My first day in Iowa was a very pleasant experience. Getting together on the 5th floor of the Crown Plaza hotel at the meeting with fellow Marylanders and some of the Hillary staff who have been working hard for the campaign in Iowa for almost a year. That was an extraordinary experience for me.
This is because I was part of the first step in what will be the biggest change of event of our live time;to elect a woman for the president of United State of America.
It was a special moment for me to find out that not only we had a lot of folks from Maryland, but there were other Hillary supporters from all over America who were ready to go out there to canvas, make phone calls, work at rallies in a brutal cold whether. And we were all trilled to be there to do just that.
I was just so glad to be part of the change in American history with Hillary and her campaign in Iowa. I was really glad at the opportunity.
OluFunke B. Oderinde
Friday, January 18, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
My Experience at the Iowa Caucus
My Experience at the Iowa Caucus
Yonnas Kefle
Around 12:30 pm on January 3rd, I headed to Atkins in Benton County, Iowa, and began canvassing about 35 houses scattered throughout the small town. During that afternoon, I urged residents to go out and caucus. The feedback I was getting from potential caucus goers was encouraging. I covered all the houses in my list and began to drive to my observation site later that afternoon. I arrived at my assigned precinct-Canton/Shellsburg-in Shellsburg Elementary School around 5:30 pm. To my delight, the room was already setup and precinct captains and caucus officials were in place and ready to go. I brought in Hillary campaign materials and—with the help of our precinct captain— posted them around Hillary’s area. I was told that about 150 were expected to show up and there were enough seats in the room to accommodate that many people.
Caucus goers started to trickle in at about 5:55 pm. The number of people coming in swelled minute by minute and the seats began to fill. By 7:00 pm, close to 300 people (including visitors and children) were present in the room. All seats were taken and many had to stand. The temperature in the room began to rise, and soon everyone was removing their coats and sweaters. I was pleased with the number of people that populated Hillary’s area. Without head counting, I sensed that more participants were aligned with Hillary than with any of the other candidates.
At 7:05 pm, the caucus chair called the house to order. The first item on the agenda was a sort of fundraising for the Iowa Democratic Party. The hat was passed and money was collected just as it’s done in a typical church. The caucus chair then made announcement about absentee ballots for the November election. Following that, she read letters from Governor Culver and Senator Harkin to caucus participants, and finally conducted elections of a permanent caucus chair and secretary.
The serious business of voter counting began around 7:35 pm. The number of registered eligible participants was 225, significantly more than the expected number (about 150). The initial count went well for Hillary as you can see in column 2 of the table below:
Caucus Outcome
Canton/Shellsburg Precinct
Candidate Initial Count Realigned Count
Hillary Clinton 80 82
John Edwards 69 95
Barack Obama 56 38
Bill Richardson 15 10
Joe Biden 0 0
Christopher Dodd 5 0
Dennis Kucinich 0 0
Total Count 225 225
Hillary actually won during the first count: 80 Iowans were on her side, while 69 went for Edwards and 54 for Obama. The rest chose Richardson and Dodd, who ended up not viable (viability cutoff number was set at 34). I was confident that Hillary would get the most delegates based on this outcome. Then came the realignment process. And in the second (realigned) count the numbers changed dramatically as you can see in Column 3. The Edwards side reported that they have 95 people on their side compared to Hillary’s 82 while Obama’s side said their numbers decreased to 38. I was perplexed by the sudden burst of Edwards’ numbers, and rushed to our precinct captain to seek some explanation. She took me aside and explained that “Obama’s person—after consulting with her headquarters—voluntarily gave 16 supporters to John Edward’s side.” I wondered aloud if they could do such horse-trading. Apparently, they could and they did.
The caucus chair then calculated the raw numbers to determine how the nine delegates were to be distributed among the three viable candidates. I took my calculator out of my pocket and repeated what she did. The outcome was as follows:
Hillary Clinton: [82/25]=3.28»3 delegates
John Edwards: [95/25]=3.80»4 delegates
Barack Obama: [38/25]=1.52»2 delegates
This way Edwards ended up with 4 delegates, while Hillary had 3, and Obama was satisfied with 2 delegates.
Driving back the approximately 30 miles to Cedar Rapids, I was still reflecting on why the Obama and Edwards sides colluded against Hillary. I kept my fingers crossed that—by the time I arrived at Hotel Clarion for our Caucus Night Party—she would be declared the overall winner. I knew she would eventually come out ahead, but that turned out not to be the night. I postponed my celebration for another time and headed back to my room in Crown Plaza, to rest and to replenish my energy for another battle, in another venue.
Here are two more pictures from my camera:
Yonnas Kefle
yonnask@comcast.net
301-385-2240
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Thursday, December 27, 2007
On my way to Iowa!
Today is Day Three of my drive to Iowa to campaign for Hillary Clinton in the caucuses on January 3rd. Despite the tedium of driving hours and hours alone, it still feels like a great adventure.
Keeping me company thus far in the car has been Ethan Hawke, reading five disks of Kurt Vonnegut's anti-war masterpiece, "Slaughterhouse Five". It's an ironic and well-written commentary on the impact of war.
I woke up today in Midway, Kentucky. Yesterday's state capitol tour was in Charleston, West Virginia. I got a private tour that was to last 30 minutes... but took just over two hours with all my questions etc. I was supposed to have a private tour of the Governor's mansion, but apparently the post-Xmas mess hadn't been cleaned up yet & they didn't want to have visitors yet. (By the way, I still believe that Governor Joe Manchin of WV would be a great running-mate for Hillary!)
My dear friend from Vassar, Herm Farrell, is taking me (along with his adorable daughter Madeleine) to Frankfort to see their state capitol. After this one, there will be just 15 left of the 50 for me to tour! My decision now is whether to stop in Springfield, IL, Jefferson City, MO, or elsewhere on the way to Des Moines, IA.
I'll write again when I have access to a computer.
Here's to democracy, peace, people's participation in elections, and exploring our beautiful country...
Hugs,
Cheryl
*************************************************************************
Friday, December 28, 2007
From Missouri, on my way to Iowa...
Today is Day Four of my drive to Iowa to campaign for Hillary Clinton in the caucuses on January 3rd.
Late last night, my decision was whether to drive to Springfield, IL, Jefferson City, MO, or elsewhere on the way to Des Moines, IA. I initially decided to stop in St. Louis, see the Arch, and sleep there. This morning, I could decide whether to drive east to MO or north to IL. Turns out I was pretty wide-awake, and decided to drive another 2-1/2 hours to Jefferson City, MO. I'm glad I did! Their capitol, while somewhat ordinary from the outside, is quite
spectacular on the inside! They have N.C. Wyeth, Thomas Hart Benton, and other artists' works within the beautiful vaulted architecture.
I've decided to drive to Springfield now and duck the Iowa snow for a bit longer. After Illinois, I'll have just 13 left to visit...
I am writing this from "Ozarkland" in Missouri. Think of "South of the Border" or "Wall Drug" in SD and you've got the idea. Tacky souvenirs at a way-station along the road. It's totally mid-America and a hoot. They advertised "free access to email" but didn't mention that their connection feels even slower than dial-up!
I'll write again when I have access to a computer.
If you are so inclined, consider a visit to www.HillaryClinton.com or other causes you care about. Make a donation of any size before the end of the year? Whether it's your local food pantry, women's shelter, arts group, or educational institution, they could use a few more dollars...
Hugs,
Cheryl
*************************************************************************
Saturday, December 29, 2007
I'm in Iowa!!!
Well, I've put on about 1500 miles on my car thus far. My folkie friends will say "so what". My other friends are perplexed my the whole "take vacation in the frigid cold to campaign... and DRIVE no less" mission I've undertaken with such enthusiasm!
Thus far, I've hit four more state capitols. That means I've visited a total of 37. (At some point before I leave, I'll visit Des Moines and add one more.) I'm definitely committed to hitting all 50 before I turn 50. If anyone has suggestions for good vacation destinations in places like Lansing Michigan or Bismarck North Dakota, I'm listening!
There are folks all over the hotel wearing "Hillary" buttons & I'm ready to kick into gear starting
tomorrow. The car, loaded down with my Tab soda, as well as Southern Comfort, Jim Beam and other friends, is now packed into my hotel room with two political colleagues from home.
I'll write again from the road with info on what we're assigned to do, how we're received, etc. In the meantime, let's keep our eyes on Pakistan and prepare to have an American leader who already has relationships with foreign heads of state and can hit the ground running from Day One in order to repair everything that's gotten @#($*&'d up over the past 7 years...
Hugs,
Cheryl
*************************************************************************
Monday, December 31, 2007
Yipes! It's REALLY cold out here!
It's Sunday night before Thursday's caucuses, and everything is busy & exciting here in Iowa!
There are almost 50 Marylanders here for Hillary. We're mostly Montgomery County & the Baltimore area, but we also have representation from Frederick, Anne Arundel, etc. Our group is diverse by age, race, gender, and political experience. We're united by our passion to elect the most qualified candidate who can hit the ground running on Day One, ready to fix what this Bush administration has wrecked during his tenure.
