Catching Up Part 1

I think I might have to be a bit more careful with what I am doing. It seems that when I read back over my notes I might be trying to hard to find gotcha moments, not trying hard enough to learn something. In any case, I have two whole days worth of exciting Iowa Updates for y'all.

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Day three of the trip and day one of actual events covered by me. The first live Washington Journal hits from the CSPANs deluxe studios located in the Des Moines Embassy Suites Penthouse, featuring the comic stylings of Mike Glover, Dianne Bystrom, Chuck Launder, Scott Brennan, Ted Sporer, Steve Scheefler, and your hosts Peter Slen and Steve Scully, and as always featuring your favorites, The CSPAN Callers!

Mike Glover, Iowa political correspondent for the AP, spoke about what the candidates need to do to transfer the poll numbers into votes. "Turn out, turn out, turn out, and if I can say it again turn out, turn out, turn out," is the key to getting elected. You see its one thing for an Iowa voter to pledge support, express interest, even to campaign or a candidate, but if they don't show up at the caucuses then none of that matters. Unlike primaries there is no absentee ballot so night workers or Iowa ex-pats can't cast a vote. This strategy is not unfamiliar to candidates with election experience, but in a field this large, and this close so near the actual caucus day, turn out will be key.

Ted Sporer another journalist and son of both a former Iowa Democratic and Republican Committee Chairs was perhaps the most interesting speaker of the day. His spot also came after I had breakfast so I might have paid him more attention because of that, but just the same the Romney supporter had some good points.

The Republican field is much to close to call at this point. Huckabee holds a slight (1%) lead over Romney. McCain a more distant third. Sporer felt that McCain, Thompson and Giuliani would battle it out for 3rd place. The three of them have largely ignored Iowa, although they all have active campaigns in the state.

This made sense to me since the later three candidates have the biggest national names. While Romney is no joke nationally, and Huckabee is becoming more well known since his Iowa surge, Giuliani, McCain, and Thompson have a more national feel to their candidacy. They hope to hold out past the caucus and even past New Hampshire and South Carolina, waiting for the larger groups of primaries.

A win on Super Tuesday would effectively guarantee them the nomination if only they can maintain the money and interest until then. A third place showing in Iowa without much effort could be enough to sustain them, and since they haven't spent a lot of money to get it, then all the better. On the other hand if Huckabee or Romney were to suddenly and surprisingly slip to third place it would be the beginning of their campaigns slow deaths.

Meanwhile on the Democratic front Clinton, Obama, and Edwards duke it out for first. Clinton holds a 4% lead over Obama and a 7% lead over Edwards. The rest of the Democratic field of candidates is large they are also largely not viable. Sorry Biden fans, he's not getting elected.

This is something that I don't understand though. Biden, Richardson, and Dodd all have an incredible amount of experience. Experience is the biggest stumbling block for Clinton, Edwards, and Obama. If that's so, then why aren't these guys running stronger in the polls. It must have to do with how their campaigns are organized. I can't answer what that is without a more clear understanding of campaigning work.

Despite the Zogby/CPSAN/Rueters poll results, Sporer felt that Clinton was not doing well in Iowa. He complimented the effective rigidity of her campaign, but cast doubts on her general sincerity. Sporer commented that Iowans will find out if you plant someone in the audience. Since the audience is usually members of the local community plants are easier to detect. "Its the beauty of the caucus system," Sporer said.

Other polls show how close the race has been up to this point.

Click on Steve Scheefler's link above and you can get the gist of what he is about.

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One guest was very averse to me touching them. They seemed actually repulsed by proximity to me. Very odd.

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I promised to get two days worth in here, but as I get rolling that seems very difficult. I'll have to give an account of Sundays guests later. Still I will need to double up posts one day.

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Tell another friend.

A Better View of Things

I can't do too much cause the Patriots won, or more to the point I drank too much watching the Patriots win. WOW 16-0 that IS impressive.

I have good notes from today's events but my inability to activate the shift key is hampering my general ability to type. Goddamn it.

More to come I promise.

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I can at least say that Bill is back in the hotel. shaking hands (fuck you shift key I will backspace no more) with the kids and being a general menace to the public. Ladies lock up your younger ladies, gentlemen hide your cigars.

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I promise to give a good account of the republican side of the caucus tomorrow. Good stuff too, guaranteed.

Its not what you look for its what you find.

Sometimes you look and look for things and you can never seem to find them. Then just when you give up and call it a loss you end up looking down and there it is. And there it was all along, not waiting to be looked for, waiting to be found.

As my crew mate and I set out to find lunch today we didn't have much of a plan. After deciding that the hordes of fast food joints and Italian restaurants were not what we wanted, we were about to give up. Then just before we gave up and turned into a Subway we found it, Mr Bibbs BBQ.

The front door of Mr. Bibbs proudly advertised "Hambs $2.00 after 4:00pm ONLY". I'm not sure if that was pig meat or Hamms Lager (Born in the Land of Sky Blue Waters) we didn't stay that long, but we did stay long enough to find a fantastic BBQ joint.

