'Twas the Night Before Caucus (and All Through the State)
By TalkLeft Tuesday Jan 01, 2008 10:01pm 
One last night for the candidates to make their case. Hillary will be on Letterman tonight. She taped it in Cedar Rapids. She then went to her Des Moines campaign office to give a pep talk to staffers.
John Edwards made 11 stops today and is finishing with a big event in Des Moines with John Mellencamp -- that's where Jane and I will be.
The media has taken over this town. Sean Hannity's crew is at the bar/restaurant next door to our hotel -- he'll be broadcasting H&C from there. The Fox News people are staying at our hotel, as are the Clintons.
The drive to Cedar Rapids today to see Hillary was long -- 2 hours -- and then another hour to Coralville for the Obama event. And of course, more than 2 hours back. It's the flattest state I've ever seen. You go miles without seeing anything, maybe a scattered barnhouse -- not even any livestock.
It's still freezing cold here. On the local news, they are interviewing new caucus goers in the skywalks. You can register to vote at the caucus door.
They are predicting a big turnout, maybe 165,000 Democrats and 95,000 Republicans. That would be huge, compared to 2004.
Also on the local news: Hillary has 5,000 volunteers on hand just to help people get to their caucus. By comparison, in 2004, John Kerry had 400.
There are 2,500 credentialed media in Des Moines -- there is heavy security at the Convention Center. They say no one gets in without a credential. I'll be there tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow night, following the results live on the big board.
Hillary's event was packed with hundreds of Iowans -- there were a lot of middle aged and elderly people. They were very enthusiastic and cheered a lot, particularly on health care. It started almost an hour late, which meant we were late getting to Obama's event at the Marriott in Coralville. We got there just as the doors opened and people started leaving. There were a lot of people -- they were predominantly young and younger. There were a lot of junior and high school age kids who obviously were too young to vote. We waited and watched everyone come out. Towards the end there were a few middle aged people, but just a few. It was also a very white crowd. We only saw a handful of minorities. Conclusion: If the college kids come out for Obama, he's in good shape. If the elderly come out for Clinton, she's in good shape. It's all about the turnout at this point. I'll have some video later I hope. My last computer battery is dying and we have an hour or more drive back to Des Moines. More when I can get near a power outlet. I've got to go get ready for the Edwards event, I'll be back later. I did get a firewire cord so I can download my videos of Romney and Hillary to my laptop, edit them and then get them up on you tube. So much to do, so little time.
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Frist. I was born in Cedar Rapids. 12:03 AM 10/29/54. St Mary's Hospital.
Looks pretty but its really cold!
Not surprising you didn't see a lot of minorities for Obama. There aren't a lot there I don't imagine.
A real thriller. I mean chiller.
Thank you from OH-05!!
Stay warm :)
Orangutan. @ 3:
He's working Ethanol territory.
How do we make Iowa an exciting event?
first, let me say congratulations for being in Iowa. We all appreciate you for doing this.
It would have been really cool if you could have done was the night before Christmas or at least that theme throughout the whole post.
Beware those Diebold machines.
Iowa is hilly. Check out Nebraska.
Orangutan. @ 3:
yeah, but a lot of white rural iowans like obama. trust me, i'm down in rural illinois, where he's liked by a lot of white rural folk.
remember, he's half kenyan, but he's also half white kansan. that's why he has so much cross-appeal.
John West @ 10:
True. Iowa is mountainous in comparison. Not only is it very flat, but after Grand Island you lose the trees too.
Iowa is hilly. Check out Nebraska. How about checking out Kansas.
It's funny. We live about two miles from the Coralville Marriott (which our kids call "the place with the indoor pool") and have gone to several Obama-rama parties in the last month. But we stayed home tonight and read up some more, since the kids go back to school tomorrow (and we're all still fighting two weeks of phase-advancing behavior). In any event (or non-event, as the case may be), we have both switched to Edwards. Even if our daughter demands that we vote for Hillary in the general, which I fear that we'll have to.
really, we are talking about the flatness of Iowa and Nebraska. next we'll be talking about the weather.
JTM @ 14:
why?
poor hillary will loose big
So much to do...PLus u have been driving all day. Girl, you are going to need some sleep because tomorrow will be a VERY long day.
Budda -
What are you smoking? I'm not a Hillary fan but I doubt that she will lose big.
Thank you for keeping us updated.....cspan had most of the speeches up tonight- Edwards rocked and so did Obama....
ecthompson @ 19:
Well, I smoked some really good BC grown "bubblicious" weed tonight. But it isn't the weed talking it's the people. They are going to crucify the witch tomorrow.
