Just days before the nation’s first primary vote in New Hampshire, Jeb Bush appears to still be struggling to gain traction.

The establishment Republican candidate — once presumed to have an easy path to the GOP nomination — came in sixth in Monday’s Iowa caucus, netting 3 percent support.

All the while, Bush continues plugging along in New Hampshire, fighting for voters drawn toward more establishment candidates such as Marco Rubio and Chris Christie. At a town hall event in Hanover on Tuesday evening, Bush again trumpeted his record as former governor of Florida — a theme he has often emphasized on the trail. He also worked to set up a contrast against his notably brash Republican rivals.

“I will not trash talk. I will not be a divider in chief or an agitator in chief. I won’t be out there blowharding, talking a big game without backing it up. I think the next president needs to be a lot quieter but send a signal that we’re prepared to act in the national security interests of this country — to get back in the business of creating a more peaceful world,” Bush declared to the crowd Tuesday evening.

He was met with a long beat of silence.

“Please clap,” he pleaded, drawing applause and awkward laughter.

Read the article “Bush Pleads for Town Hall Attendees to ‘Please Clap’” on msnbc.com.