Mr Bibbs occupied the corner of a strip mall near the highway. It used to be a Mexican place. I don't know this because I had been there before. I know this because the M*E*X*I*C*A*N letters that once composed the sign on the facade had been removed leaving the weather scarred remnants of those same letters. If that wasn't proof enough the interior was gaily pained in bright orange, and a large mural depicting the Mexican Eagle landing in the lake that would one day become Mexico City still adorned the walls.

The old gentleman who was happy to serve us despite our famished surprise offered a fine selection of pork and beef ribs and rib tips. Also on the menu was fried okra, fried cheddar balls, greens, and mac and cheese. I didn't get to sample them all but what I had was delicious.

Humbly served on sectioned Styrofoam plates but cooked with obvious joy for the task. The BBQ was not so spicy it detracted from the flavor of the meat and not so sweet that it made the meal desertlike, but was a fine middle ground between the two. Each bite left a touch of fire on your lips yet had you licking them readily for that sweet aftertaste.

After the meal I felt I couldn't possible enjoy myself more, I looked up and saw a sign for "baked fresh Sweet Potato Pie." Hell Yeah I want some pie!

I grabbed a menu and paid my 11 bucks and left. Sated, yet vowing to return.

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Don't believe rumors. The Clinton, Obama presidential suite switch was a hoax. While Hilary and crew left the hotel this afternoon and took their SS agents with them the Obamas did not check in, although the Secret Service is back and posted at the suite door again. It appears the Clintons are back again since most of the candidates staff are still around.


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The studio is up and ready to go. Anyone who wants to witness the fruits of my past two days labors please tune into the Washington Journal on CSPAN 1 fro 7am to 10am daily. Anything that is touted as live from Des Moines...thats my shit! if you don't have cable then go to your local pub and ask the bartender to put it on. Even if you don't see one of our "hits" it is still worth it to listen to the crazy callers who phone in throughout the show.

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If you already told a friend then, tell another and tell them to tell one of theirs.

The Grain Belt

A lot of people might be quick to say, "Hey you're in
Iowa, that's the Bible Belt, right," and they would be right. That would be a true statement, but it would also be a divisive statement. It sets up division between people who carry bibles in there belts and those who don't. It sets people and odds, and let's face by 2007 we need less division and more unity. So when people say Iowa is the Bible Belt, I say, sure but it is also the Grain Belt.

Now except for those gluten allergic freaks, nothing is more unifying then grain. We all eat it. We all love it, and Iowa is the heart of the grain making country. So don't hate on the middle of the country. Don't dismiss them as "fly over" or "Bible Thumpers". Accept them as the folks just like you, except they live where most of your food is made.

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The eighth floor of the Embassy Suites Des Moines is the temporary home to Clinton family. This morning I saw Chelsea at the free breakfast in the lobby, hot food not that continental crap like Days Inn. Chelsea had just come from the gym, no doubt working on getting as fine a booty as her mom (finest of the candidates booty as attested to by S.B. who viewed it mounting the stairs of Air force one and it moved him to tears if not cat calls and wolf whistles.) Secret Service has a round the clock post outside the Presidential Suite at the end of my hallway (A bit presumptuous Hil? But slack given for your hubby.)

Early this morning rumor has it the Clinton's checked out and the Obama's checked into the same room (See above for pithy aside, slack given for being my candidate of choice.)

The Embassy Suites Des Moines, where the elite meet to eat and sleep.


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Tomorrow promises to be a low work day, so I will be headed out on the town. Gotta find the hot spot for New Years Eve.

Iowa Redux

So I didn't get a laptop for Christmas. I guess I didn't show why one was needed. let this be a lesson.

I'm back in Des Moines, IA. One month later to the day. I am not yet ready to bemoan my position, after all I have only just arrived. Now three beers deep on my first night I am ready to begin some kind of chronology of events.

An introduction seems appropriate. I won't bore you with names since if you are reading this then you are likely someone I know. Just the same you might wonder what I'm doing here. So I am a camera man or more properly an assistant field technician for the cable network CSPAN. It stands to reason then that I am in Des Moines right now to cover the upcoming Iowa Caucus.

In this blog I hope to record what I see and do in regards to the Caucus and a travel log in general.

Des Moines is cold. There is snow on the ground here, a change from Baltimore, where I just left.

Not much action on my first night in town. A brief flight from National followed by calls back home to report my safety and unpacking. then dinner with my crew mates, and my favorite part the post dinner trading of war stories from caucuses past.

It occurs to me that I shouldn't say that I love hearing the war stories without some war stories to post here, but I am new at this so I didn't take any notes at dinner. The best I can do is this.

Someone who worked with/at CSPAN during the 1992 campaign who now has an 18 year old daughter was romantically linked to then candidate Bill Clinton. Forgive my vagueness names were purposely excluded by my workmates so I can only give the above details. I leave it up to you, and me, to try and figure out who that person was.

Tomorrow brings prep work for live broadcasting and the gear to do such, also it promises to give me some free time out in the fair city of Des Moines. Until then, more to come.