This morning, we received training in canvassing. Yup on a day the TV weather forecaster predicted that it would be a "cool 9 degrees", we were out, knocking on doors! My partner is a lovely young woman who works at Planned Parenthood in DC. We made a great team as we hit our doors, looking to lock in commitments for Clinton supporters to attend their local caucuses this Thursday night.
Surprisingly, our briefings about what to expect out in the field were accurate. Iowans are NOT yet sick of talking about the election. They invite you into their living room and want to talk for 15 or 20 minutes! How likely is that to happen in too many other places?? Not! Yes, they have a disproportionate influence on the process. But they are aware of that and take it quite seriously.
After a group dinner at "The Irish Democrat"-- a perfect place to eat in honor of our Governor-- we dashed over to headquarters for a "Mock Caucus." Despite all the briefings, it was interesting to experience the faux-reality of dividing among candidates Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington, FDR, and Truman. We Truman folks were able to pick up several votes from the "non-viable" candidacies of Washington & Jefferson. Between the math, the arcane rules, and
the lobbying, it got complicated and loud. Ultimately, you'll be pleased to know that Truman got 1 delegate vote out of the caucuses. (Let's hope Hillary does a ton better this week!)
Tomorrow will be another long day, possibly culminating with a New Year's Eve party in Des Moines with both Clintons. I'm not likely to write tomorrow, so let me wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!! May 2008 bring us a more peaceful world, happy and healthy lives, and a (particular) Democrat elected to the White House!
Hugs from "cool" Cedar Rapids... and without feeling in my fingers or toes,
Cheryl
*************************************************************************
Wednesday, January 02, 2008Just Two Days to Go!
So... there are just two days to go before the Iowa caucuses, and we are working our tails off for Hillary in Cedar Rapids. More Marylanders seem to arrive daily, infusing a great new energy to the second-largest city in the state.
Remember my last missive, when I commented on the 9 degree weather being described by the forecaster as "cool?" Now I get it! Today was 2... and with wind chill factor, it is now NEGATIVE 19 degrees. Long underwear and lots of gloves, socks, etc are worn without regard for what we look like. It's too freakin' cold to care about making fashion statements!
With weather like this, we are especially grateful for the warmth of the local voters. They invite us into their (heated) homes, rescuing us from the winds and biting cold. It's remarkable how friendly these prospective caucus-goers are, despite the barrage of television ads, robo calls, mailers, and canvassers. Today, my canvassing partner was a young Clinton campaign staffer. Samantha's intimate knowledge of the precinct made for less meandering than normal.
Our assigned precinct included a mix of upper-middle income folks and seniors living in retirement homes. Seniors, especially older women, are just tickled to have the opportunity to come out to help Hillary's candidacy! Even in their mid-80s and using a walker, they are totally motivated to go to their caucuses. Other supporters are men and women in our age bracket
(let's say 35-55) who appreciate both Senator Clinton's experience and relationships around the
world as well as Bill Clinton's record of leadership.
Many of the caucus-goers will be participating for the very first time. I'd be pretty surprised if the turnout isn't dramatically higher than in the past. What's fun is that everyone here is a political insider. In DC/Maryland, either you're "in" or you're "out" (paraphrasing Heidi Klum on Project Runway). Here, everyone's involved and aware. The surprising conversations are with those who are still undecided. They've met each candidate a couple of times, have had
policy chats, and they're still stymied. This isn't exactly what we're used to back home...
I've run into a few colleagues from past political campaigns, who (like me) have all converged on these poor defenseless Iowans. Tonight after getting back to HQ, I saw an older woman I knew I had worked with in the past. It didn't take long for me to identify Emily & her daughter Mary as colleagues from the Cranston for President campaign in 1984! It's bizarre to think that some of the young Clinton staffers weren't even born yet when we were trying to elect Alan Cranston!
Tomorrow, Hillary Clinton is coming to Cedar Rapids. That should mean door-knocking in the morning and afternoon, but with a break in the middle to be indoors, cheering her on.
That's all for now. It's tiring to be hustling around in sub-zero temperatures. Here's to a mug of hot tea and a warm bed.
More soon.
Cheryl
*************************************************************************
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Today's the Big Day!
Oh my... where do I start? We're freezing & exhausted, but SO pumped up for tonight's caucuses!
Yesterday, Hillary was in Cedar Rapids at a community college. As you might have read/seen, there were over 1000 people. Many were supporters who had already signed pledge cards and are planning to caucus. Others wanted to see her "live" in order to make up their minds.
Her speech yesterday was inspiring, direct, and effective. She talked about her commitment to safely bringing out troops home from Iraq; her accomplishments on behalf of working families and her plan to provide health care for ALL Americans; her bipartisan work on behalf of veterans and kids with disabilities; and much more. For as many political speeches as I've heard in my nearly 28 (gasp!) years in presidential politics, I was surprised that I found myself teary at one point and got a shiver down my spine at another. Remarkably, she still looked and
sounded great, despite her grueling schedule. After the rope line, "Team Maryland" was pulled back stage to take a picture with her. We're all just thrilled to have been there.
One of the highlights for me was seeing a few people whose doors I had knocked on the day before. One is a young woman with an infant. Catherine and her husband are both caucusing for Hillary; her mother is with Biden at the moment. I wonder whether hearing Hillary's speech will cause her to choose Clinton as her second choice should Biden not receive the 15%
minimum threshhold in her precinct. Another was Tom, an older guy who is volunteering at his precinct. We had stopped by his apartment to say hello & thank him for his support & assistance. He told me at the rally that the energy of the two young women (his words, not
mine!) finally convinced his wife that she should come out to caucus for Hillary as well. It feels great to know that our efforts are making a tangible difference.
I was assigned to be a "Precinct Assistant" in one of the caucuses they have labeled as a bellwether for the outcome. In a few minutes, I'll be leaving to meet with the Precinct Captain to see how I can best help her. Many Captains are new to the process, so having an extra set of hands is proving helpful and reassuring to them. Watch Precinct #47 in Cedar Rapids...or read my next missive!
After the caucus process is completed here, I'll be hitting the road for Des Moines. Very luckily, the hotel room I was able to get for tonight is in the same place as the Clinton Victory Party! I suspect I'll run into even more friends and political colleagues from home.
Bright and way-too-early tomorrow morning, I'll be doing two live shots from the CBS affiliate. If you're interested, check out the news on WUSA Channel 9 at 6am and/or 9am. I'll be on both, standing outside in Des Moines, talking about the caucus experience for the DC market. (Try not to notice the dark circles that are sure to be under my eyes!)
Gotta pack up and get ready to hit the road.
Hope you're enjoying better weather wherever you're reading this. Regardless of the temperature, be grateful that you're not likely to be knocking on doors or sign-waving in 11 degree temps with wind!
Fingers crossed for a great outcome tonight in Iowa...
Cheryl
*************************************************************************
Monday, January 07, 2008
Caucuses, Campaigning, and Coming Home!
Many of you have called or emailed me in the past few days, wondering about my caucus experience... and my feelings about the outcome.
While I would have wished for a better press "bounce", it turns out that Hillary Clinton got more delegates than Edwards and just one fewer than Obama after Superdelegates and other factors are considered. (It's unfortunate that these facts aren't being publicized!) It is also notable that all three top Democratic finishers broke John Kerry's 2004 record-breaking level of support. In other words, Hillary didn't lose so much as Obama just totally won. His turnout was extraordinary, and his campaign staff and volunteers are to be congratulated.
Despite the results, I was thrilled to have been a part of "Team Maryland" in Iowa. Our group of 40 or 50 (folks kept arriving and departing through the week) knocked on thousands of doors, made tons of phone calls, and worked at dozens of caucus locations. The dedicated Clinton campaign staff kept thanking us for our enthusiasm and willingness to do whatever tasks were pending. Some of our group were veterans of many campaigns (like Del. Maggie McIntosh, County Councilmember Nancy Floreen, former Senator Mary Boergers, Delegate candidate Reggie Oldak and me). Others came with an eagerness to learn and make a difference.
As I wrote a few days ago, my caucus was considered a "bellwether" that would give us a sense of the outcome. Two things were key: helping the first-time caucus-goers (including our Precinct Captain) and being sure to hold or increase our ranks. It was a fairly small precinct, and the projected turnout was 77. Instead, we had 125 Iowans who came out to be counted. (In addition, there were a couple dozen young people and some observers like me, who could not vote.) After quite an 'interesting' process, the three delegates were split evenly-- one each for Clinton, Obama, and Edwards. This was considered a great victory for us.
I drove directly to Des Moines, where I ran into pals from DC and around the country. Among those hanging out at the hotel bar were Tim Russert, CNN's Bill Hemmer, EMILY's List Founder Ellen Malcolm, and former Maryland Lt Governor Michael Steele.
After an insufficient 3 hours of sleep, I headed out for my 'live shot' from Des Moines on Channel 9 in Washington. During the 5am hour (broadcast live at 6am), I was on solo and spoke exclusively about Hillary Clinton's campaign. Coming back at 8am, I was paired with my regular sparring partner, Republican Kevin Igoe. I toured the State Capitol in Des Moines and then drove about 10 hours to Columbus OH.
