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BY KEITH EDWARDS
Staff Writer 04/13/2008

Staff Writer

CONCORD, N.H. -- Hair stylist David Holden watched the parade of presidential candidates coming through Concord, stumping for votes in the state's first-in-the-nation presidential primary.

He saw a way to help his autistic son, and others across the country like him, while also having a little fun with $400 haircuts.

Former Demo-cratic presidential candidate John Edwards made news headlines and joke punchlines last year when his campaign spending reports included two $400 haircuts.

Holden, after chatting with customers at his Hair Biz Salon in downtown Concord, decided to offer the many presidential candidates who flocked to New Hampshire before the primary $400 haircuts of their own, and some of them took him up on the offer.

Candidates who coughed up big bucks for one of Holden's haircuts included Democrat Dennis Kucinich and Republicans Tom Tancredo and Mike Huckabee, who has been in twice.

None of the remaining candidates -- Republican John McCain or Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama -- have taken Holden up on the offer.

It's an example of a business owner seizing the opportunity of the temporary, but sharply focused attention that comes to Concord with its presidential primary status. That status, and the candidates' response to it, can bring national publicity to a local business. In Holden's case, it's benefiting a cause, and his son, rather than his business.

It's not a money-making business scheme, nor is it intended as a poke at Edwards, Holden said. It's a way to raise funds, and awareness, to fight autism.

Twelve-year-old Costica, one of Holden's two sons adopted from Romania, is autistic.

"He represents one of the tens of thousands of kids in America who need help," Holden said of his son. "For us, it's been really exciting. We're able to do something small for autism. But big in the sense that families with autism, and groups, have been able to get a wonderful amount of media attention because of this."

Holden's Hair Biz salon is just a couple doors down Main Street from Edwards' former Concord campaign office. Due to New Hampshire's status as the first primary in the nation, multiple candidates have, or at least had, campaign offices in the state. And, for such a small state, New Hampshire's electoral importance brings numerous candidates to the state for campaign visits.

Those visits bring others to New Hampshire's cities and towns, like media members following the political campaigns, and campaign workers.

They also bring attention and somewhat hard-to- quantify political clout. The clout comes with the attention. Politicians might be more likely to pay attention to a city like Concord's needs because, come national election time, the early votes of residents there might take on more significance because they come at a crucial time of the campaign.

Virginia Drew, director of the visitors center at the New Hampshire Statehouse, said visitors center workers recently asked students touring the Statehouse how many of them had ever met a president. Close to half had, she said.

Hundreds of presidential campaign buttons fill a quilt hanging prominently in the visitors center, gifts left by the many candidates who come to the Statehouse to put their name on the state ballot.

They do that in the Secretary of State's tiny office, where many candidates also give speeches after paying $1,000 and putting themselves on the ballot. A large collage of photographs of presidential candidates who have been in to sign up decorates one wall of the office.

"All the major candidates have been in" Drew said. "They don't have to come in in person, but if you want to be elected..."

Keith Dickey, owner of Butter's Fine Food and Wine on Main Street, had a prominent visitor earlier this campaign season.

"Barack Obama has been in," he said. "It was wild, there were three TV crews, maybe 35 people. Being first in the nation primary is great. Politics are a lot of fun here."

Holden, who typically charges $17 for a man's haircut, stresses he did not intend to pile on to the flack Edwards received over the expensive haircut which prompted Holden's fundraising idea.

And, apparently, there are no hard feelings on the part of Edwards. The ex-candidate's wife sent a check and a note back when their campaign was still active, saying they had heard about Holden's idea and wanted to contribute.

"I got a package from Elizabeth Edwards, with a handwritten note," Holden said. "They sent us $500."

All of the presidential candidate haircut proceeds are being sent to the Autism Society of America, Holden said.

"To me, it's not so much about the money, it's about the national exposure for the Autism Society," Holden said. "I've been able to talk to each of the candidates about autism and early screening of all children, and the need for more intervention services."

Holden has been interviewed by CBS, CNN, the Boston Globe, New England Cable News, and other media outlets. Even The Guardian newspaper in England, ran a story on Kucinich's visit.

He said so many cameras and media members were inside his business during Tancredo's haircut he kept bumping into cameras as he cut the candidate's hair.

Keith Edwards -- 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com

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