The 2004 New Hampshire primary turned out to be spectacular political theater. When we began this project, we couldn't have imagined the drama that lay in store. In hindsight,there were plenty of signs: the number and caliber of the staffers, the money, the technology, the poignancy of the issues, and the spectrum of the candidates' personalities and ideologies. Add to that the most intensive media presence and scrutiny in New Hampshire primary history, and you have the ideal conditions for the political show of a lifetime. The official results of any election are a permanent record of the vote count, and not of the tremendous personal growth, the lifetime friendships, and the emotional roller coaster that the staffers experience. The best way to get a sense of the electoral process is to read the words of those who've lived it. Their voices also help us understand campaign culture and why so many young people are drawn to it. —Excerpts from the Introduction of Primarily New Hampshire by Meryl Levin & Will Kanteres more-->