I will now try to unite this blog in hatred for the Republicans. There is a caucus going on in Iowa today, and I have no idea how they work. When should we have results? Anyone know?
Reader Interactions
94Comments
Comments are closed.
Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.
Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.
Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.
Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!
It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.
Black Jesus loves a paper trail.
Only Democrats have agency, apparently.
Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.
They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.
Hot air and ill-informed banter
I really should read my own blog.
Optimism opens the door to great things.
Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.
Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”
I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.
I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.
But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.
… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP
Everybody saw this coming.
We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.
Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.
A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.
They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!
I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.
Baud
If liberals could be united in their hatred of Republicans, then the 2010 elections might have turned out differently. But it’s the thought that counts.
Zifnab
When we caucused in Texas, the damn thing lasted all night. I think people were filing out of the caucus around 10pm. We didn’t really get results until the next day.
I don’t know how they do it in Iowa, but I imagine it will be an full day affair.
The Ancient Randonneur
According to TPM results should start rolling in around 10 PM EST.
comrade scott's agenda of rage
A nice primer from a Front Pager over at Teh Orange(as opposed to the firebaggers who effectively troll, dominate and bully the rest of the site):
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/03/1050977/-A-brief-guide-to-tonights-Iowa-Republican-caucuses?detail=hide&via=blog_1
BO_Bill
Republicans are bad.
BGinCHI
I think “Iowa Caucus” is a euphemism for Hate Speech Club.
And since Iowa never really predicts who will win, why the fuck is their firstness of any consequence? Does it say more about the media than the caucus? You betcha.
scav
I am so united in hatred of certain elements of the Repub party that I would breathe on them in my current status. BJ-Chicago Alert! Vacate the area around the Broadway and Ridge Walgreens immediately! I’ve been without food and drugs for too long and I’m having to break quarantine to preserve life and limb (such as they are). You have been warned. Vacate the premises now. I will be breathing heavily on anyone that pretends to speak for what ‘mercans really want as well as anyone who blathers on about being a center-right nation. I may actually like those latter.
Violet
They don’t even start caucusing until tonight. 7 p.m. Central Time.
Edo
Steve Benen over at Washington Monthly has a solid, short summary on the Iowa Caucuses.
JPL
Ron Paul…
MattF
The normally genial Rick Hertzberg has done major snark on Michele Bachmann:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/rick-hertzberg-votes-the-2011-golden-duke-award-wi.php
for “Meritorious Achievement in the Crazy.”
Benjamin Franklin
I know it’s a National Election year, but do the Republicans have to cauc-us so frequently?
ant
is there a dem caucus tonight as well?
where’s ralf nater? lol
Yevgraf
I blame Nader.
patroclus
I read that the crazy racist homophobic Ron Paul is scheduled to rape a nun at 7:00 p.m. in Sioux City and that Dear Leader Glenn Greenwald and his GBots will be defending Paul’s actions at 8:00 p.m. in Des Moines; after they finish with their usual name-calling and hounding of African-American women on various forms of 21st century media.
Hill Dweller
Newt went on one of the morning infotainment shows and called Willard a liar. The hosts got out the fainting couch, which led to Newt asking them why they were shocked by him telling the truth. Good times.
gnomedad
@pourmecoffee posted a preview.
Waynski
I heard on Tweety last night (or maybe misheard) that Iowa has a 5.7% unemployment rate and saw a chart at Ezra’s place showing that Iowa Republicans’ #1 issue is the deficit. If the Tweety number is correct, I’d love to know how they’ve managed such low unemployment. Farm subsidies? Stimulus spending? Anyone know if it’s true and if so why?
Not surprising is the Republican tendency to worry about what other people are getting when they themselves are doing just fine.
Jim C
@BGinCHI:
Barack Obama, 2008.
You were saying?