Am I the only person who thinks this whole Iowa, New Hampshire focus is a ridiculous waste of money and time?
6% of the residents of Iowa actually attend a Caucus, how stupid it is to devote so much energy to this game. What does New Hampshire have to do with anything but the egos of its state leaders.
The whole country should have primary elections within a week or at most 2 week period and that should be no more than six months or less before the general election. this system is expensive, and disenfranchises many, many citizens. A stupid ridiculous exercise. The media and hospitality businesses make money at our expense.
hate to tell everyone, including the bloggers hanging out in iowa, but the new primary setup (which is a total joke) makes iowa and new hampshire meaningless
and the new primary system is setup to make sure the also rans dont have a voice after the first month
im pretty disgusted by the whole process
and if hillary does come out on top....we are doomed
doomed for at least another 4 years of bush like policies
and dont hold your breath for hillary to recind any of the executive orders giving almost absolute power to the prez...she learned all to well what sharing power with congress really means
I'm sick of Bush Clinton Bush Clinton.
This friggin' broken record just has to end.
"You go miles without seeing anything, maybe a scattered barnhouse — not even any livestock."
Gee, no livestock when the windchill is below zero? Strange. Maybe they were all huddled in those scattered "barnhouses"? (Barnhouses? I mean - thanks for being here, but this is kind of embarrassing to read from someone I respect...)
Here's my experience in Iowa. Our moving truck broke down, so we had to have a local mechanic tow it. He was a really nice guy, except as we were driving into Des Moines, out of nowhere he says "So my son's marrying my step-daughter. Nothin' I can do about it I guess."
That's my impression of Iowa.
The press is in Iowa for a coronation. Because the primary system is structured to eliminate anybody that doesn't finish in the top three in Iowa or New Hampshire, the corporate press can make it seem like any other challenger has absolutely no chance of the nomination. Good for business, bad for America.
Here is a forgotten fact: Bill Clinton finished fourth in the 1992 Iowa caucus with a eye popping 3% of the vote. He finished second in New Hampshire after that. He finished behind Paul Tsongas in each of those contests. So instead of Bill Clinton challenging George H.W. Bush, the Democrats would have had Paul Tsongas running against Senior Bush. Think about it.
I used to spend my summers in Clear Lake. We would drive up from Texas and I remember that as you entered Iowa on IH-35 there was a sign that read "Welcome To Iowa, A Great Place To Grow" . . . and someone had spray painted the word "Corn" at the end.
My brothers and I laughed so hard.
Of course we lived in Central Texas which was not a good place to grow corn. I grew up near Crawford. For the life of me, can't figure out why Pursident Bush would want to build his eco friendly fake ranch there.
I have family in Des Moines. My aunt and I used to argue because she said Clinton was a scumbag and said Bush right back at you. We're both supporting Ron Paul this time around. Strange.
EyeUhWah @ 25:
LOL! Ok, the word "barnhouse" makes me giggle for some odd reason. But perhaps they mean the single family dwellings intended for humans that just happen to have a 4 plane roof like a barn does. So... house-like-a-barn... barnhouse?
That's not too crazy. Next you'll be mocking me for parking in my carhouse, or driving my people wagon to the giant food cave for groceries... gotta go, the kids are trying to put frozen meat-sticks from the cold box into the hot box unassisted...
It's cold everywhere. Currently 18 degrees in Raleigh, NC and freeze warnings in Daytona Beach, Fl.
Chris @ 26:
Every Christmas season, our family drives from the Chicago area to Des Moines for a family holiday celebration (no intrafamily marriages..... sorry). It is a tough drive. This past season, it was a grueling drive because of blowing snow in below zero wind chills. Interstate 80 was a car graveyard with over fifty cars and trucks blown into ditches or driven off the road and laying in the median and cornfields. When we drove back home (only two days later) we saw only one car that had not been towed. Iowans get the job done, and they take the caucuses very seriously.
CalGeorge @ 24:
I agree. If the dumbass-crats nominate her, I will have a very hard time voting for Mrs. Nafta-corporate-ass-kisser-Hillary! On the other hand, I could enthusiastically vote for any other dem. I really wish the Clinton's and their DLC would just go away, and leave us in peace.
Hang in there Hillary, you only have to pretend to care about those Iowa and New Hampshire hicks a little bit longer. Then you can be back in New York with the Wall Streeters and cozying up to Rupert Murdoch.
