As a precursor to speaking at Victory NH's Inaugural First in the Nation Forum, Mayor Giuliani penned the following exclusive essay...

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Protecting America's Traditions

by Rudy Giuliani

I respect tradition.

My favorite baseball team, for example, plays in the American League. They've got a terrific rivalry with another American League team that plays somewhat closer to New Hampshire. That rivalry is built upon decades of hard-fought competition and it benefits The Yankees and the Red Sox -- and all of baseball -- as fans of both teams and the sport in general bring a special passion to contests that are enriched by a century of history and lore.

There's something very special about watching a great player like Derek Jeter face off against a great player like David Ortiz. Part of what makes that special is knowing that a similar electricity greeted the games in which Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio competed against each other. A tradition is more than just a habit. Tradition provides a way to connect people to their past in a way that gives meaningful context and a basis to understand the world as it changes.

I was disappointed when the American League introduced the designated hitter. It makes it much more difficult to evaluate statistics and compare players of different eras when pitchers now face nine hitters rather than eight. It's a shame whenever the events, rituals and wisdom of the past are not properly valued in the present.

When assessing how strong a candidate is based on how he performs in New Hampshire, a meaningful comparison can only be made if New Hampshire retains its primacy. That's the essence of why I favor honoring the hallowed tradition of America's first primary taking place in New Hampshire. Having begun in 1916, the tradition turned 90 years old this year. And it happens to be working beautifully.

This tradition goes beyond simple routine. Lots of Americans wear green on St Patrick's Day or give a Valentine's Day card on February 14th. But these pleasant activities are not unique. What occurs every four years in New Hampshire is exceptional.
New Hampshire's citizens have earned the right to keep this tradition intact. They are this country's best educated and most politically active citizens.

The primacy of the New Hampshire primary should be maintained for other reasons as well. New Hampshire's size creates an inclusive atmosphere in which candidates can compete without facing the colossal expense required by a much larger state. Those who desire to learn if their message resonates with voters can do so on a manageable playing field.

Thus, New Hampshire's primary is inclusive and gives all Americans a chance to hear from a number of candidates. Time and time again, New Hampshire has served as a launching pad for underdog candidates and also to winnow out frontrunners who took a Granite State victory for granted. As American politics increasingly values a candidate's prowess at fundraising, the chance to evaluate that candidate on the more meaningful issues in New Hampshire becomes even more critical.

Whether or not the winner of the primary goes on to become his or her party's nominee is not the salient point. The better measure of the value of New Hampshire's primary is how professionally managed and how thoughtfully it is received. New Hampshire has an uncanny knack for focusing the country's attention on issues that will shape the upcoming elections. Candidates do not necessarily need to win in New Hampshire to win in November. But those who ignore the message of New Hampshire's voters do so at their peril.

The primacy of the New Hampshire primary is a hallowed American tradition that should be preserved and protected.