Glen Tomkins
My understanding is that we’ll start to get some results trickle in very soon after the caucuses start at 8PM (Eastern Time). This is because, unlike the D version, there is just one ballot (the Rs don’t have that 15% viability step), and the ballot is the first order of business. After they ballot for their presidential preference, they go on to picking delegates to the county conventions, which will in turn choose delegates to the state convention that actually chooses the delegates to the RNC. That business will undoubtedly take much more time than the beauty pageant that toplines the caucuses for the media, but the beauty pageant is expected to be done with very quickly at most caucus sites.
There is one potential complication that might delay the announcment of results this year. The beauty pageant numbers get reported to their party HQ for tabulation, and are only released after tabulation. This yeart party HQ has relocated to an undisclosed location out of fear of the Occupy movement, and that might delay things.
BGinCHI
@Jim C: I meant for the GOP, though with some exceptions they do get it right.
You want to argue that Iowa GOP voters are mainstream?
Libby
Trying hard to give a flying leap about it at this point. But just for fun, I’ll make an off the wall prediction on the results. Frothy Santorum wins. Willard second with Ron Paul a close third. Perhaps even close enough to tie for second. And Perry will beat Newt.
BO_Bill
The sum of the squares of the two sides of a right triangle equals the square of the hypotenuse. Bill O’Reilly is railing against Ron Paul. Balloon Juice is railing against Ron Paul and Angry Black Lady at their peril. Rush Limbaugh is railing against Ron Paul. Sean Hannity is railing against Ron Paul. In my estimation, by the enlightening power of Geometry, it is all about funding mechanisms.
Hereby and Hereon, I predict that Ron Paul takes this thing. Iowans have some of the highest IQs in the nation, and are excellent grapplers.
Anoniminous
The Iowa Republican Party ruled each of the 1,774 caucuses can make their own rules, so it’s better to consider the thing a primary with restricted voting hours.
We should start getting results after 9:00 PM, CST.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@ant:
Yup. Obama is doing a teleconference with Iowa Dems. Cenk Ugyur is urging Democrats to vote “non-committed” to lay the ground work for a primary challenge
Brachiator
Heard on public radio that they will start doing serious coverage at 7pm local time, but not sure when results will start rolling in.
One political guy I respect suggested that even if Romney wins, if he doesn’t poll at least 30 percent, then his candidacy is not very strong. He has rarely moved the needle higher than 25 percent, and while the GOP will ultimately fall in line behind Romney if he wins the nomination, he still has to deal with the Tea Party and other other hard liners who insist on ideological purity.
JGabriel
Hill Dweller:
To which the hosts responded, “It’s not that you called Mitt a liar, it’s just that we’ve never heard you tell the truth before. It’s unnerving.”
.
daveNYC
@Waynski:
Honestly, I don’t know how that state manages such low unemployment. My personal guess is a combination of good commodity prices and the fact that they’re able to export their unemployment. If you’re out of work in Iowa, you’re going to head to Chicago, Minneapolis, or St Louis to look for a job. If you’re unemployed in Chicago, you’re not heading for Cedar Rapids.
ruemara
I’m still hoping for a Ron Paul win… but, I will revise my possible Paul win prediction for a strong tie between Santorum and Romney, with a very close 3rd by Paul that will keep him in a spoiler position. But, seriously, meh. I’d rather wait til we have a real contender.
BGinCHI
@BO_Bill: Excellent grapplers, makers of tests for grade schoolers, growers of corn and hogs. Also ground zero for the teaching of creative writing. Eclectic, thy name is Iowa.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Libby: Just for fun, as is all amateur bloggy political punditry: It doesn’t matter who wins if Frothy Ricky does well enough to stay in and raise cash, he can put a major hurt on Romney by going full bore on ‘values’, which will bring the Multiple Choice Mitt stuff to the fore. And Romney finding himself tied in a media sack with an Angry Tasmanian Newt could make for some fun.
also for fun, from the eminently quotable Pierce
Read more: http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/mitt-romney-replacements-politico-6632049#ixzz1iQ8Y9lDw
jibeaux
Consider me united.
Also, I think most of us fall somewhere on the positive side of the spectrum of “appreciation for Kay” and I call again for double Kays.
