At the age of 94, Doris “Granny D” Haddock is disgusted by the “tight grip corporate special interests have on our government.” In 1999, she embarked on a cross-country journey, walking ten miles a day for fourteen months to promote the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill. In June of this year, she took the democratic nomination for New Hampshire’s senate race. By running a campaign without corporate support, Granny D hopes to demonstrate that ordinary citizens have the power to reclaim their democracy. We joined Granny D on her walk from the HUB to the Plymouth-based Democratic Headquarters this past Thursday to speak with her about her goals.
The Clock: When was it that you began to suspect that our government is corrupt?Granny D: It was in 1997 that I became aware of the problem: that we had corruption. I spent the year of 1998 training for the walk, because I had tried very hard with a national petition spread all over the country. When I sent it to the senators, they sent back a cookie-cutter letter saying, “Dear little old lady, don’t bother yourself, we’re taking care of things.” I realized that a petition wasn’t enough, so I started to walk.
TC: What did you do to train for the walk?GD: It took me a year to get in shape for it. I did all the things my son said I had to do in order to be in shape. He tried very hard to dissuade me at first, and when it didn’t work, he began helping me. I started January 1 of 1999 at the Rose Bowl parade in California. I had been reading Gandhi, and you know how he booted the English out of India. If you want to accomplish something very difficult, you must be willing to make the sacrifice. You can’t expect anyone else to do something you want done. So I started that day, at the age of ninety, trying to get media attention and to perhaps wake people up to what is happening.
TC: What do you think the biggest single problem is at the moment? GD: At the moment, these hills. I don’t do too well on hills; I smoked for years. The biggest problem is the fact that corporations own our politicians and can tell them what to do. They control our country, and it’s almost impossible to run against this. A poor man has to sell his boat to run for office.
TC: Specifically what kind of changes would you like to see in the structure of our national government?GD: I’d like to see politicians close the door to lobbyists. Make them write a letter like anyone else. Don’t give special attention to people’s ideas just because they have more money. Most politicians forget that they’re representing the constituents.
We stopped at the fire station and Granny posed for a few photos in front of the ladder trucks. The procession gathered momentum from here, picking up dog-walkers and sign-holders from side roads and houses along Highland Street. Granny was very personable, shaking hands with everybody and sharing words with anyone who would lend her an ear. We passed Mary Cooney’s house, a state rep running for her third term. She offered her bathroom to anyone of the walkers needing a pit stop and joined the march holding a sign that bore her name.By Smith St, the number of participants had nearly tripled from the small group that began in front of the HUB. Some of the partakers carried tall, colorful banners reminiscent of samurai war flags bearing Granny’s name and face. A New Hampshire native, Granny commented on the fall colors, which were particularly stunning in the afternoon sunset along Highland St.We were greeted at the headquarters by a group of about 20 individuals with chairs, food, and flowers set up to welcome Granny. Before she spoke, nearly sixty people congregated to hear what the 94-year-old woman in the eagle feather hat might have to say.
TC: Do you ever get nervous before you address a crowd?GD: No, I’m very fortunate in that respect. Some people are lucky. I’ve never been nervous when talking to any amount of people.
TC: How often do you speak these days?GD: Three or four times a day now. I really want people to see what’s going on, and the only way to do that is to tell them.
Granny’s speech touched upon many of her signature stances, including her opposition to the war in Iraq, opposition to tax cuts for the wealthy, support for working families, her intention to keep well-paying jobs in America, and as always, campaign finance reform. She was warmly received, and left the podium to raucous applause.
Before her walk, Granny D spoke with a few classes and ate lunch in the dining hall with Beth, Rebecca, and Caitlin of the PSU Democrats, who were responsible for organizing her sojourn at Plymouth State. Always anxious to converse with the people, Granny D made a particularly personal impression on students and faculty alike. The PSU Democrats meet at 8pm on Tuesdays in the fireplace lounge. For more information on Granny D and her campaign, visit GrannyD.com.