NASHUA, N.H. – Based on an unscientific samplings (i.e. this reporter wandering around the state for four days), it appears that long shot Republican Ron Paul might be the front-runner in one area –New Hampshire’s all-important “Visibility Primary.”
“Visibility” is the term of art for the campaign practice of supporters holding signs, staking them into snow banks and chanting the candidate’s name at busy intersections in order to convey a sense of excitement (if not cause annoyance to traffic-bound motorists or draw obscenities from supporters of others). Signs for all the candidates have blanketed the snowy landscape in recent weeks to a striking degree – to a point where long-long-long-long shot Democrat Mike Gravel, the former Alaska senator, has complained that they are useless eye-sores that serve no purpose whatsoever. (Nary a Gravel sign is evident anywhere, by the way.)

Anyway, supporters of Mr. Paul, the small-government libertarian from Texas, have been out in full-force, even hiring a plane to fly above the state trailing a massive Paul banner. They swarmed a polling place in Nashua Tuesday morning, easily outnumbering the counterparts supporting John McCain and Mitt Romney (many imported from out of state.)

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“If we don’t come out here, people might ignore Ron Paul,” said Paul sign-holder Tony Martin, of Nashua, who was standing outside the polling place before heading to work.
He adds that he’s never seen so many people out carrying signs. “The cops are out ticketing cars of the voters and sign-holders,” he reported, shaking his head.

Where’s limited government when you need it.