And thanks for reminding me why I never do twitter. Last time I checked, couple of weeks ago, I gather Matt Damon had said something to piss off Obama supporters. I just don’t….care, you know? Like I don’t even care enough to learn what he said, much less delve into a twitter slapfest about it, but the twitter dials are always at 11.
Ron
@Jim C: The Iowa dems seem to do a better job at picking the winner. Rachel Maddow showed a basic history. In the last 6 elections where there was no GOP incumbent, only twice did the winner in Iowa get the nomination. In the last 6 elections where there was no Dem incumbent, the winner in Iowa got the nomination 4 times.
mikeyes
Glen is correct, the caucus is there to select county delegates who in turn select state party delegates. The state convention then goes to the national convention and the state delegates are able to vote for whomever they please. Whoever wins the preference ballot may have no delegates in the end.
The preference ballot is non-binding and has no direct effect on the state convention selections. Other than that, it is the most important political event of the year so far.
Last time around, then Senator Obama read the rules and discovered that he could out organize his opponent and win the delegate votes at the state level by making sure that his people get in at the delegate level. I suspect that both Romney and Paul voters will stick around for the real vote after the preference ballot to make sure that they get state convention votes. The others are too unorganized to make sure that happens.
Libby
@Waynski: Read somewhere yesterday Iowa depends on fed money for a large share of their revenue. Maybe something like 30% of it.
Schlemizel
More critical – how will the results be spun? If Willard wins its because the nutbags had gone practical and care more about winning than purity. If Ol Frothy it will be Evangelicals carried the day. If Paul . . . ?
Personally I’d like to see a 6 way tie around 16%
Svensker
@scav:
You been poorly? Sorry to hear that. Best wishes for renewed health soonest.
Yutsano
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
He’s not alone. Tim Carpenter is also in Iowa trying to lead the non-committed charge. Of course they don’t have an actual CHALLENGER. They just want anyone but the nigra. Curious, that.
Libby
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Ha! You can never go wrong quoting Charles P. Pierce.
jaleh
How does one respond to this? I emailed a Republican friend that he is falling for the MSM’s b.s. about Obama’s lack of leadership…He never supported Obama (he couldn’t bring himself to vote for Obama, so he didn’t vote at all in 2008 because of “spreading the wealth”), so that’s a bunch of b.s. but I just don’t know how you win these kind of people, he voted for Bush, both times, he apologized to me the second time. Now, this? Republicans are just stupid, even when they are educated and successful lawyers like this guy:
“On this point, the MSM has it right; however, I totally agree with your other points. Obama, as much as I wanted to like him, and throw my support behind him, simply hasn’t been able to capture the support of anyone beyond his base, which has shrunk dramatically, leaving him exposed in the general election. The reasons are myriad, and include his absence of leadership skills – which I define as the ability to rally support, from even your detractors, to accomplish seemingly impossible objectives. He simply doesn’t have the respect from either the establishment, or those whose support he counted on in the election that ultimately brought him out of obscurity into the highest office – he did so because we all wanted to “believe”, and he was the anthesis of George Bush, whom we all loathed – even us Republicans!”
Jim C
@BGinCHI: Not particularly, but which primary or caucus would give a “mainstream” profile? I don’t think the GOP is mainstream – they just have a lot of anti-Democrats who’d vote for Alan Keyes over Obama if it came down to it – along with the crazy wing. I’ve been reading a message board for my old Iowa hometown (which tends to vote GOP) and you could measure their excitement with an electron microscope. Maybe.
(Plus, as a former Iowa resident and Dem Caucus participant, I have a short fuse regarding their “worth” in the overall picture. That’s a whole ‘nother screed in and of itself.)
Cris (without an H)
Please tell me you’re joking
Roger Moore
@Glen Tomkins:
I’m pretty sure they counted everything last week, so there shouldn’t be any undue delay in announcing the numbers.
jl
I can’t help Cole out on this.
Except that I think you can get some free food out of it. Probably just crackers and cheese cubes, and coffee, and stale donuts.
But, you know, some free grub.