This was an extremely informative bit o blogging. I enjoyed reading it very much. I'm looking forward to future installments! Nice Work!
"No, I'm from Iowa. I only work in outer space."
James T. Kirk
Why?
Because after the whole feelin' good things wears off, it's really hard to tell Obama and Clinton apart. As much as I hate this way of thinking, the main thing that really stands out to me is how they'd break the white-male streak in different ways. Another difference is how I predict that they'd fail as Preznit in different ways: Clinton by galvanizing the Republicans into filibustering breathing and Obama by his not being able to handle the stress and the fact that Washington is nastier than he's (yet) realized.
I used to trot out Obama's original anti-war vote as a huge positive (which it is), but that's about the only one he got right. It's not like he's been voting 'no' on everything warlike. And his health-care plan is just as awful as Clinton's, which is almost as important as Iraq for me. Insurance for everyone??? Are you effing kidding? Like that's a solution?
At this point (which was around 4 pm, I'd guess), we starting looking at the others again, even though we'd written them all off about a month ago. We quickly eliminated those that have no chance of making 15%. Well, more honestly, I considered Dodd again (due to the Willimantic connection between us), but he's a bit like Obama in that he's done one good thing lately and that's about it. The rest of the time, he'd been just another Democrat in Washington and I'm so sick of them. The last 12 months have been heart-breaking.
Which left Edwards and I was surprised by how much I liked him. In a way, he really seems to have grown up a lot. His non-sound-byte answers show a depth I don't remember from before. Maybe I fell for the whole hair thing, but I had no idea that he was that bright. And he appears realistic with regard to what can be done and how long it might take. He gives the goal (which might come across as pandering if you stop there), but then tells you why you can't have it immediately. That it will take a few intermediate steps. And the steps seem rather well thought out.
So, ignoring the pain of the last 12 months (have I mentioned that before?), I even got a little bit excited again. Way back when, I assumed that it was up to us (as in: Democrats) to choose the next Preznit. We could have anyone we wanted, since even the military vote has been lost by Bush. So we could go for someone really radical. Someone who might really make a difference.
But then all summer it was Clinton, Clinton, Clinton. And I'm not interested in us having "our turn" to be despots. I was looking for something new, so I got depressed again. And it sure wasn't helping that the House and Senate were playing "roll over," "play dead," "now beg" for Bush/Cheney.
Then there was a period of excitement when I got to Iowa and starting hanging out with all the Obama-maniacs at the university. But that wasn't based on anything deep. It was just a good feeling.
So, with (now) less than 24 hours to go, it was time to actually think about it. M.Moore's piece that was linked to was a nice summary. I would also add that I'm not so sure any more that it's a done deal for the Democrats in November, so head-to-head match-ups make a difference to me. But, most of all, it's health care, corporate power, and the war. And Edwards is miles ahead of Clinton and Obama on the first two issues, way ahead of Clinton on the third, and about tied with Obama on the third.
If, for some reason, Edwards doesn't make 15% in my precinct, then Obama.
I used to love the insight at this blog. Don't minimize the value of your experience for it slights your opportunity and reputation. Yikes! You missed it by a mile. Iowa flat? Have you come with a preconceived notion? Dare you to come back in the end of July and bike the state during the Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. You will soon make your mea cupa.
Oh, and on the whole "Iowa is flat" thing: I had the same pre-conception. I'm from Maine and Connecticut, so when my wife said she wanted to move here I freaked. My dream house is on a hill, in the woods, with a stream down below. My daughter wants me to build her a tree-fort (with a "no boys allowed" sign; I'd be the exception). My son like to build dams and then jump up and down in the resulting pond.
Yes, the drive across the middle on 80 is dull. Yes, you don't have to downshift once between the airport and the city. But I live in my dream house. And it's only 2 miles from the Coralville Marriott.
Iowa is not flat, by any means.
If you hardly saw anything between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, then I suggest you weren't paying attention. There are barns, sheds, farmhouses, and livestock on every horizon.
ugh, 5,000 people to help the old fucks get to their caucus for hillary.
i cannot stand her.
"... It’s [Iowa] the flattest state I’ve ever seen. You go miles without seeing anything ..."
SG: When it comes to Gay Rights, have you ever noticed that 'flat states' are the most 'homo-static' ...?