Starting with Xmas Day, I drove 2,788 miles and (miraculously) got NO parking or speeding tickets. I toured SIX state capitols (WV, KY, MO, IL, IA, and OH) and met really nice people everywhere. My memories range from sleeping on a leaking air mattress to choking up as all the Clinton Team sang "America the Beautiful" together before heading out on Caucus Day. (Yes, Democrats are patriotic too!!)
I came home to my wonderful husband, who had been busy working on countless projects around the house. Special thanks go to him for supporting me in a million ways on the trip. Thanks also to everyone who called me while I was on the road as well as to my new XM, my Ipod, and books on CD. You helped me stay awake on the long solo drive.
I'm not sure what 2008 will hold for our party or our country, but I'm proud to have been a small part of the process. If you have read this far, perhaps you care enough to make your contribution-- either through time, money, or even sharing your views and passions with friends and colleagues! Pick your cause or candidate and Go For It this year!
The laundry awaits me, as do many hundreds of emails...
Hugs and best wishes,
Cheryl
On my way to Iowa!
Today is Day Three of my drive to Iowa to campaign for Hillary Clinton in the caucuses on January 3rd. Despite the tedium of driving hours and hours alone, it still feels like a great adventure.
Keeping me company thus far in the car has been Ethan Hawke, reading five disks of Kurt Vonnegut's anti-war masterpiece, "Slaughterhouse Five". It's an ironic and well-written commentary on the impact of war.
I woke up today in Midway, Kentucky. Yesterday's state capitol tour was in Charleston, West Virginia. I got a private tour that was to last 30 minutes... but took just over two hours with all my questions etc. I was supposed to have a private tour of the Governor's mansion, but apparently the post-Xmas mess hadn't been cleaned up yet & they didn't want to have visitors yet. (By the way, I still believe that Governor Joe Manchin of WV would be a great running-mate for Hillary!)
My dear friend from Vassar, Herm Farrell, is taking me (along with his adorable daughter Madeleine) to Frankfort to see their state capitol. After this one, there will be just 15 left of the 50 for me to tour! My decision now is whether to stop in Springfield, IL, Jefferson City, MO, or elsewhere on the way to Des Moines, IA.
I'll write again when I have access to a computer.
Here's to democracy, peace, people's participation in elections, and exploring our beautiful country...
Hugs,
Cheryl
*************************************************************************
Friday, December 28, 2007
From Missouri, on my way to Iowa...
Today is Day Four of my drive to Iowa to campaign for Hillary Clinton in the caucuses on January 3rd.
Late last night, my decision was whether to drive to Springfield, IL, Jefferson City, MO, or elsewhere on the way to Des Moines, IA. I initially decided to stop in St. Louis, see the Arch, and sleep there. This morning, I could decide whether to drive east to MO or north to IL. Turns out I was pretty wide-awake, and decided to drive another 2-1/2 hours to Jefferson City, MO. I'm glad I did! Their capitol, while somewhat ordinary from the outside, is quite
spectacular on the inside! They have N.C. Wyeth, Thomas Hart Benton, and other artists' works within the beautiful vaulted architecture.
I've decided to drive to Springfield now and duck the Iowa snow for a bit longer. After Illinois, I'll have just 13 left to visit...
I am writing this from "Ozarkland" in Missouri. Think of "South of the Border" or "Wall Drug" in SD and you've got the idea. Tacky souvenirs at a way-station along the road. It's totally mid-America and a hoot. They advertised "free access to email" but didn't mention that their connection feels even slower than dial-up!
I'll write again when I have access to a computer.
If you are so inclined, consider a visit to www.HillaryClinton.com or other causes you care about. Make a donation of any size before the end of the year? Whether it's your local food pantry, women's shelter, arts group, or educational institution, they could use a few more dollars...
Hugs,
Cheryl
*************************************************************************
Saturday, December 29, 2007
I'm in Iowa!!!
Well, I've put on about 1500 miles on my car thus far. My folkie friends will say "so what". My other friends are perplexed my the whole "take vacation in the frigid cold to campaign... and DRIVE no less" mission I've undertaken with such enthusiasm!
Thus far, I've hit four more state capitols. That means I've visited a total of 37. (At some point before I leave, I'll visit Des Moines and add one more.) I'm definitely committed to hitting all 50 before I turn 50. If anyone has suggestions for good vacation destinations in places like Lansing Michigan or Bismarck North Dakota, I'm listening!
There are folks all over the hotel wearing "Hillary" buttons & I'm ready to kick into gear starting
tomorrow. The car, loaded down with my Tab soda, as well as Southern Comfort, Jim Beam and other friends, is now packed into my hotel room with two political colleagues from home.
I'll write again from the road with info on what we're assigned to do, how we're received, etc. In the meantime, let's keep our eyes on Pakistan and prepare to have an American leader who already has relationships with foreign heads of state and can hit the ground running from Day One in order to repair everything that's gotten @#($*&'d up over the past 7 years...
Hugs,
Cheryl
*************************************************************************
Monday, December 31, 2007
Yipes! It's REALLY cold out here!
It's Sunday night before Thursday's caucuses, and everything is busy & exciting here in Iowa!
There are almost 50 Marylanders here for Hillary. We're mostly Montgomery County & the Baltimore area, but we also have representation from Frederick, Anne Arundel, etc. Our group is diverse by age, race, gender, and political experience. We're united by our passion to elect the most qualified candidate who can hit the ground running on Day One, ready to fix what this Bush administration has wrecked during his tenure.
This morning, we received training in canvassing. Yup on a day the TV weather forecaster predicted that it would be a "cool 9 degrees", we were out, knocking on doors! My partner is a lovely young woman who works at Planned Parenthood in DC. We made a great team as we hit our doors, looking to lock in commitments for Clinton supporters to attend their local caucuses this Thursday night.
Surprisingly, our briefings about what to expect out in the field were accurate. Iowans are NOT yet sick of talking about the election. They invite you into their living room and want to talk for 15 or 20 minutes! How likely is that to happen in too many other places?? Not! Yes, they have a disproportionate influence on the process. But they are aware of that and take it quite seriously.
After a group dinner at "The Irish Democrat"-- a perfect place to eat in honor of our Governor-- we dashed over to headquarters for a "Mock Caucus." Despite all the briefings, it was interesting to experience the faux-reality of dividing among candidates Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington, FDR, and Truman. We Truman folks were able to pick up several votes from the "non-viable" candidacies of Washington & Jefferson. Between the math, the arcane rules, and
the lobbying, it got complicated and loud. Ultimately, you'll be pleased to know that Truman got 1 delegate vote out of the caucuses. (Let's hope Hillary does a ton better this week!)
Tomorrow will be another long day, possibly culminating with a New Year's Eve party in Des Moines with both Clintons. I'm not likely to write tomorrow, so let me wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!! May 2008 bring us a more peaceful world, happy and healthy lives, and a (particular) Democrat elected to the White House!
Hugs from "cool" Cedar Rapids... and without feeling in my fingers or toes,
Cheryl
*************************************************************************
Wednesday, January 02, 2008Just Two Days to Go!
So... there are just two days to go before the Iowa caucuses, and we are working our tails off for Hillary in Cedar Rapids. More Marylanders seem to arrive daily, infusing a great new energy to the second-largest city in the state.
Remember my last missive, when I commented on the 9 degree weather being described by the forecaster as "cool?" Now I get it! Today was 2... and with wind chill factor, it is now NEGATIVE 19 degrees. Long underwear and lots of gloves, socks, etc are worn without regard for what we look like. It's too freakin' cold to care about making fashion statements!
With weather like this, we are especially grateful for the warmth of the local voters. They invite us into their (heated) homes, rescuing us from the winds and biting cold. It's remarkable how friendly these prospective caucus-goers are, despite the barrage of television ads, robo calls, mailers, and canvassers. Today, my canvassing partner was a young Clinton campaign staffer. Samantha's intimate knowledge of the precinct made for less meandering than normal.
Our assigned precinct included a mix of upper-middle income folks and seniors living in retirement homes. Seniors, especially older women, are just tickled to have the opportunity to come out to help Hillary's candidacy! Even in their mid-80s and using a walker, they are totally motivated to go to their caucuses. Other supporters are men and women in our age bracket
(let's say 35-55) who appreciate both Senator Clinton's experience and relationships around the
world as well as Bill Clinton's record of leadership.
Many of the caucus-goers will be participating for the very first time. I'd be pretty surprised if the turnout isn't dramatically higher than in the past. What's fun is that everyone here is a political insider. In DC/Maryland, either you're "in" or you're "out" (paraphrasing Heidi Klum on Project Runway). Here, everyone's involved and aware. The surprising conversations are with those who are still undecided. They've met each candidate a couple of times, have had
policy chats, and they're still stymied. This isn't exactly what we're used to back home...
I've run into a few colleagues from past political campaigns, who (like me) have all converged on these poor defenseless Iowans. Tonight after getting back to HQ, I saw an older woman I knew I had worked with in the past. It didn't take long for me to identify Emily & her daughter Mary as colleagues from the Cranston for President campaign in 1984! It's bizarre to think that some of the young Clinton staffers weren't even born yet when we were trying to elect Alan Cranston!