Not worth the long trip for me though, but maybe not for Cole if he wants to liberate some snack table goodies.
Hope that helps. You are welcome.
Gust Avrakotos
Listen Paranoid Drone Freak Cole. If you are a Greenwald fluffer you do not hate Republicans. Got it?! So endeth todays lesson on how to pretend you are not still a Republican deep down inside.
Yutsano
@Cris (without an H): A little something from The Nation about it. I love the smell of copulation of rodentia in the morning.
Cris (without an H)
Is the Iowa caucus purely Presidential, or do they nominate candidates for other offices as well?
Svensker
@mikeyes:
You trying to start another fight?
BGinCHI
@Jim C: I hear you. This year’s crazy GOP field combined with a righter than ever GOP base means that it’s full tilt toward a marginal position. I wasn’t blaming Iowa per se, just pointing out that the media is all shit-hot about something that doesn’t mean anything until they give it meaning.
I’m guessing liberals in Iowa are either laughing or tearing their hair out or both. Imagine the crazy vibe across the state (shudders).
Glen Tomkins
@Roger Moore: I doubt that they have things as well organized as Huey Long had LA back in the day. There apparently actually was a meeting of parish sheriffs a week before e-day where they literally hashed out the numbers that they were going to report, at least for parishes where they had sufficient control to do that. In Plaquemines Parish, where they had complete control, they say that they would report 0 and 1 results for the anti-Long candidate at each precinct in such a way that it would spell something nasty in Morse Code.
MattF
It’s an age of miracles.
1) Greg Sargent at the WaPo calls Romney a liar:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/when-will-media-demand-that-mitt-romney-back-up-his-claims-about-jobs/2012/01/03/gIQALsJQYP_blog.html
2) Newt Gingrich calls Romney a liar.
I’m seeing a pattern here.
Hill Dweller
@Yutsano: While unwise, I can somewhat see advocating a primary challenge if you have a better candidate in mind. Not having said challenger/candidate is weapons grade stupidity.
Hill Dweller
@Yutsano: While unwise, I can somewhat see advocating a primary challenge if you have a better candidate in mind. Not having said challenger/candidate is weapons grade stupidity.
comrade scott's agenda of rage
@daveNYC:
Scratch STL from that list: 9.1% unemployment. STL is a shitty job market in that what jobs they do have massively pay under what you could make in other comparable areas.
The Other Chuck
I’m calling it a squeaker for Romney. The NotRomney crowd will start falling in line very soon.
BGinCHI
@MattF: Greg is a solidly left of center reporter/blogger, so I hope you aren’t conflating him with Newt….
Glen Tomkins
@Svensker: I agree. Nothing gets my dander up like amity and comity, the Senate having given those two words such a terrible reputation.
Villago Delenda Est
There’s nothing at all to do about Iowa’s idiotic caucus system until this evening. In that way, it’s no different than a primary election, where you won’t see results until the polls close. In this case, it’s you won’t see results until after the caucuses conclude, which means late this evening EST at the absolute earliest.
Recall that President Huckabee won the Iowa GOP caucuses 4 years ago.
Schlemizel
@The Other Chuck:
I think that was going to be the outcome over time. Even if he finishes 3-5 in IA he set the expectation he was not going to win there anyway & had not spent the time of money the other have. He needs NH and FL but can slog it out if he does not get both as long as there is not a chosen one to suck all the oxygen out of the race. There just is not another bozo on the bus that can do that in the environment they have created.
JPL
The Republicans are not mentioning Bush at all but I would like to hear what they would do different than Bush.
They want to cut taxes…
They want to bomb bomb bomb
They want to pollute
They want to watch insurance companies rise
What’s different?
Libby
Breaking: Nate Silver just tweeted that this is one time he would bet against his own model. Likes Frothy’s odds and something, something about in-trade money.
MattF
@Glen Tomkins: Nope, just somewhat surprised to see clear exposition of Romney’s dishonesty in the Post.
Jim C
@BGinCHI:
Are they crazier than they were with Mike Huckabee? Or are there just more Huckabees to choose from this time?
