patriot.
- Gary Johnson, New York, NY

Go Kelly Halldorson!!! Ron Paul supporters everywhere are rooting for you!
- Valerie, Bonaire, Georgia

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