Snerd
It's almost hilarious listening to the Clinton shills talking about shovels,babysitters, transportation -this is to get these people out to caucus for her--all over the air and radio today. Fitting metaphor with the shovels! And fyi Clinton having a packed house is fine saw it on Cspan with the oldsters just filling the seats.Also a great metapor of her campaign. But oh well we get talkleft to blog for c&l --another one of the stellar Clinton enthusiasts=wasn"t Taylor Marsh available with her merry band of hateful robots? Would have been icing on the cake.
Hello. Just another person who has driven coast-to-coast on I-80 here. Yes, the terrain in Iowa actually is quite varied and interesting compared to Nebraska. The Iowa border is where civilization begins. To the west, it's just the Great American Desert until you reach California.
go Edwards
Having lived (and bicycled) in Iowa, I can tell you definitively that it ain't flat. At all. The street in Des Moines I grew up on had a hill that made for excellent sledding once it got iced up. Even better sledding was to be had at the local Waveland golf course, with many rolling hills. Biking out to Fort Dodge, or to Booneville, featured plenty of ups and downs.
Am I the only person who thinks this whole Iowa, New Hampshire focus is a ridiculous waste of money and time?
No.
You can buy a nice power inverter for about $80... just plug your A.C. plug in the the inverter. Presto. No more D.C. travel cables for CPU's and such...
What do you call 2,500 credentialed media in Des Moines? A GOOD START!!!!
I really find this hard to believe ... all one has to do is google/images "Barack Obama Iowa crowds" (which I just did) or some key words similar to those and you can see for yourself Senator Obama attracts all ages - from very young to very old. Only a few middle aged people - gid adda here! If this is really true, it's the only time it's happened. Pls. give me a link so I can see the crowd with my own eyes.
Or you can go to youtube.com and enter (which I just did) "Barack Obama Iowa speech" and take a look at the crowds for yourself.
Thanks for the perspective!
I really do dislike all the media hype, and am already cringing in anticipation of their vapid spin. Iowa and New Hampshire only matter because the say they do. I'm glad both states take the whole thing seriously, but Super Tuesday, with some, ya know, ethnic diversity and more representative voters, should be much more important. I'd like a rotating regional primary season, or something.
Sue @ 13:
Or try northern Illinois.
Get a coverter to use with your vehicle's cigarette lighter. Cellphones, laptops, anything can be recharged. You're welcome.
So Jeralyn, your quote
"We got there just as the doors opened and people started leaving. There were a lot of people — they were predominantly young and younger. There were a lot of junior and high school age kids who obviously were too young to vote. We waited and watched everyone come out. Towards the end there were a few middle aged people, but just a few. It was also a very white crowd. We only saw a handful of minorities. Conclusion: If the college kids come out for Obama, he’s in good shape. If the elderly come out for Clinton, she’s in good shape. It’s all about the turnout at this point."
In other words Jeralyn, the large crowds for Obama were mostly young kids "too young to vote".....
Sorry NO SALE....your bias shows thru AGAIN.........Thanks for the fair and balanced reporting from Iows.....think I'll go over to Fox Noise now. Geeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I hear that Democrats alone have spent about $100 million in Iowa. These caucuses must be a huge boost to the Iowa economy, which probably means we will be stuck with them for some time to come.
The official word from the associated press. Don't forget to look below the line for a full explanation of why these things are happening the way they are for each network.
Now we know, Thomas Friedman was in an Iowa rehab center when he wrote 'The World is Flat'. But you're going against contemporary physics when you refer to 'scattered barnhouses', for, as Einstein wrote, 'God does not play scattered barnhouses with Iowa'.
Be careful if someone tries to get you to just drive over the Iowa border or you'll fall off the edge of the flat earth. But keep writing if you do, it'll be interesting to read your impressions of 'The Long Fall'.
How many volunteers does 'Fabulous Fred' have lined up to show him how to get the hell out of Iowa?
Preacher Boob @ 55:
Me thinks you have us confused with Kansas.
John West @ 10:
Thank you. The blogger should get out more. Eastern Iowa is stunning. Weird to make a broad comment with so little knowledge. Oh wait, no, that happens all the time.
superdude @ 43:
Outside of those little hills called the Rocky Mountains.
Now, come on, guys, the coasters only think Iowa is flat because they'd never in a billion years set foot in North Dakota, Nebraska, or Kansas. They only come to Iowa because we're first in primary season.
(And it's the media's fault for making our votes seem so important. Really, any other state pushed into first would get the same 'life or death, do or die' coverage from the corporatist journamalists. So give us a break.)
budda @ 21:
Yea, great support there for the progressives...nice misognystic tone there buddy buddha.
