Politics

Live Boring or Die

In a year of insurgents and stars, New Hampshire’s Senate race is an establishment-versus-establishment contest. But this election is way more revealing than I imagined.

Photo illustration by Slate. Screenshots via Valley Vision/Vimeo .

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Less than half an hour into the first debate between the two candidates for New Hampshire’s open Senate seat, the moderator put his foot in his mouth. “Do you think that’s important, Chris Sununu?” George Epstein, of the Conway Daily Sun, tried to ask one candidate, before immediately course-correcting: “Excuse me—Chris Sununu is definitely the wrong name to use.”

It was a mistake that said more about the race than any of the candidates’ answers. Yes, John Sununu, Republican, is running against Chris Pappas, Democrat.…