Bob Smith (New Hampshire politician)
A fiercely conservative New Hampshire senator whose political journey saw him abandon and then return to the Republican Party in a dramatic ideological stand.
Born 1941 (age 85)·American politician·Birthday: March 30·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bob Smith of New Hampshire carved out a political career defined by rigid conservative principle and a willingness to buck his own party. Elected to the House in 1984 and then the Senate in 1990, he established himself as a vocal advocate for military veterans, a staunch anti-abortion voice, and a skeptic of federal spending. His defining moment came in 1999, fueled by frustration with what he saw as the Republican Party's drift from its core values. He dramatically quit the GOP, declaring the two-party system 'bankrupt,' and launched a brief, quixotic campaign for president as an independent before seeking the nomination of the small U.S. Taxpayers Party. The move isolated him in the Senate, where he was stripped of committee posts. He later returned to the Republican fold, but the rift had cost him crucial support. After losing a bitter primary in 2002, his Senate career ended, leaving behind a legacy of a politician who consistently placed personal conviction over party loyalty, for better or worse.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bob was born in 1941, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1941
#1 Movie
Sergeant York
Best Picture
How Green Was My Valley
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1941Born
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1946Started school
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1954Became a teenager
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Could drive
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1959Could vote
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Turned 21
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1971Turned 30
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 40
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 50
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 60
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 70
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 80
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 85 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a United States Senator from New Hampshire for two terms, from 1990 to 2003.
- Chaired the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works from 1999 to 2001.
- Was a leading advocate in the Senate for veterans' affairs and benefits.
- Served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for New Hampshire's 1st district from 1985 to 1990.
Did You Know?
He briefly left the Republican Party in 1999 to run for President as an independent and member of the U.S. Taxpayers Party.
Before politics, he was a high school teacher and a real estate broker.
He served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War era.
After leaving the Senate, he moved to Florida and made an unsuccessful run for the U.S. House there in 2010.
“My principles are not for sale, not even to my party.”