Tomorrow, Hillary Clinton is coming to Cedar Rapids. That should mean door-knocking in the morning and afternoon, but with a break in the middle to be indoors, cheering her on.
That's all for now. It's tiring to be hustling around in sub-zero temperatures. Here's to a mug of hot tea and a warm bed.
More soon.
Cheryl
*************************************************************************
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Today's the Big Day!
Oh my... where do I start? We're freezing & exhausted, but SO pumped up for tonight's caucuses!
Yesterday, Hillary was in Cedar Rapids at a community college. As you might have read/seen, there were over 1000 people. Many were supporters who had already signed pledge cards and are planning to caucus. Others wanted to see her "live" in order to make up their minds.
Her speech yesterday was inspiring, direct, and effective. She talked about her commitment to safely bringing out troops home from Iraq; her accomplishments on behalf of working families and her plan to provide health care for ALL Americans; her bipartisan work on behalf of veterans and kids with disabilities; and much more. For as many political speeches as I've heard in my nearly 28 (gasp!) years in presidential politics, I was surprised that I found myself teary at one point and got a shiver down my spine at another. Remarkably, she still looked and
sounded great, despite her grueling schedule. After the rope line, "Team Maryland" was pulled back stage to take a picture with her. We're all just thrilled to have been there.
One of the highlights for me was seeing a few people whose doors I had knocked on the day before. One is a young woman with an infant. Catherine and her husband are both caucusing for Hillary; her mother is with Biden at the moment. I wonder whether hearing Hillary's speech will cause her to choose Clinton as her second choice should Biden not receive the 15%
minimum threshhold in her precinct. Another was Tom, an older guy who is volunteering at his precinct. We had stopped by his apartment to say hello & thank him for his support & assistance. He told me at the rally that the energy of the two young women (his words, not
mine!) finally convinced his wife that she should come out to caucus for Hillary as well. It feels great to know that our efforts are making a tangible difference.
I was assigned to be a "Precinct Assistant" in one of the caucuses they have labeled as a bellwether for the outcome. In a few minutes, I'll be leaving to meet with the Precinct Captain to see how I can best help her. Many Captains are new to the process, so having an extra set of hands is proving helpful and reassuring to them. Watch Precinct #47 in Cedar Rapids...or read my next missive!
After the caucus process is completed here, I'll be hitting the road for Des Moines. Very luckily, the hotel room I was able to get for tonight is in the same place as the Clinton Victory Party! I suspect I'll run into even more friends and political colleagues from home.
Bright and way-too-early tomorrow morning, I'll be doing two live shots from the CBS affiliate. If you're interested, check out the news on WUSA Channel 9 at 6am and/or 9am. I'll be on both, standing outside in Des Moines, talking about the caucus experience for the DC market. (Try not to notice the dark circles that are sure to be under my eyes!)
Gotta pack up and get ready to hit the road.
Hope you're enjoying better weather wherever you're reading this. Regardless of the temperature, be grateful that you're not likely to be knocking on doors or sign-waving in 11 degree temps with wind!
Fingers crossed for a great outcome tonight in Iowa...
Cheryl
*************************************************************************
Monday, January 07, 2008
Caucuses, Campaigning, and Coming Home!
Many of you have called or emailed me in the past few days, wondering about my caucus experience... and my feelings about the outcome.
While I would have wished for a better press "bounce", it turns out that Hillary Clinton got more delegates than Edwards and just one fewer than Obama after Superdelegates and other factors are considered. (It's unfortunate that these facts aren't being publicized!) It is also notable that all three top Democratic finishers broke John Kerry's 2004 record-breaking level of support. In other words, Hillary didn't lose so much as Obama just totally won. His turnout was extraordinary, and his campaign staff and volunteers are to be congratulated.
Despite the results, I was thrilled to have been a part of "Team Maryland" in Iowa. Our group of 40 or 50 (folks kept arriving and departing through the week) knocked on thousands of doors, made tons of phone calls, and worked at dozens of caucus locations. The dedicated Clinton campaign staff kept thanking us for our enthusiasm and willingness to do whatever tasks were pending. Some of our group were veterans of many campaigns (like Del. Maggie McIntosh, County Councilmember Nancy Floreen, former Senator Mary Boergers, Delegate candidate Reggie Oldak and me). Others came with an eagerness to learn and make a difference.
As I wrote a few days ago, my caucus was considered a "bellwether" that would give us a sense of the outcome. Two things were key: helping the first-time caucus-goers (including our Precinct Captain) and being sure to hold or increase our ranks. It was a fairly small precinct, and the projected turnout was 77. Instead, we had 125 Iowans who came out to be counted. (In addition, there were a couple dozen young people and some observers like me, who could not vote.) After quite an 'interesting' process, the three delegates were split evenly-- one each for Clinton, Obama, and Edwards. This was considered a great victory for us.
I drove directly to Des Moines, where I ran into pals from DC and around the country. Among those hanging out at the hotel bar were Tim Russert, CNN's Bill Hemmer, EMILY's List Founder Ellen Malcolm, and former Maryland Lt Governor Michael Steele.
After an insufficient 3 hours of sleep, I headed out for my 'live shot' from Des Moines on Channel 9 in Washington. During the 5am hour (broadcast live at 6am), I was on solo and spoke exclusively about Hillary Clinton's campaign. Coming back at 8am, I was paired with my regular sparring partner, Republican Kevin Igoe. I toured the State Capitol in Des Moines and then drove about 10 hours to Columbus OH.
Starting with Xmas Day, I drove 2,788 miles and (miraculously) got NO parking or speeding tickets. I toured SIX state capitols (WV, KY, MO, IL, IA, and OH) and met really nice people everywhere. My memories range from sleeping on a leaking air mattress to choking up as all the Clinton Team sang "America the Beautiful" together before heading out on Caucus Day. (Yes, Democrats are patriotic too!!)
I came home to my wonderful husband, who had been busy working on countless projects around the house. Special thanks go to him for supporting me in a million ways on the trip. Thanks also to everyone who called me while I was on the road as well as to my new XM, my Ipod, and books on CD. You helped me stay awake on the long solo drive.
I'm not sure what 2008 will hold for our party or our country, but I'm proud to have been a small part of the process. If you have read this far, perhaps you care enough to make your contribution-- either through time, money, or even sharing your views and passions with friends and colleagues! Pick your cause or candidate and Go For It this year!
The laundry awaits me, as do many hundreds of emails...
Hugs and best wishes,
Cheryl
Friday, January 11, 2008
Emails home from Iowa - AMY Grace
DECEMBER 30, 2007
Hello –
It’s very cold and “snow white” here in Iowa but the Hillary campaign is really hot.
After 5 hours of door-to-door precinct work this afternoon, I had to come back and take a very long hot shower to thaw out. Colleen & I were paired for the adventure and we were a great pair; her husband Mark was our driver since there’s a lot of distance between the houses we were visiting here. The campaign now is focused on GOTC: Get Out to Caucus so we went to HRC-identified homes to urge folks to caucus on Thursday and told them the details of where & when & how. The people we met were warm and gracious and friendly. Only one man told me that he would vote for HRC but he’s just not ready to vote for a woman. [I wondered quietly if he might be ready any time soon – Thursday, perhaps?]
“Team MD” has 30-40 people here, the largest contingent from other states, so we look good and consequently, our state leaders too. I’ve just come from a mock caucus at HQ; it was pretty raucous (aha, a raucous caucus!) and quite unlike anything we will ever see in MD. Each of us will be assigned to a caucus location for Thursday which will be great fun.
Des Moines and Cedar Rapids are where the action is. Our Cedar Rapids office is responsible for 105 precincts. The campaign is expecting a big turnout on Thursday with a large percentage of folks who have never caucused before so it’s going to be very challenging trying to work out all the kinks in advance so people don’t get discouraged by the process & leave. We all did some brain-storming this evening and stressed the importance of a pre-visit to the precinct sites before Thursday to trouble-shoot potential site problems. We have a LOT of older voters and lots of snow & ice – a bad combination that demands extra TLC and planning. Our office had personal contact with an impressive 1,000 voters today; Colleen and I went to about 50 households and will do the same tomorrow and Tuesday too, I suppose.
I’m feeling good about the campaign professionalism and the momentum but getting our people to caucus is absolutely the key to victory.
So that’s a quick campaign update to share with you. I feel very fortunate to be here. More news as things progress.
Love,
AMY (MOM/GRAMY)
DECEMBER 31, 2007
Hello Dear Ones,
Colleen, Mark & I have finished another 6 hours of door-to-door GOTC (Get Out to Caucus) organizing this afternoon in the snowy/icy/challenging streets & sidewalks of Cedar Rapids. Street work has its challenges; I finally broke down and got boot warmers. But it has its real rewards too: I love it when people are home and willing to talk to us. I’ve been wearing my pink Hillary shirt with her picture on the front (even though it now has spaghetti sauce on the front too – I always apologize); it’s a real conversation-opener as you can imagine; no one else has a shirt like it though I could sell a bunch.
