Live from Nashua, New Hampshire, political ground zero, pundit central, lots of quacking: the Hubris 'N' Handbags Tour continues ... a big day here, starting at the Londonderry United Methodist Church, where we attended morning services. Thanks to all there for the hospitality and fellowship. A great congregation. We love attending church when we travel. It adds perspective to our world.

Afternoon, we headed over to a Ron Paul speech at the Free State Project event that has been going on for several days at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. An interesting cross-section in attendance. SRO. The good doctor was in rare form and basked in the adulation of his people here. Great to watch. He did a nice job making his case without attacking any of his opponents.

Many of his followers were protesting his exclusion from the Fox News debate Sunday night and we can understand their ire, given Paul's strong showing in Iowa. This is a good state for Ron Paul, its culture much aligned with his freedom philosophy. We had a nice conversation with one of his granddaughters, who is working on the campaign. If Paul looks grandfatherly and a tad unhip, she is youthful perfection, blonde, smart, thoughtful, a Texas girl (and goodness we love those girls a lot. For the first time in days, we felt certain we'd found one of "our people") He should turn her loose on the campaign crowds. What a doll and well-spoken, too!

This evening, we paid a call on some old Alexandria, Va., friends who have relocated to Hudson, N.H. The hubbie here left The George Washington University for a job at Harvard. Over a dee-lish baked butternut squash,and some pasta, talk turned to the election. They are young and Democrats, 32 and 33, she more liberal than he. Both, well-educated professional folks, no kids yet. They went to two campaign rallies Sunday and came back with interesting perspectives.

Barack Obama, they said, was an hour and 45 minutes late, which they both dubbed rude. They said even diehard supporters were miffed, but they never found out what made him so tardy. They thought him charismatic, for the most part, but said the felt he did not delve enough into the issues. It was more a make-nice, please support me speech. With two days left to the primary and a winning appearance in Saturday night's debate, perhaps his strategy is to NOT make any news, maintain the same course and be charming. We could understand. He seems positioned, at least today, to do very well here.

They also visited a Hillary Clinton rally and both said they came away impressed with her low-key style -- "she was very much comfortable in her own skin," the wife said -- while the husband said he was won over by her thorough command of the issues. He felt she was more substantive, today at least, than Obama. Although the missus liked Mrs. Clinton all along, the husband said he was now leaning toward her after being undecided.

While we were dining, hubbie mistakenly answered the phone to what he says was most certainly a push poll. We all gagged.

This is its own world up here, an incessant, near 24-7 carnival of players criss-crossings towns and villages as the primary nears its end. It's cold. We are tired enough and we can only imagine how each of these candidates must be feeling, given the pace. Our hat is off to all of them because this is GRUELING, what they do. Mittens is battling a cold and it's no wonder most of these people are not down with the flu or somesuch. You have to want it and be superfocused at all times. Incredible physical and mental stamina on display. They should all get mega-credit for that.

Our fave bumper sticker so far: "It takes a school to bankrupt a village."

Changing directions: Strangely, we hope young Britney Spears can get some help. We fear we are watching a modern-day Judy Garland in the making. And some of you all know how that one ended. Badly.

Whaddya think of Roger Clemens? His story seems earnest and compelling. But we think he needs a really good lawyer.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times