Campaigning in New Hampshire over Fourth of July weekend 2015, both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders appealed to traditional American values.

One wouldn't typically put beauty queens and Hillary Clinton in the same breath. Still, today's pageant winners are often committed to making a difference in their worlds and they are quick to point out that the poise and skills learned by young women participating in pageants are far more resourceful and self-esteem building than subjecting oneself to the Internet obsession of winning popularity selfie contests on Instagram. In this photo of Hillary and tomorrow's female leaders, any self-respecting feminist knows what that arm salute is all about. Go Rosie!

Bernie Sanders rode to New Hampshire's Fourth of July events draped in down home messaging more retro than they could possibly muster in Alabama or Louisiana. The man who detests shopping and consuming worked hard to communicate his no nonsense Cuba-style pragmatism to New Hampshire voters. I say Cuba, because the Scandinavian countries that Bernie purports to emulate are very 21st century technology and advocate new ways of manufacturing and efficiency. Their imagery is not one of a broken-down putt-putt.

Bernie's bus definitely carried a 1950s vision for America, rolling into New Hampshire with the candidate, two chickens and Bob Dylan's 'The Times They Are A Changing' blaring from the loudspeaker. Much as we love Bob Dylan, many Hillary supporters say "been there, done that". And for reasons that most of us don't fully understand, we lost that Bob Dylan revolutionary battle on many fronts half a century ago. Bernie would say "blame it on the billionaires" but for Hillary supporters, the reasons are a lot more complicated.

As for the chickens named Clucky and Chucky, New Hampshire blogger Wendy E.M. Thomas tried to answer the question of just why two chickens were riding on Bernie's bus on her "Lessons Learned From the Flock" blog. Unlike Hillary and her beauty queens, Wendy came up empty-handed. (Note, Wendy is quick to remind readers that a story does not imply an endorsement. )

For this Hillary supporter who recalls that just 15 years ago I was flying with more than two chickens on a prop jet in China, and now Shanghai towers with 40-story skyscrapers. the chickens got me thinking. They serve -- and not in some stew -- to remind me that income inequality has increased dramatically as a national threat to America's success in the world,. The challenge lies in how to solve this dramatic problem.

I am unable to document that Bernie has ever been to China, and I've looked for weeks. In fact, Bernie has traveled little in life -- if Google searches tell you anything.

Bernie's blue bus reminds me of America's crumbling architecture, one that's starting to rival Havana's. But his trillion dollar jobs proposal is focused entirely on rebuilding that infrastructure and not training workers to fight for higher-paying jobs in the 21st century economy. And then there is the retro, Betty Crocker reality that probably 90% of those jobs would go to men, given the lack of female participation in the construction industry.

I see one rooster in that Bernie blue bus cage. (Did PETA approve this ride?) There had better not be, too. ~ Anne

Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders Enter New Phase in Battle for New Hampshire Bloomberg News

"There’s a key difference between the Clinton campaign and the Sanders campaign in that Clinton made an early investment in recruiting top volunteer organizers, top paid field organizers, political supporters like state senators who make a massive difference," said Sean Downey, a Democratic consultant who was Obama 2012's New Hampshire political director. “At the end of the day, those things count for something and it’s one of the many things that’s going to make a difference for Clinton at the end."

Clinton's effort on the ground in New Hampshire "looks and feels a lot like the Obama 2008 ground game," said Jim Demers, who was a co-chair for that campaign. "Volunteers are in the offices on a regular basis, they're targeting, canvassing ... it really does rival that really aggressive campaign of 2008."

As of Sunday, 5,500 people had volunteered for the Clinton campaign in New Hampshire, and she'd secured the endorsement of nine of 10 Democratic state senators, according to a memo from state director Mike Vlacich marking 100 days until the primary. "We started this campaign in April with a plan and stuck to it," he wrote. "The result is a strong, durable organization built upon lasting relationships."

Hillary Headlines Nov. 2, 2015

Brady Center to Recognize Hillary Clinton for Lifelong Efforts to Stop Gun Violence Brady Center

Sanders campaign releases first TV ad Politico

Clinton Foundation donors keep giving despite scrutiny The Hill

Clinton's young black challenge Politico

Hillary Clinton accused Bernie Sanders of sexism. She's not the first one. The Week

Hillary Clinton's Ingenious Plan To Close the 'Gun Show' Loophole Slate

Campaigning in New Hampshire today, 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton voiced a committed plan for gun control in America. All acknowledge that getting new gun control legislation through Congress will be a monumental effort -- and that includes Clinton's proposals.

Doubling down on her support for banning assault weapons again, Clinton also presented a vision for getting one of her proposals through with executive action: losing the gun show loophole. Clinton's advisers believe she can defend using executive action by redefining and reclassifying what it means to sell "a significant number of guns" and what it means to be "in the business of selling firearms."

What forms of gun control work best? Congress bans federal agencies from finding out. VOX

Former Arkansas Rep. Jay Dickey now says he regrets his federal legislation that shut down any and all federal research around gun violence in America. Private research continues, however. A summer 2015 study concluded that firearm assaults were 6.8 times more common in states with the most guns versus states with the least. Firearm homicide was almost 3 times greater in states with the most guns versus the least, reports LiveScience.