Those introductions have come in the form of door-to-door canvassing, leafleting and phone calling, which will continue through the election tomorrow.

The Edwards campaign has encouraged volunteers, including the Harvard students who worked on Saturday, with motivational speeches painting the campaign in broad strokes—”This is a war of ideas”—and alluding frequently to Bill Clinton’s 1992 primary comeback.

But after hours of waving placards in the brutal cold, the greatest treat for the volunteers here came in the form of lunch: hot chili (a primary staple) and lasagna.

Outside, a van promoting the renegade campaign of Lyndon H. Larouche blared the candidate’s message.

“Lyndon Larouche has promised to get rid of the so-called neo-cons,” an announcer declared.

Across the street at the local pizzeria, one Nashua resident—a Republican—was compelled to talk back to the television overhead after a string of seemingly incessant political advertisements.

Back in the Edwards headquarters, a nourished group of devotees planned its afternoon activities with hopeful enthusiasm.

“A lot of people can come here without money, without name recognition and win,” Frank said.

—Staff writer Zachary M. Seward can be reached at seward@fas.harvard.edu.