Why we made Stranglehold
Stranglehold presents a new way of reporting on an old political tradition NHPR’s newsroom has been covering for decades: the New Hampshire primary.
Rather than focus on the candidates, campaign promises, or polls, Stranglehold tells the story of the primary itself — the history, the infrastructure, the behind-the-scenes players and more.
Every four years, the candidates come and go, but the primary remains. It’s an institution that has transformed New Hampshire’s politics over the years, and it continues to shape how many in New Hampshire think of their state.
For many outsiders, the primary may be the only thing they know about New Hampshire.
Accordingly, Stranglehold reports on the primary as NHPR would any other powerful state institution, be it a state agency, a powerful business or an influential special interest group.
Fundamentally, Stranglehold is interested in questions of power as they relate to the primary: What power comes with holding the “first in the nation” Presidential primary? Who most benefits from this power? And what are the consequences — both in New Hampshire and nationally — of the system as it’s now designed?