The momentum of support by women here, of all ages, is gratifying to see; they see it as a chance to really “be part of history.” I love talking to them and sharing the emotion of that. Imagine the magic of hearing an 83 year-old woman say: “I never thought I’d see this in my lifetime.” It’s not all about the fact that Hillary is a woman: it’s about the fact the most intelligent, most passionate, most experienced, most inspirational, most ready-to-serve starting Day-1 is Hillary who just happens to be a woman. I personally feel as if so many goals that I have advocated for and passionately cared about for 30 years are finally realized. A woman’s place is in the House (yes, Congress was nice) but it’s time to be in the White House. Will Hillary be different in any way from the 40+ men who have preceded her? Who knows? I’m not that idealistic but I am very hopeful.
We’re leaving at 6:00 tonight to drive to Des Moines to be with Hill & Bill at a New Year’s Eve party. Tomorrow she will be here in Cedar Rapids. This is the fun/excitement part but know that the door-to-door has its fun & excitement too. Being real comes easily to Iowans, it seems, and it’s a good environment to share.
If I can’t be in the arms of my beloved partner to welcome the New Year, this is certainly the next-best place to be.
Wishing us all health and joy in 2008 (and victory for HRC) – YES to ALL! –
With love,
AMY (MOM, GRAMY)
==========================
JANUARY 1, 2008
Hello all –
Last night was a long and late one. We drove to Des Moines (2 hours away) for a New Year’s Eve party with Bill & Hill & Chelsea. There were about 500 campaign worker people there all filled with energy & passion for this campaign and this candidate. We left the party for a late dinner and got back to Cedar Rapids about 2:30 am. It was the strangest New Year’s Eve I’ve ever spent to not be with my sweetheart and friends to welcome the new year.
Today started at 9:30 am where we got our assignments for the day. Colleen & Mark went back to Baltimore so I had a new partner, Katie McDermott, from Annapolis. We had a list of more than 80 households to visit and confirm their presence at the caucus on Thursday at 6:30 pm. Turnout for Hillary is crucial. This was a very ambitious assignment in exceedingly cold temperatures, slippery conditions (we each fell once), with houses apart from each other. We visited about 60 households and urged people to caucus, answered questions, arranged rides. We’re back at the hotel now, cold but ecstatic about what we accomplished and the great reception we got from most homes. It’s odd to see how many households are split with one person supporting HRC and the other person supporting someone else. Of course it’s usually the women who are the HRC supporters but we did talk to several households where the man was supporting HRC and the woman was “uncertain.” It’s hard to know what to say to a woman in those situations!
Hillary will be in Cedar Rapids tomorrow so I look forward to possibly being able to see her in a smaller setting (sure … right). Katie and I will probably either be back “on the trail” or possibly with an inside assignment working the phones during most of the day.
I’m off to a long, hot shower now and dinner with volunteers at the Democratic Irish Pub. That seems like a perfect place to hang out for the evening.
Don’t take any of the polls (which all show different endings) too seriously. I may be in an isolated bubble here but I truly sense a big turnout and a fantastic victory for HRC.
Much love,
AMY (MOM, GRAMY)
P.S. Temperature in Iowa this evening is 2 degrees – expected high tomorrow = 11 degrees. I can take it: I’m an Aquarian.
JANUARY 2, 2008
Hello Everyone –
Wow! Today was the most inspirational day yet. After our morning briefing and more caucus training, we were assigned to the local community college to set up for Hillary’s visit to her Cedar Rapids supporters. I took on the job of holding a “barn” sign (aka big sign) at the entrance to the college to show people driving in the way to go. It was lots of fun but unbelievably cold to stand and wave and point the way for 1.5 hours. My reward when I went inside was to get a seat in the small auditorium instead of needing to stand. Little things mean a lot these days.
Our candidate was so terrific that I had to choke back my tears of happiness. She is sharp, focused, funny, serious, confident, obviously competent, inspirational, intelligent, witty, with a full list of goals and ways to achieve them, and ready to start the job the moment she can get access to the oval office (or probably already in process.) She criticized Bush for his agenda of ruling based on fear and futility; always telling us what to fear, always pronouncing what we cannot do, never daring to do anything new other than waste billions of dollars and thousands of lives on war efforts, and so much more. I have not been this taken with a candidate’s skills for a long time. I don’t just support her candidacy; I don’t just feel that she is the right person at the right time; I don’t just want to have a woman in the White House at last --- I love this woman! There’s never been a candidate like this. I am so grateful to have a chance, in my small way, to help elect her.
The campaign asked us (staff & volunteers) to try to restrain ourselves from shaking her hand or posing for pictures so that the Iowans would have an improved chance. So we stayed back knowing there will be other opportunities another time.
After this great event we went back to the office and made phone calls to supporters we didn’t see on the door-to-door urging them to “stand with Hillary” tomorrow night. The motto is “Stand with Hillary for one night so that she can stand for us for every day of her presidency.”
I’ve been assigned to my precinct for tomorrow evening; I will be visiting it in advance; it’s a local school. We have a major effort underway to match drivers with people who want or need rides to our 105 precincts. The campaign staff seems very competent at organizing this great effort. I will have a car to transport people.
I’m still predicting a big win tomorrow. You will know the results before you go to bed tomorrow. I’ll make a few phone calls home if I know something sooner than the national media but I doubt I will – they are everywhere.
Dream of victory – I know I will be. It will be so sweet.
Much love,
AMY (MOM, GRAMY)
=============================================================================================================================++
JANUARY 3, 2008
My caucus site was an elementary school south of Cedar Rapids. In 2004 they had about 100 attendees at caucus; they were expecting 150 tonight. They had 248! There was hardly room to move in the gym but we had arrived early and set up the HRC area with lots of signs, 50 chairs and tables with refreshments. Some caucus goers were already there when we arrived at 5:00 though the doors did not officially open until 6:30.
The energy in the room was amazing. At 7:00 sharp the caucus started with announcements and verification of the total number of attendees. Since my precinct captain was legally blind I did a lot of running around and counting to assist him. After the first round of counting it was quite clear that only HRC, Obama and Edwards were viable candidates - each had at least 15% (37 people). Then we had 15 minutes to convince folks in non-viable groups to come over to our side. That's when things got especially raucous and fun. There was one lone young woman holding up a piece of notebook paper with the name Kuchinich written on it in ink. I spoke to her and thanked her for her participation and told her I thought Dennis was a great guy. She asked me then why more people didn't vote their conscience: I said I was. She came over to the HRC group later.
The final tally from our precinct was 100 for Obama, 76 for HRC and 64 for Edwards. That translated into 4 delegates for Obama, 3 for HRC and 2 for Edwards.
It’s awful and disappointing and painful to lose and I now fear for her success in the upcoming primaries. Worst statistic of all for me is that Obama won 35% of the women’s vote; Hillary won 30%. I don’t really understand the Obama phenomenon (maybe I don’t want to today), especially here in Iowa, but it’s fascinating and more than a little inspiring to think that he can actually convince our unforgiving racist populace to vote for a “black man” with a “Muslim” last name.
Alternatively Hillary and her vast network of resources will come up with a plan to re-group and re-define her candidacy. I know she will not go down quietly. Apparently her message and her brilliance and her vision and her 35 year resume of activism did not speak to this general public strongly enough. It’s really hard for me to think that the others had a better strategy and ran better campaigns than hers. I know it’s only Iowa and there are lots of primaries ahead; I just really wanted her to win here.
For myself and my involvement in Iowa - no regrets, not one. I’ve been hanging out with wonderful people, hard workers, devoted to an inspirational cause. Now I just want to come home and organize for HRC in Maryland.
Thanks for listening and caring too; I’ve enjoyed being able to share my adventure with you all.
Love,
AMY (MOM, GRAMY)
Hello –
It’s very cold and “snow white” here in Iowa but the Hillary campaign is really hot.
After 5 hours of door-to-door precinct work this afternoon, I had to come back and take a very long hot shower to thaw out. Colleen & I were paired for the adventure and we were a great pair; her husband Mark was our driver since there’s a lot of distance between the houses we were visiting here. The campaign now is focused on GOTC: Get Out to Caucus so we went to HRC-identified homes to urge folks to caucus on Thursday and told them the details of where & when & how. The people we met were warm and gracious and friendly. Only one man told me that he would vote for HRC but he’s just not ready to vote for a woman. [I wondered quietly if he might be ready any time soon – Thursday, perhaps?]
“Team MD” has 30-40 people here, the largest contingent from other states, so we look good and consequently, our state leaders too. I’ve just come from a mock caucus at HQ; it was pretty raucous (aha, a raucous caucus!) and quite unlike anything we will ever see in MD. Each of us will be assigned to a caucus location for Thursday which will be great fun.
Des Moines and Cedar Rapids are where the action is. Our Cedar Rapids office is responsible for 105 precincts. The campaign is expecting a big turnout on Thursday with a large percentage of folks who have never caucused before so it’s going to be very challenging trying to work out all the kinks in advance so people don’t get discouraged by the process & leave. We all did some brain-storming this evening and stressed the importance of a pre-visit to the precinct sites before Thursday to trouble-shoot potential site problems. We have a LOT of older voters and lots of snow & ice – a bad combination that demands extra TLC and planning. Our office had personal contact with an impressive 1,000 voters today; Colleen and I went to about 50 households and will do the same tomorrow and Tuesday too, I suppose.