Considering she and obama have the exact same voting record (aside from 4 minor votes)...it all comes down to her being a woman.
http://votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=55463
ANY DEM OVER ANY REPUBLICAN
stogoe @ 60:
Have to agree with you on that...I'd choose Iowa over South Dakota or North Dakota any day; but with that said, I love bein a coaster more than any midwest scene.
For those who claim Iowa isn't THAT flat, show me another state where this could happen:
I heard of a kid who shot his favorite 'Aggie' in a game of marbles in downtown Des Moines, missed the 'duck' he was aiming for, and his 'Aggie' rolled all across the state, with him chasing it, until it rolled through Sioux Falls and was lost in the wilds of Nebraska.
After the Germans conquered Paris, in 1940, the French aristocacry had a dilemma:
The aristocrats, who loved France, hated Nazis. But they hated Jews even more.
So the patriotic aristocrats became collaborators, eagerly supported the puppet Vichy regime, and helped the Nazis round up French Jews to send them to deaths.
Clinton-despisers are the "aristocrats" of the Democratic Party.
John West @ 10:
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Thanks for the updates. Am so surprised that Hillary has done so well in Iowa. She not only voted for the 2002 war resolution which took our nation into Iraq, she has not apologized, seems to feel no remorse, and then voted for the Kyl Liberman amendment..taking our nation one step closer to a pre-emptive strike on Iran. Obama just happened to be out of town the day of this critical vote.
Edwards has taken a solid stance on using diplomacy with Iran, Edwards has not taken any PAC money and has done quite well in Iowa without it.
How can Iowa voters forget that Hillary is Aipac's girl and other lobbyist orgazations.
Former Senator Edwards is not taking any Pac money. Hello is anyone home?
Hi,
you can buy a Power Adapter at a Best Buy for $30-35.00. I am in my car all day & needed to plugin my laptop- Its great - it plugs into the Cigarette Lighter.
Up here in Minnneapolis, we are glad its in Iowa(we caucus here too). Looking forward to all of you coming to MSP for GOP convention - Come Protest.
Re: Iowa being flat: Compared to Colorado where I live, it's very flat. I guess it's all comparative, but we drove from Des Moines to Cedar Rapids to Carolville and back yesterday -- 6 hours in the car--- and all I saw was flat.
Cosimo de Lauro @ 64:
yes it aint bad enough you cant call the zion freaks on here , we got to have this douchbag call us anti semetic if we dont kiss clintons ass!
I live in Vermont and nearly went insane when I was in northern Illinois for 2 weeks. Flat, flat, flat... Wisconsin was somewhat more tolerable, but not by much. Even southern NH starts making me itch for real hills.
Oh, and go Edwards.
Hoo-ray for the 5,000 strong Billary Machine--true democracy in action--get out & vote for her highness, union members, or else !
True believers on the right of me, Huns on the left.
Hillary is a solid candidate and there is very little they can spring on her that will get much traction. Theyve taken their best shots for 15 years and people are a little leary of gopers crying clinton wolf.
I'd be fine with Obama or Edwards as well but Hillary wont be afraid of cutting the throats needed to make president. I dont want to risk a John Kerry half-assed run.
This is one of the things I really miss having left Iowa, as put in Bloom County so long ago, "RAUCOUS CAUCUSING!!!" It's a hell of a lot more fun than a primary.
Preacher Boob @ 63:
That's why Iowa is known as 'The place where everyone loses their marbles'.
I grew up in Eastern Iowa, near the Mississippi, not very flat, neither is Iowa City (next to Coralville). If you want flat, I suggest you drive I-75 in northern Florida, not only is it flat as a pool table, there are portions where you drive completely straight for 20 miles at a time. I've never been so tempted to nap while driving..
I'm from Iowa too. We have rolling hills, like in a Grant Wood painting. Nebraska is flat. I hate to take offense at something so silly, but we have very little to toot our horn about, and our beautiful rolling hills is one of them. Corn is another, and then the caucus. Lame, I know. The reason you see very little between Cedar Rapids and des moines is because that is all corn fields. Thy look baren because they are flattened now. It really is a beautiful state in the spring through fall.
plus, the drive from Cedar Rapids to Des Moines is one of the most boring 2 hours in Iowa. Check out the north eastern part, like Decorah. Far from flat, and a really beautiful town.
http://www.nightskyevents.com/iowa_landscape_purchase_print.htm
See.. rolling hills. Not flat.
Just so you know, Kansas, Nebraska and Eastern North Dakota are much flatter than Iowa!
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