I guess I’ve seen the get dismissed so quickly (sometimes based on dubious logic – see 1988 Dem results, IA vs. NH), that I see Iowa serving as both a proving ground for organization (Can you get people to work for you? Can you convince the monied types that you have what it takes? Can you not fall over after tying your shoes?) and as a stalking horse for the Establishment GOP to dismiss when they don’t like the results (If Romney wins tonight, it’s a Good Thing! If Crazy Father Brother wins, we need to see how New Hampshire reacts, while we ramp up the Romney dollars!), if only to set a solid mark down for the outer fringe of crazy.
For anyone who actually wants to see them in action, CSPAN (and CSPAN2 or CSPAN3) usually takes cameras out to at least one caucus site for each party, and shows the whole thing. Even the tedious parts. And those can get tedious. Really, really tedious. If memory serves, in 2004, they were in this lady’s living room in Jefferson(*) for the Dems. In 2008, I remember them being in a Des Moines precinct for the Dems, and there was also a GOP precinct covered, but I don’t recall where it was(**).
*Somewhere in the Jefferson area of the state. Carroll maybe?
** I want to say Algona. But maybe it was Jefferson. Or Carroll. I don’t know, somewhere I’d been on RAGBRAI in the central west section of the state.
policomic
I hate all Republicans, especially Greenwald.
The Other Chuck
@JPL:
If a republican wins the white house, he will make George W. Bush look like FDR. That’s the difference.
RossinDetroit
Because the MSM are all horned up for some electioning and this is the only thing happening. Therefore it’s the most important thing and must be flogged 24X7 until it’s over. Or a Kardashian gets engaged or a squirrel runs by.
It’s only important to the commercial media. Feel free to have a nap or play with the dog until it’s over. You won’t miss anything remotely important.
BGinCHI
@Jim C: Been meaning to ride RAGBRAI but haven’t yet.
Most of the long summer stuff over 100 miles we do up in WI.
Roger Moore
@Jim C:
Wait! CSPAN was showing something tedious? You don’t say. It’s rather nice that somebody is bothering to record and show all the boring process stuff, even if hardly anyone watches.
Chris
@Jim C:
I think it’s just different this time around. In 2008, the party fractured with one candidate for each GOP faction – Huckabee was the religious right’s candidate, as Romney was big business’, McCain the moderates’, Ron Paul the libertarians, Tancredo the nativists’, Giuliani the neocons’, etc.
That was then. This time, it’s not so much about factions – they’re all just vying for the same amorphous mass of crazy far right voters in the Tea Party Movement, who’re kind of a mishmash of all these factions from 2008.
In terms of how crazy they are, of course, they’re all kind of the same.
NR
@JPL:
Obama did all those things too, so what’s different?
The Moar You Know
Romney will win. Republicans love more than anything else to get in a neat, orderly line.
Nemesis
Anyone can vote in an Iowa caucus (I love saying caucus. Caucus, caucus, caucus)
It is said many Dems and Indies become “Republican for a Day” in order to ratfuck the outcome.
Caucus(caucus, caucus) members vote. The supporters of any candidate receiving less than 15% of the first vote is then compelled to change their votes on the second pass of voting,to any candidate with more than 15% of the votes on the initial ballot. So the key to winning in Iowa is being the caucus (caucus) voters SECOND choice.
There is so much fail going on in Iowa its impossible to find a starting point.
PaulW
Tell all Iowans to vote “None of the Above” today
trollhattan
I see Newton’s doing yeoman’s work beating on Mittens. Attaboy, Newtie!
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2012_01/gingrich_takes_off_the_gloves034486.php
ABM (anybody but Mitt) is not taking the nomination, so it’s best for everybody if he’s already flayed and bleeding when Mittens accepts the nomination.
Southern Beale
This is not Iowa related but since this is an open thread: Sally Quinn flunks feminism. Her column REALLY annoyed me.
mikeyes
Nemesis,
You are quoting the Democratic party rules for Iowa caucuses. The Republicans have one secret non-binding ballot and go home. Then the party politicians take over.