I’m feeling good about the campaign professionalism and the momentum but getting our people to caucus is absolutely the key to victory.
So that’s a quick campaign update to share with you. I feel very fortunate to be here. More news as things progress.
Love,
AMY (MOM/GRAMY)
DECEMBER 31, 2007
Hello Dear Ones,
Colleen, Mark & I have finished another 6 hours of door-to-door GOTC (Get Out to Caucus) organizing this afternoon in the snowy/icy/challenging streets & sidewalks of Cedar Rapids. Street work has its challenges; I finally broke down and got boot warmers. But it has its real rewards too: I love it when people are home and willing to talk to us. I’ve been wearing my pink Hillary shirt with her picture on the front (even though it now has spaghetti sauce on the front too – I always apologize); it’s a real conversation-opener as you can imagine; no one else has a shirt like it though I could sell a bunch.
The momentum of support by women here, of all ages, is gratifying to see; they see it as a chance to really “be part of history.” I love talking to them and sharing the emotion of that. Imagine the magic of hearing an 83 year-old woman say: “I never thought I’d see this in my lifetime.” It’s not all about the fact that Hillary is a woman: it’s about the fact the most intelligent, most passionate, most experienced, most inspirational, most ready-to-serve starting Day-1 is Hillary who just happens to be a woman. I personally feel as if so many goals that I have advocated for and passionately cared about for 30 years are finally realized. A woman’s place is in the House (yes, Congress was nice) but it’s time to be in the White House. Will Hillary be different in any way from the 40+ men who have preceded her? Who knows? I’m not that idealistic but I am very hopeful.
We’re leaving at 6:00 tonight to drive to Des Moines to be with Hill & Bill at a New Year’s Eve party. Tomorrow she will be here in Cedar Rapids. This is the fun/excitement part but know that the door-to-door has its fun & excitement too. Being real comes easily to Iowans, it seems, and it’s a good environment to share.
If I can’t be in the arms of my beloved partner to welcome the New Year, this is certainly the next-best place to be.
Wishing us all health and joy in 2008 (and victory for HRC) – YES to ALL! –
With love,
AMY (MOM, GRAMY)
==========================
JANUARY 1, 2008
Hello all –
Last night was a long and late one. We drove to Des Moines (2 hours away) for a New Year’s Eve party with Bill & Hill & Chelsea. There were about 500 campaign worker people there all filled with energy & passion for this campaign and this candidate. We left the party for a late dinner and got back to Cedar Rapids about 2:30 am. It was the strangest New Year’s Eve I’ve ever spent to not be with my sweetheart and friends to welcome the new year.
Today started at 9:30 am where we got our assignments for the day. Colleen & Mark went back to Baltimore so I had a new partner, Katie McDermott, from Annapolis. We had a list of more than 80 households to visit and confirm their presence at the caucus on Thursday at 6:30 pm. Turnout for Hillary is crucial. This was a very ambitious assignment in exceedingly cold temperatures, slippery conditions (we each fell once), with houses apart from each other. We visited about 60 households and urged people to caucus, answered questions, arranged rides. We’re back at the hotel now, cold but ecstatic about what we accomplished and the great reception we got from most homes. It’s odd to see how many households are split with one person supporting HRC and the other person supporting someone else. Of course it’s usually the women who are the HRC supporters but we did talk to several households where the man was supporting HRC and the woman was “uncertain.” It’s hard to know what to say to a woman in those situations!
Hillary will be in Cedar Rapids tomorrow so I look forward to possibly being able to see her in a smaller setting (sure … right). Katie and I will probably either be back “on the trail” or possibly with an inside assignment working the phones during most of the day.
I’m off to a long, hot shower now and dinner with volunteers at the Democratic Irish Pub. That seems like a perfect place to hang out for the evening.
Don’t take any of the polls (which all show different endings) too seriously. I may be in an isolated bubble here but I truly sense a big turnout and a fantastic victory for HRC.
Much love,
AMY (MOM, GRAMY)
P.S. Temperature in Iowa this evening is 2 degrees – expected high tomorrow = 11 degrees. I can take it: I’m an Aquarian.
JANUARY 2, 2008
Hello Everyone –
Wow! Today was the most inspirational day yet. After our morning briefing and more caucus training, we were assigned to the local community college to set up for Hillary’s visit to her Cedar Rapids supporters. I took on the job of holding a “barn” sign (aka big sign) at the entrance to the college to show people driving in the way to go. It was lots of fun but unbelievably cold to stand and wave and point the way for 1.5 hours. My reward when I went inside was to get a seat in the small auditorium instead of needing to stand. Little things mean a lot these days.
Our candidate was so terrific that I had to choke back my tears of happiness. She is sharp, focused, funny, serious, confident, obviously competent, inspirational, intelligent, witty, with a full list of goals and ways to achieve them, and ready to start the job the moment she can get access to the oval office (or probably already in process.) She criticized Bush for his agenda of ruling based on fear and futility; always telling us what to fear, always pronouncing what we cannot do, never daring to do anything new other than waste billions of dollars and thousands of lives on war efforts, and so much more. I have not been this taken with a candidate’s skills for a long time. I don’t just support her candidacy; I don’t just feel that she is the right person at the right time; I don’t just want to have a woman in the White House at last --- I love this woman! There’s never been a candidate like this. I am so grateful to have a chance, in my small way, to help elect her.
The campaign asked us (staff & volunteers) to try to restrain ourselves from shaking her hand or posing for pictures so that the Iowans would have an improved chance. So we stayed back knowing there will be other opportunities another time.
After this great event we went back to the office and made phone calls to supporters we didn’t see on the door-to-door urging them to “stand with Hillary” tomorrow night. The motto is “Stand with Hillary for one night so that she can stand for us for every day of her presidency.”
I’ve been assigned to my precinct for tomorrow evening; I will be visiting it in advance; it’s a local school. We have a major effort underway to match drivers with people who want or need rides to our 105 precincts. The campaign staff seems very competent at organizing this great effort. I will have a car to transport people.
I’m still predicting a big win tomorrow. You will know the results before you go to bed tomorrow. I’ll make a few phone calls home if I know something sooner than the national media but I doubt I will – they are everywhere.
Dream of victory – I know I will be. It will be so sweet.
Much love,
AMY (MOM, GRAMY)
=============================================================================================================================++
JANUARY 3, 2008
My caucus site was an elementary school south of Cedar Rapids. In 2004 they had about 100 attendees at caucus; they were expecting 150 tonight. They had 248! There was hardly room to move in the gym but we had arrived early and set up the HRC area with lots of signs, 50 chairs and tables with refreshments. Some caucus goers were already there when we arrived at 5:00 though the doors did not officially open until 6:30.
The energy in the room was amazing. At 7:00 sharp the caucus started with announcements and verification of the total number of attendees. Since my precinct captain was legally blind I did a lot of running around and counting to assist him. After the first round of counting it was quite clear that only HRC, Obama and Edwards were viable candidates - each had at least 15% (37 people). Then we had 15 minutes to convince folks in non-viable groups to come over to our side. That's when things got especially raucous and fun. There was one lone young woman holding up a piece of notebook paper with the name Kuchinich written on it in ink. I spoke to her and thanked her for her participation and told her I thought Dennis was a great guy. She asked me then why more people didn't vote their conscience: I said I was. She came over to the HRC group later.
The final tally from our precinct was 100 for Obama, 76 for HRC and 64 for Edwards. That translated into 4 delegates for Obama, 3 for HRC and 2 for Edwards.
It’s awful and disappointing and painful to lose and I now fear for her success in the upcoming primaries. Worst statistic of all for me is that Obama won 35% of the women’s vote; Hillary won 30%. I don’t really understand the Obama phenomenon (maybe I don’t want to today), especially here in Iowa, but it’s fascinating and more than a little inspiring to think that he can actually convince our unforgiving racist populace to vote for a “black man” with a “Muslim” last name.
Alternatively Hillary and her vast network of resources will come up with a plan to re-group and re-define her candidacy. I know she will not go down quietly. Apparently her message and her brilliance and her vision and her 35 year resume of activism did not speak to this general public strongly enough. It’s really hard for me to think that the others had a better strategy and ran better campaigns than hers. I know it’s only Iowa and there are lots of primaries ahead; I just really wanted her to win here.
For myself and my involvement in Iowa - no regrets, not one. I’ve been hanging out with wonderful people, hard workers, devoted to an inspirational cause. Now I just want to come home and organize for HRC in Maryland.
Thanks for listening and caring too; I’ve enjoyed being able to share my adventure with you all.
Love,
AMY (MOM, GRAMY)
Kent Watkins Memo on his Iowa Caucus Experience
ANATOMY OF AN IOWAN 2008 CAUCUS EXPERIENCE AND BEYOND
My name is Kent Watkins from Washington, D.C. (kent.watkins@yahoo.com). I was raised as an Iowa Hawkeye, became a political junkie in Washington, D.C., a public administration wonk, and have been a policy guru of sorts. I was privileged to have been part of the Maryland delegation that went to Cedar Rapids last week and participated in the campaign leading up to and then observing the caucus. This is a pastiche of what I experienced at one of the 1781 precincts. Others had different experiences; all are valid.
