Archive for January 3rd, 2008
January 3rd, 2008
It’s 11:24 p.m. and I’ve just returned to my hotel from the cavernous HyVee Hall downtown where a triumphant Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and their two girls have just claimed victory in the Iowa caucuses. I always pay attention to the music, and what I heard was instructive: “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” and “Only In America.” Which sums up this racially inclusive campaign rather neatly. Two soul songs and a country tune. It sums up this inclusive, “fusion” campaign which for the first time in our history really is bringing Americans of all races and creeds together in common purpose.
I think that’s because a wide spectrum of Americans sense something is very wrong with the country just now, and they’re looking for a new kind of leader, one maybe with roots both in Kansas and in Kenya, which describes Obama, whose mother was a Kansan and his father an African. Someone who talks about there being no red states or blue states, just the United States.
   “Only in America” could such a person run for president and think he could win, Obama said.
I’m not sure how many people were at the rally, several thousand for sure, but these presidential events aren’t set up for average folks, they’re put together for television cameras, and there were a lot of them, more than 100 from networks all over the world, come to see the great American election show’s first act.
I talked to some of the people as the rally ended, and they were adamant: the country’s out of control, things must change now.
“People want change. Bill and Hillary are wonderful people but they’re status quo,” said Joe Romeo, an engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad. “Right now corporations run this country. It’s time the people ran the country,” Romeo said.
I tallked to two women who were on the fence days before they went to caucuses, deciding at the last minute to caucus for Obama.
   “I was undecided between Obama and Hillary, and I got a call from a district attorney from California who’d come here to campaign for Obamal. She convinced me that Obama was right from the beginning on opposing the war, and I like his health insurance ideas,” said Marhonda Hill, a secretary for the state of Iowa.”
  “He was against the war from the start,” said Nancy Williams, an independent who in the past has supported Republicans. She, too, caucused for Obama.
   The mood, though, was not angry at all. These Obama fans may be “Fired up, ready to go” as the campaign slogan says, but they’re a happy bunch, the vast majority of them in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
  I hesitate to say history was made tonight in Iowa because it’s just one state out of 50. But … Oh what the heck:
 History was made Tuesday night in Iowa. How am I sure? Because I know that I will remember where I was when …Â
Chuck SweenyÂ
January 3rd, 2008
The final vote is in at the 87th precinct and it’s mirroring statewide results.
For Obama: 83.
For Clinton: 69.
For Edwards: 68.
That translates to 3 delegates for Clinton, 3 for Obama, 2 for Edwards. Those delegates to to the Polk County Democratic Convention, which elects delegates to the state Democratic convention in May. The state convention will elect delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
It’s been a long night for everyone, and an exercise in grass roots democracy that few people in other states have ever seen. The process is wild, wacky, but probably the best comment I heard all night was from the Italian TV director who was heading a crew that taped the caucus for a popular Italian public TV news show.
 “I’m very impressed,” said Andrea Salvadore. “It’s pure democracy of the kind you would have seen in ancient times. It’s like Athens.” Now, the Italian crew heads to New Hampshire. “We’re here the whole year,” Salvadore explains.
January 3rd, 2008
Here’s a bit of an explainer. What the caucus goers are actually doing is electing 8 delegates and as many alternates as want to go, the Polk County Democratic convention. Delegates will be apportioned according to the final vote totals. Obviously, some rounding off will be required, because I’m not sure how to send 1.75 delegate to the convention. AT the county convention, delegates for the state convention and the district convention will be elected. The state convention in May will elect the delegates to the national convention, “and that finally will give the candidates their delegate count,” says Scott Falb.
January 3rd, 2008
The 87th Precinct Democratic caucus in Des Moines is winding down. The second round of voting ends at 9:10. Obama leaders are worried because two of their backers had to leave at 8:50. “Can’t count ‘em if they don’t stay,” Max the caucus leader says, shrugging.
Meanwhile, Obama’s people are working hard to get Edwards supporters to cross the hall. When an Obama woman runs into flak from an Edwards man who says Obama missed a key vote in the Senate on terrorism. The Obama woman says, “Well, at least we can agree that we’re not voting for Hillary.” Edwards fans nod, “Not Hillary,” one says.
Max says, “For this facility, this is unwieldy. We needed an auditorium. We had one in the previous facility (a Methodist Church,) but we lost it because the date of the caucus was moved up.
Edwards has picked up support — he’s at 69 now, say his caucus leaders.
For the final count to determine how many delegates get split where, “We will have a member of each camp go with Max and count each group with witnesses of each candidate there, says Scott Falb, a caucus leader.
It’s close.
January 3rd, 2008
Max the caucus leader has ruled that Biden, Dodd and Richardson are not viable. Their supporters had tried to form an uncommitted slate, but that wasn’t viable either. Remember, for the purposes of this caucus, viability, or 15 percent of the 254 people registered here, is 38. The major candidates, Edwards, Obama and Clinton, will now bargain for the nonviables’ votes.
The Hillary people are angry that they were “segregated” across the hall into a room, and have not been able to convince others to switch to Hill.
Max calls everybody back into the main room: “We’re trying to do the best wtih what we’ve got. Having moved thru the different groups, there was one group that was not viable. I’m going to do something that will be fair, but inconvenient. The Obama caucus has had the best room, and I’m going to ask them to reassemble outside the room. It’s going to be a little bit difficult.”
The Obama people now trade places across the hall with the Hillary people, who now are filing back into the main room. I wonder what the Italian TV crew thinks of all this. Probably looks a lot like the Italian parliament.
“There is a left hand glove that’s been found,” Max says.
Edwards group had 57 supporters, Obama had 80, and the Hillary folks believe they had around 80.
The realignment process is now underway. Back in a moment.Â
January 3rd, 2008
The minor candidadtes supporters are beginning to move to other candidates. Obama adds one, two, and a group of three. “We have 80 now,” says Kwame Smith, caucus leader for Obama. Situtation still fluid. I’m headed over to the Hillary room ….
January 3rd, 2008
Obama’s supporters count 77 caucus goers. Hillary still in the lead here as second round of caucusing set to start. Christian Ucles, Obama’s camapiagn worker here, says “preliminary results show Obama leading throughout Iowa with 35 percent of the vote.”
January 3rd, 2008
The Obama pitch was better than Hillary’s and Jessie has decided to caucus for the O.
“Sarah got me,” she said, refering to Obama campaigner Sarah Sheffer. “I like his stand against the war and he’s good on the environment,” Jessie says.
This is Stefanski’s first caucus. She’s 23. “I guess it isn’ t the most efficeint way to do it, but you do learn about the candidates,” she says.
Max announces at 8:20: Voting is over for the first round. There’ll now be a head count of each group..
January 3rd, 2008
Jessie Stefanski is still undecided, and Max has announced that there’s 7 minutes remaining in the first, 30 minute session. A man from Hillary’s campaign tried to persuade her to vote for Clinton, talking about how she would have a strong foreign policy to guard against terrorism. When he left, Obama supporter Sarah Shaffer came up to Stefanski and pitched her candidtate. “And Obama is for merit pay for teachers, he wants to strengthen education …”
Wtih five minutes left, Stefanski still hadn’t made up her mind … “I don’t know yet,” she said.
January 3rd, 2008
A preliminary count shows that Hillary has 80 supporters here; Obama has in the mid-70s, they’re not quite sure. But that’s not final. What’s happening is that “persuaders” for the candidates are trying to pick off each other’s supporters.
“Some of the people have been changing groups,” says Scott Falb, a caucus organizer.
Hillary’s people are trying to convince Obama supporters to switch. And vice-versa.
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