Jim C
@BGinCHI: I didn’t actually ride, I was the the family wagonmaster: tents, transportation, sag wagon, etc. But it was close enough.
@Roger Moore: I know, I know. Still, I think it shows the process as completely as you, the non-participating outsider to the process, could hope to see just how it works. The Dem process is infinitely more chaotic and fun as a participant, though I don’t know if that translates into “good” TV.
bemused
@Southern Beale:
I’ve always thought she was a very shallow person but that column was one gigantic fail. “If only Mary Magdalene had had the blue bra”. The whole thing was just an embarrassment.
Glenda
@ant: Yes, democrats caucus tonight as well. President Obama has stated that he will broadcast a message to all the Democratic caucus goers this evening.
I’ll be there tonight. All caucuses start the procedings at 7:00, with registration starting at 6:30 (Central time).
hilzoy
Four years ago, I was absolutely riveted by the Iowa caucuses. Except for this one thing: I was trying really, really hard not to worry, but I hadn’t heard from Andy Olmsted in 24 hours. Obviously, the internet could just have been down, and besides, he hated having people worry about him, and double besides, I could imagine that if I ever let myself start worrying there might be no end to it, but still. By the time the results came in, I wasn’t going to hear from him that night, since he’d be off doing whatever it was he did during the day, so there was this horrible undercurrent of dread, all night, underneath all the excitement about Obama winning.
It’s so strange that they should be on the same day, four years later.
Glenda
@Waynski: I’m not really sure why unemployment is so low, but judging by what I see happening in Cedar Rapids, I’m guessing that at least some of it may be because the floods of 2008 have caused a lot of building, which is just now seeming to hit its peak. There were a lot of buildings that needed either major rebuilding, or just were torn down and now new buildings are going up in their place. Since so many counties were flooded that year, this could be one of the reasons why.
msskwesq
@Waynski: I live in Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa and Professor Bloom. (read about his nasty, ire inducing story about Iowa’s first in nation status in the Des Moines Register). First off, caucuses begin at 6:30 pm with registration/check in. Both parties caucus at same site,usually a school, but separately of course. Various candidate’s supporters gather in separate areas/classrooms to discuss matters and take a show of hands. there’s alot of back and forth. Then the reconvene in the main room and take a count of who supports whom. There are minimal numbers to get a delegate to the county caucus held later. Supporters try to sway others to their candidate. It’s quite time consuming and a bit chaotic. In the end a site winner is selected and delegates are chosen to represent them at the county caucuses. The county caucuses are held later in the year and choose delegates to the state convention held later still and the state convention then chooses delegates to the national convention.Really, only really motivated voters with time on their hands show up to caucus.
Yes it’s true unemployment is under 6% in Iowa. We have not been hurt by the recession nearly as much as most states. Agriculture is part of it; but we have lots of biotech, avionics, food processing/production, ethanol production and several alternative energy production companies (wind and sun)in Iowa as well as big financial and insurance companies headquartered here. Quaker Oats and John Deere are Iowa companies. Lots of small companies too. Its not all corn fields and not all ag subsidies fueling the states economy.
msskwesq
I’m a Dem, so I looked up the Republican process, which is a bit different…
from Wikipedia: For the Republicans, the Iowa caucuses follow (and should not be confused with) the Ames Straw Poll in August of the preceding year. Out of the five Ames Straw Poll iterations, the winner of the Ames Straw Poll failed to win the Iowa caucuses twice, in 1987 and 2007.