My name is Kent Watkins from Washington, D.C. (kent.watkins@yahoo.com). I was raised as an Iowa Hawkeye, became a political junkie in Washington, D.C., a public administration wonk, and have been a policy guru of sorts. I was privileged to have been part of the Maryland delegation that went to Cedar Rapids last week and participated in the campaign leading up to and then observing the caucus. This is a pastiche of what I experienced at one of the 1781 precincts. Others had different experiences; all are valid.
For example, the outcome I came away with was that -- as reported by CNN, Des Moines Register, AP, and others --Hillary had taken 15 of the 45 Iowa delegate
s to the nominating convention, while Obama, 16 and Edwards, 14. That seemed pretty darn close to me, almost a tie. And that left Hillary, as the Associated Press further stated, “In the overall race for delegates, Clinton leads with 175, followed by Obama with 75 and Edwards with 46.” Just as the media and others seem to focus on the national voting figures, I look at the electoral college votes, and in this case, keep my eye on the ball with regard to the convention score needed, including superdelegates. Only time will tell how other factors, perception included, will affect that. But, that is what I saw in Iowa, leaving aside all the other media ‘stuff’.
s to the nominating convention, while Obama, 16 and Edwards, 14. That seemed pretty darn close to me, almost a tie. And that left Hillary, as the Associated Press further stated, “In the overall race for delegates, Clinton leads with 175, followed by Obama with 75 and Edwards with 46.” Just as the media and others seem to focus on the national voting figures, I look at the electoral college votes, and in this case, keep my eye on the ball with regard to the convention score needed, including superdelegates. Only time will tell how other factors, perception included, will affect that. But, that is what I saw in Iowa, leaving aside all the other media ‘stuff’.The above numbers report the macro level; the following is a ‘worms-eye’ view of one caucus, in Central City, Iowa, where I was assigned.
Pre-Caucus Activities
I arrived in Moline, Ill., the least expensive fly-in alternative at that point to my destination of Cedar Rapid
s, Ia., on New Year’s Eve, on the last plane before the airport was shut down for a blinding snowstorm. My luggage did not arrive with me. Here is a photo of the auto I had rented!
I arrived in Moline, Ill., the least expensive fly-in alternative at that point to my destination of Cedar Rapid
s, Ia., on New Year’s Eve, on the last plane before the airport was shut down for a blinding snowstorm. My luggage did not arrive with me. Here is a photo of the auto I had rented!The drive to Cedar Rapids, normally about 2 hours or less, was nearly twice that due to the unplowed Interstate, the low visibility, the ice, and the sobering look out the window at the overturned semi-trailer trucks and cars along the side of the highway. I did arrive safely, however, and the last part of the trip, the storm had not occurred at all.
The next couple of days were spent canvassing, 
lining up drivers for the caucus, attending meetings at headquarters, meeting other workers and caucus-goers, and being re-acquainted with the weather (-10 windchill in some instances) and the City itself, where I had visited my grandparents as a kid.
lining up drivers for the caucus, attending meetings at headquarters, meeting other workers and caucus-goers, and being re-acquainted with the weather (-10 windchill in some instances) and the City itself, where I had visited my grandparents as a kid.In the morning, some of us would have a fresh peach cinnamon roll across the street from the Five Seasons hotel (where did the fifth season come from - regular winter and Iowa winter, perhaps?), which Peg served with a latte. Then, buy a Des Moines
Register, a Cedar Rapids Gazette, and the New York Times(!) to devour the most recent political news as the media concocted it.
Training Room, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Hillary Clinton Headquarters / Exterior
Md. Delegation ‘hq.’ for assignments, etc.
2235 Upland Dr., S.E., my grandparents' house
View from my hotel room of Quaker Oats Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Presidential Candidates Hit Cedar Rapids One Day before C-Day
On Wednesday, Jan. 2, Hillary came to town! Over 700 person showed up, and she gave a stirring talk about her experience, with specific examples, and how this would impact most favorably on her plans for change. 
The talk was held in bone-chilling weather, at a recreation center of a junior college on the outskirts of center city. That same day, six other presidential candidates were in town!
The talk was held in bone-chilling weather, at a recreation center of a junior college on the outskirts of center city. That same day, six other presidential candidates were in town!I didn't get to see any other rallies and it was so strange that no visible presence of the other campaigns were around town. A few signs other than Hillary's but where were the headquarters of Obama, Edwards, Dodd (I did finally see his away from the business district quite a ways), Richardson, etc.
Former Governor Vilsack, Hillary Clinton, and Chelsea Clinton
Caucus Assignment
I was assigned a caucus location at Central City, a town about 30 miles outside of Cedar Rapids. I looked it up in my 1938 WPA American Guide Series and it said, “837 altitude, 780 population, is a trading center for farmers within a 10-mile radius, most of whom live on modern, well-stocked farms. It is a terminal for the C.M.St.P.&P.R.R. The East Star Mill erected nearby on the bank of the Wapsipinicon River in 1863, is still in use for grinding grain.”
The current non-WPA version from Google led me to the City’s website, which said that there were now 1157 ‘smiling faces’ in this ‘quaint’ river town, located in the heart of the ‘industrial belt of Iowa, and that we should ‘come experience the quiet beauty of our scenic Wapsipinicon Valley…where you can fish, go canoeing, hike a nature trail at one of several parks, camp under the stars, ride bikes or horses along the wooded bluffs…Are you tempted yet?”
Well, not at this time, thank you.
The temperature had risen to about 10 plus degrees as I drove north on Highway 13, with snow-covered fields and iced lakes where I saw some boys who were walking on it while looking through fishing holes they had drilled in the ice. The website had not mentioned that sport. I then crossed the bridge over the frozen Wapsipinicon River and drove into the center of town.I was a bit early, deliberately, to make sure I wouldn’t miss my assignment, and so took a windshield ride around the town. My first view was of Bubba’s Bar & Grill – doesn’t every town have one? Next to it was the Amvet bar and meeting place. On the other side was an old home now housing the Central City Historical Society. 
The streetlights were decorated still for the holidays, and a small gas station presented a conundrum for getting said product, given the parked cars in its lanes. A sign over the drug store on the corner said it had been there since 1929. A church loomed over another gas station down the streeet, and various gift shops, some closed, also lined the streets. 
The streetlights were decorated still for the holidays, and a small gas station presented a conundrum for getting said product, given the parked cars in its lanes. A sign over the drug store on the corner said it had been there since 1929. A church loomed over another gas station down the streeet, and various gift shops, some closed, also lined the streets. 
I found the one eatery in town, Montana Café, and went inside to get some dinner. No Iowa pork on the menu, which was one of the items I was looking forward on my visit and never was able to find, so I settled for broasted chicken and the salad bar. There were two young girls dressed in cheerleader outfits, hanging out, they said, with their mother. who was my waitperson and perhaps owner? Apparently, there was to be a basketball game at the high school at the same time as the caucus was being held next door in the cafeteria. Oh, great, I wonder which will have the larger attendance…
Arriving at the Caucus site, Observer and other Rules and Providing Rides
Approaching 5:30 p.m., I drove to the high school and was amazed at the number of cars that were already there. But, I was reminded of the dual use that night as I went into t
he wrong door and was re-directed by a high school student who was selling tickets for the basketball game. Down the street (the school had a linear addition), I saw only Clinton signs outside a door and was cheered by that. Inside, I found Jason Blevenhagen, the Clinton precinct captain, and presented myself. The cafeteria, a very large open space with a number of tables scattered throughout, already had quite a few persons at the Clinton, Obama, and Edwards stations.
The caucus chair came over to check me out and he turned out to be Mike Robinson, the Linn Co. Democratic party chairperson. So, this small town had some political clout! And he certainly would know the rules of the caucus. The first thing he did in my presence was to suggest to Jason that the food that had been delivered be taken outside and not utilized. The second thing he did was to make sure that I would follow my observer role and I replied that I would sit alongside the wall and do just that and no more, once things started.
Then, I conferred with Jason about the ride request I brought up with me. We jointly called Maurine, and although she had told hq that she didn’t need the ride, now she said she did, because her son was ill and could not perform the duty. So, Jason sent me with a local woman and we were able to bring one more delegate to the caucus! I felt good about that, because I thought maybe she might make a difference for maximizing the delegate count for Hillary. Four delegates were allowed for Central City and two for the township. Since they were two separate entities, there would have to be parallel processes and separate table areas in the cafeteria. Mike would be overall chair, coordinating the township chair, and he would also chair the Central City process.
As 6:30 approached for calling the caucus to order, he addressed the persons who had already registered and gathered at both precinct areas, milling about and greeting each other a bit warily even though neighbors, if in different camps. He warned some Edwards observers not to take such an active part in the waving of signs, giving instructions, etc., and eventually they retreated to the sidelines with me, albeit with some protest. I do not know if any or how many persons were independents or Republicans who temporarily registered as Democrats, as apparently was happening across the State that night.
Preliminary business
Mike told the assembled gathering that there would be some preliminary business, such as electing permanent chairs and secretaries for the two caucuses. Also, any resolutions to take to the County Convention on March 15 could be filled out now and sent up to him for review by the platform committee. He asked for volunteers for the Platform Committee and Committee on Committees, including alternates. He also said he would circulate two envelopes, the equivalent of passing the hat, for contributions to the County party and to the State party. He then proceeded to implement these items.
Candidate Preferences – 1st Round
At the designated 7 p.m. time for forming preference groups, registration ceased and Mike shifted to the business of candidate preferences. Most persons were already sitting around their designated ‘flag’ and so it was a matter of counting those. This took several iterations and methodologies (raising of hands, verbalizing a number by each person, others doing a silent count) because there was uncertainty raised in some instances.
he wrong door and was re-directed by a high school student who was selling tickets for the basketball game. Down the street (the school had a linear addition), I saw only Clinton signs outside a door and was cheered by that. Inside, I found Jason Blevenhagen, the Clinton precinct captain, and presented myself. The cafeteria, a very large open space with a number of tables scattered throughout, already had quite a few persons at the Clinton, Obama, and Edwards stations.
The caucus chair came over to check me out and he turned out to be Mike Robinson, the Linn Co. Democratic party chairperson. So, this small town had some political clout! And he certainly would know the rules of the caucus. The first thing he did in my presence was to suggest to Jason that the food that had been delivered be taken outside and not utilized. The second thing he did was to make sure that I would follow my observer role and I replied that I would sit alongside the wall and do just that and no more, once things started.
Then, I conferred with Jason about the ride request I brought up with me. We jointly called Maurine, and although she had told hq that she didn’t need the ride, now she said she did, because her son was ill and could not perform the duty. So, Jason sent me with a local woman and we were able to bring one more delegate to the caucus! I felt good about that, because I thought maybe she might make a difference for maximizing the delegate count for Hillary. Four delegates were allowed for Central City and two for the township. Since they were two separate entities, there would have to be parallel processes and separate table areas in the cafeteria. Mike would be overall chair, coordinating the township chair, and he would also chair the Central City process.
As 6:30 approached for calling the caucus to order, he addressed the persons who had already registered and gathered at both precinct areas, milling about and greeting each other a bit warily even though neighbors, if in different camps. He warned some Edwards observers not to take such an active part in the waving of signs, giving instructions, etc., and eventually they retreated to the sidelines with me, albeit with some protest. I do not know if any or how many persons were independents or Republicans who temporarily registered as Democrats, as apparently was happening across the State that night.
Preliminary business
Mike told the assembled gathering that there would be some preliminary business, such as electing permanent chairs and secretaries for the two caucuses. Also, any resolutions to take to the County Convention on March 15 could be filled out now and sent up to him for review by the platform committee. He asked for volunteers for the Platform Committee and Committee on Committees, including alternates. He also said he would circulate two envelopes, the equivalent of passing the hat, for contributions to the County party and to the State party. He then proceeded to implement these items.
Candidate Preferences – 1st Round
At the designated 7 p.m. time for forming preference groups, registration ceased and Mike shifted to the business of candidate preferences. Most persons were already sitting around their designated ‘flag’ and so it was a matter of counting those. This took several iterations and methodologies (raising of hands, verbalizing a number by each person, others doing a silent count) because there was uncertainty raised in some instances.
Once the individual counts in both precinct groups were done, then Mike pared down the potential candidates by eliminating the 0 groups – Gravel, Dodd, Kucinich, and uncommitted. The rest would remain until it was determined which would reach the threshold of viability, a minimum number of members relative to the number of total attendees, in most cases 15 percent. Mike said that the Biden group was not viable (only himself) nor was the Richardson group of one. These must re-align within 30 minutes or leave.
Candidate Preferences – 2nd Round
At 7:15 p.m., Mike announced that the second round would commence for 30 minutes, and groups were free t
o “re-align”, i.e., entice or persuade others to join them from any other group. Mike announced he would join the Obama group. A few others moved from one group to the other, accompanied by pleas, claps, subsequent cheers and groans. One person was heard to say, ‘Honey, I love you, please join me!’ but I am not sure of the sequel.
Calculations for Delegates
By 7:30, the re-alignment was done. Central City was allowed four delegates, based on the voter turnout in the two previous general elections, and there were 87 total persons. Their formula for viability was .15 (15% of all participants) for four or more delegates, while the Township had only two delegates allotted, so their viability index was .25. This will become more clear in a New York nano-second.
Here is the breakdown* for the various camps who were now qualified:
* number in group times previous voting formula/divided by total # = viability index
Central City:
Clinton - 36 x 4/87 = 1.65
Obama - 20 x 4/87 = .919
Edwards - 31 x 4/87 = 1.425
Township: 38 total votes
Clinton - 11 x 2/38 = .578
Obama - 13 x 2/38 = .740
Edwards - 14 x 2/38 = .753
Allocating Delegates
Since there were four and two delegates respectively, Mike now went through the second math process of figuring out where they would be given. All three camps in Central City were given a delegate each through the process. The fourth was up for grabs and Clinton received this through the round-up process. For the Township, Obama and Edwards each got a delegate and Clinton was out in the cold. So, it became clear that by dividing the vote by areas and not combining them that, as in the electoral college process in the general election, the State-wide winner might not have the most votes, but have strategically had the most in various and sundry precincts. This may explain why the eventual delegate count, referred to in my first paragraph, turned out to be so close, with Clinton’s being only one fewer than Obama, and having one more than Edwards.
Candidate Preferences – 2nd Round
At 7:15 p.m., Mike announced that the second round would commence for 30 minutes, and groups were free t
o “re-align”, i.e., entice or persuade others to join them from any other group. Mike announced he would join the Obama group. A few others moved from one group to the other, accompanied by pleas, claps, subsequent cheers and groans. One person was heard to say, ‘Honey, I love you, please join me!’ but I am not sure of the sequel.Calculations for Delegates
By 7:30, the re-alignment was done. Central City was allowed four delegates, based on the voter turnout in the two previous general elections, and there were 87 total persons. Their formula for viability was .15 (15% of all participants) for four or more delegates, while the Township had only two delegates allotted, so their viability index was .25. This will become more clear in a New York nano-second.
Here is the breakdown* for the various camps who were now qualified:
* number in group times previous voting formula/divided by total # = viability index
Central City:
Clinton - 36 x 4/87 = 1.65
Obama - 20 x 4/87 = .919
Edwards - 31 x 4/87 = 1.425
Township: 38 total votes
Clinton - 11 x 2/38 = .578
Obama - 13 x 2/38 = .740
Edwards - 14 x 2/38 = .753
Allocating Delegates
Since there were four and two delegates respectively, Mike now went through the second math process of figuring out where they would be given. All three camps in Central City were given a delegate each through the process. The fourth was up for grabs and Clinton received this through the round-up process. For the Township, Obama and Edwards each got a delegate and Clinton was out in the cold. So, it became clear that by dividing the vote by areas and not combining them that, as in the electoral college process in the general election, the State-wide winner might not have the most votes, but have strategically had the most in various and sundry precincts. This may explain why the eventual delegate count, referred to in my first paragraph, turned out to be so close, with Clinton’s being only one fewer than Obama, and having one more than Edwards.
After the results were announced, the precincts chairs signed off on the count, and calls were made to their respective headquarters and to the official point. 
The Chair said that everyone could go, but he needed a few to stay to discuss the other business. A few did.
Conclusions
My feeling about the caucus process, which will repeat itself in many other States (Nevada, Hawaii, Maine, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Washington, Maine, D.C., Wyoming) probably mirrors the NY Times article this past week: they are less democratic than primaries because of the time constraints, no ability to have absentee ballots, no secret ballot, etc. However, a high school classmate of mine who became the first woman mayor pro tem of Sioux City, Iowa, and now lives in California, says that she still thinks they are more democratic in their neighborly-ness. Only time will tell if there will be one national primary on the same day in every State, or whether there will still be hold-outs on dates and types, including conventions (Wyoming, West Virginia, and Nebraska, R).
And thanks to my trip to Hawkeye territory, I did get to see my grandparents’ house, visited the Museum of Art, where I bought a contemporary painting of The Little Church in the Vale (Nashua, Ia.) where my parents were married, and was given a tour of the Grant Wood Studio.
The Chair said that everyone could go, but he needed a few to stay to discuss the other business. A few did.Conclusions
My feeling about the caucus process, which will repeat itself in many other States (Nevada, Hawaii, Maine, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Washington, Maine, D.C., Wyoming) probably mirrors the NY Times article this past week: they are less democratic than primaries because of the time constraints, no ability to have absentee ballots, no secret ballot, etc. However, a high school classmate of mine who became the first woman mayor pro tem of Sioux City, Iowa, and now lives in California, says that she still thinks they are more democratic in their neighborly-ness. Only time will tell if there will be one national primary on the same day in every State, or whether there will still be hold-outs on dates and types, including conventions (Wyoming, West Virginia, and Nebraska, R).
And thanks to my trip to Hawkeye territory, I did get to see my grandparents’ house, visited the Museum of Art, where I bought a contemporary painting of The Little Church in the Vale (Nashua, Ia.) where my parents were married, and was given a tour of the Grant Wood Studio.
To those who went on to New Hampshire, I will be sending positive energy from future Hillary voters!
1/05/08
Thursday, January 3, 2008
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