In the Republican caucuses, each voter officially casts his or her vote by secret ballot. Voters are presented blank sheets of paper with no candidate names on them.[8] After listening to some campaigning for each candidate by caucus participants, they write their choices down and the Republican Party of Iowa tabulates the results at each precinct and transmits them to the media.[9] In 2008, some precincts used a show of hands [10] or preprinted ballots.[11] The non-binding results are tabulated and reported to the state party, which releases the results to the media. Delegates from the precinct caucuses go on to the county conventions, which choose delegates to the district conventions, which in turn selects delegates to the Iowa State Convention. Thus, it is the Republican Iowa State Convention, not the precinct caucuses, which selects the ultimate delegates from Iowa to the Republican National Convention. All delegates are officially unbound from the results of the precinct caucus, although media organizations either estimate delegate numbers by estimating county convention results or simply divide them proportionally.
cckids
@Waynski:
Few live there. Its one of those rapidly aging states; young people, if they’re not going into the family business/farm, get the hell out.
msskwesq
@cckids: NOT TRUE. We have a growing population. Some young people leave for college and experience of other places, but many return to raise a family. We also have many non-Iowans moving in. There is a lot more than agriculture in Iowa.
msskwesq
@daveNYC: Not really the case. Many people in the past few years are moving into Iowa from those cities due to our low unemployment and quality of life. Iowa has a superior school system and moderate housing costs and taxes. Plenty of non-Ag opportunities in Iowa.
Cris (without an H)
@Nemesis: “(I love saying caucus. Caucus, caucus, caucus)”
Samara Morgan
juss so’s chu kno….im metphorically fine with you raping all the republicans there are.
they are all devils.
;)
Cris (without an H)
@hilzoy: Thanks for the reminder, I had to go back and read Andy’s last post again. What a moving final message.
The Fat Kate Middleton
@msskwesq: Your replies are rocking. Thanks for getting it exactly right …especially the unemployment canard. If you can’t find a job anywhere else, come to Cedar Rapids. We really need you to apply.
The Fat Kate Middleton
So why can’t I get the link I thought I pasted here to work? I keep putting it in, but I get nuthin’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLZZ6JD0g9Y
The Fat Kate Middleton
@The Fat Kate Middleton: Yay! It took!
WaterGirl
Say what you want about Iowa, but I gained respect for Iowa’s role when I was on the ground in Iowa for the 9 days prior to the caucus, 4 years ago tonight.
They would only let out-of-staters) come to Iowa at the end if they could agree to be there for the full 9 (or 10?) days before the caucus. They assigned two of us to every single precinct in Iowa. We spent every day in the 4 neighborhoods of our precinct, first going door to door to talk with people, asking them to sign commitment cards that said they were for Obama, and/or that they were for Obama and they would be voting for him at the caucus. We didn’t know it the first night, but we had definite goal numbers we needed to make, and since everything was counted by precinct, we – and everyone else – would know on caucus night whether we had made our goals. That was a lot of responsibility!
Some people were nervous because they had never caucused before, and we had to explain the process to them. Over the days before the caucus, we got to know people in “our” precinct. We knew some of their names and they knew ours. They saw the same two faces trudging through the snow, day after day.
Most of us out-of-staters didn’t get to attend the caucuses, but my canvass partner and I were lucky enough to get to attend. It was heart-warming to see so many people, many of them republicans, coming up to the table that night to sign in so they could participate in the democratic caucus.
The republicans (we were in a republican precinct) pulled some dirty tricks. They told us we couldn’t bring food in for caucus – and food is a big thing at the caucuses because they are held during dinnertime and people have to stay for quite awhile. We brought food just in case, left it in the trunk of the car, and sure enough, the rules got changed by the republicans at the last minute, and they showed up with tons of food.
They changed our location in the school – to a crappier room so lots of people showed up where they thought they were supposed to go, which was (no coincidentally) where the republicans were caucusing. So we had to help folks find the right place to caucus.
There were dirty tricks during the caucus, too, playing games with counting. But we prevailed! (and we surpassed our goal – yay!).
Anyway, everyone took the caucus very seriously, and there is NO WAY Obama would have been elected if the early states hand not played the roles that they do. So, say what you will, but I will always be grateful to Iowa for giving that skinny guy, with the funny name, a chance to be our president.
SuzieC
@WaterGirl</
.
Absolutely correct. I remember how excited I was four years ago on this night. Iowa Dems do well at noms; repubs, not so much.
Anyone heard how the hilarity called “Sarah Palin’s Iowa Earthquake” is doing?
;: