Perhaps this was fortuitous, but I randomly snapped this shot outside the Obama HQ in downtown Des Moines earlier today. True, it was Obama's night tonight, taking 38% of the vote while Edwards took second with 30% and Clinton slid into third at 29%.
But it was also the Democrats' night in terms of turnout, with some 225,000 Dems caucusing versus about 120,000 Republicans. Both parties logged historic numbers, up from about 124,000 (D) and 87,000 (R) in 2004, but Dems appeared to be on fire.
His supporters may be young but they weren't green. Led by precinct captain Philip James (front and center), Obama folks lined up for their head count in precinct 46, where they ended up with 175 votes compared to Edwards' 89 and Clinton's 79 votes.
James said the Obama campaign knew going into the evening that they had identified 132 supporters in precinct 46, which would have been nearly half of the 260 people they anticipated would show up to caucus (instead, 425 came out). "We didn't expect it to be so chaotic," he said. But they were clearly prepared for a strong Obama showing.
Jeff Westendorf reports that, like almost everywhere else, turn out was huge at his caucus, with a line out the door and too many people for too small a space. "It was amazing and chaotic," he says, noting that about 350 caucusers showed up for a smallish class room. After voting for the candidates, only about 40 people hung in to debate the party platform.
Of the three proposals he hoped to submit on taxes, a more inclusive definition of family, and repealing "don't ask, don't tell," he only presented the first two. His platform to replace the income tax with some type of consumption/sales tax passed.
His plank on expanding the definition of family was a bit more complicated. The platform debate began with someone making a proposal to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. Although Westendorf made a counter proposal, the plank passed. Then he offered his family platform, which won only about 7 votes out of 40, picked up a few more votes on a second round, but ultimately failed. Westendorf was slightly disappointed but also satisfied to some extent. "People listened, asked questions, debated," he said. "But I'm proud of what I did. You change people one vote at a time."
Above is R.J. with other Biden supporters at the beginning of the night, below he makes the switch to Richardson. R.J.'s third choice was Hillary Clinton, but he didn't have to go that far when Richardson won enough support on the second round of voting to meet the 15% threshold. The Edwards precinct captain was intent on making sure Richardson was viable for the very reason that they didn't want his camp to dissolve and "pad" either a Clinton or Obama lead – Edwards was willing to send some supporters over to Richardson in order to make him viable. Turns out, that wasn't necessary in precinct 46.
Kerry here, I'm back at the returns center in Iowa where they are reporting that about 221,000 people participated in the caucus process tonight with 95% of the precincts reporting. That's almost double the turnout in 2004, when somewhere between 122,000 – 124,000 Iowans voiced their opinion.
The picture above is of R.J.'s precinct, 46, where the initial room that we were assigned to was so packed, we didn't have the space to break into preference groups and do a head count. I must say, people remained amazingly patient while the precinct captain negotiated across party lines for the spacious gymnasium where the Republicans where caucusing in the same elementary school. It was a much longer process than most people planned on, yet nearly everyone stayed till the vote was taken. The word 'dedication' comes to mind.
The final tally looks like this: Obama, 175; Edwards, 89; and Clinton, 79. Richardson became viable with 69.
How's this for a little politics? Edwards' precinct captain Paul Knupp waited at the beginning of the realignment process to see if Richardson would become viable with Biden, Kucinich and Dodd supporters. If Richardson didn't look like he was going to make the count, Paul was prepared to send over 10 of his people to make him viable. Why? Because if Richardson hadn't made it, 56 of his caucusers would be up for grabs, and Paul wasn't about to "pad Obama or Clinton.” Once he figured out Richardson was viable, then he started working on courting a few more caucus goers over to Edwards.
The initial count is in for precinct 46: Obama has 167; Edwards, 79; and Clinton, 76. So they're all viable. Richardson is darn close with 56. Biden has 25; Kucinich has 8; and Dodd picked up 3. None of them will make the 15%.
Now for the realignment process. There's this whole system of bargaining going on to woo the supporters of nonviable supporters over to other candidates. A bunch of Biden people are going over to Richardson to make him viable. Turns out my math was off. Each candidate only needs 64 to be viable, so he only needs to pick up 8 people from any other camp. This clearly had some of Richardson's people excited, and they were cheering to get people to come over until the precinct captain said, "There's 400 people in this room, you can't cheer. This has to be low key." But they're using anything they can to keep Richardson in this.
We're in the gym now, and I don't know the head count, but from the looks of things about half the people are going for Obama. It doesn't look like Biden is going to get the magic 65. Hillary supporters have already begun to descend on the Biden crowd, trying to woo them over to the Clinton camp. R.J. says, "that's appealing, because I'm not a big Obama fan."
Across town at precinct 41, there are 119 people. 85 went for Obama, 30 for Clinton. It's a small snapshot, but it does look like there's potential for Obama to take Des Moines.
Lamar tells me he choose McCain in the end. The total at precinct 1 ended up 141 with latecomers. Huckabee had 45, McCain, 29, Romney 23 and Thompson, 18. Remember, the Republicans run their caucus almost like a primary, so a candidate doesn't need to hit that 15% to be viable.
A bit of mayhem at precinct 46. We're swapping rooms with the Republicans, who were in the much roomier gym. 425 people have showed up to caucus, which turns out way too many for the room we've been assigned. It's so packed that three people came to the door saying,"I've got to get out of here. It's way too claustrophobic." One guy threatened to call the fire department.
The 425 Democratic caucus goers means each candidate has to get 65 people to be viable.
Lamar texted to say that 133 Republicans turned out to caucus in precinct 1. At most, they'd expected 75.
Turnout is huge at the Monroe Elementary School. Precinct 46 captain James Peterson says the last time there was a caucus at the school in 2004, about 280 people showed up. Tonight there's no way there's room for all the people that are here. Republican caucus goer Lamar Lapp just sent a text message that this is by far the largest turnout he's ever seen and he's done this three times before.
It makes sense. I haven't heard anything but politics since I got here, whether I'm in a bar or a coffee shop. There is so much interest in this particular race. Iowans are feeling how critical this election is, both at home and abroad, and they're taking their role in it very seriously.
Okay, caucus fans, I may have one or two more posts in me before I head to the caucus precinct with R.J. Caucusing starts at 6:30 (Central) and the Democrat's process of choosing candidates and then realigning till there's a final head count could take until about 10:30 or so (people are predicting long caucus times due to the closeness of the race and the fact that there may be a high number of caucusers on their maiden voyage). I will not have Internet access during this time but will call in a couple reports to our LA office for posting. Afterword, I will, however, rush back to the returns center to report on R.J.'s caucus journey and then follow the final Iowa caucus returns from there.
Chelsea Clinton posed for this photo last night at Hillary's final rally. One Iowa caucus director James Taylor (with Chelsea), HRC staffers Rachel Balick (next to James) and Charles Mumford (taking the photo) pushed their way past the media scrum to nab this photo. Honestly, it's a minor miracle they made it... it was mayhem!
"We asked her if she could get her parents to hold up a shirt," says Taylor. "She didn't think it was going to happen and she wanted to show her support." In some ways, the fact that Chelsea posed for something that makes a statement is also a minor miracle. She notoriously gives almost no interviews to the press. One TV news outlet reported on Chelsea's refusal to answer a question from an aspiring journalist who was about 10 years old and reporting for her school newspaper.
R.J. Droll is our main man – a Biden supporter and the LGBT caucuser whom we will follow live tonight as he navigates his way through an Iowa caucus for the very first time. Will Biden win enough support to be viable in Droll’s precinct, or will Droll ultimately have to back a different candidate? Stay with The Advocate, as we blog live tonight from Des Moines, Iowa.
Caucusgoer: R.J. Droll
Age: 31
Candidate: Joe Biden
Hometown: Des Moines
First-time Caucuser?: Yes.
Candidate in 2004: Gen. Wesley Clark, but he didn’t run in the ’04 caucus.
Why Biden?
“I’m not a single-issue voter,” says Droll, “and he’s very astute about the issues going on in the Middle East. He actually had a plan for getting out of Iraq long before it was en vogue to have a plan.”
Droll also likes the fact the Biden coauthored the Federal Violent Crimes Control and Law Enforcement and the Violence Against Women Act. “That lets me know that he’s going to be looking out for people who aren’t just white heterosexual males,” he says. “He also has 24 years of experience.”
“He may be polling in the single digits, but you never know. The night before the caucus in 2004, we were all saying, ‘John Kerry who?’ So you really don’t know.”
Second Choice? (In the Iowa Democratic caucus, if your candidate does not win the support of at least 15% of the people at your caucus site, he or she is not considered “viable,” and you must choose another candidate.)
Droll is in the unusual position of backing Gov. Bill Richardson as a second choice, who also might be not viable. In that case, he would be back to Sen. Clinton, which is exactly where he was at the beginning.
“This is where I met and decided to support Senator Biden,” says Droll, referring to the Ritual Café, the lesbian-owned and operated gathering spot in downtown Des Moines where we were seated. “We sat here for 45 minutes to an hour – no press, no pressure. Up until then, I started as a Hillary supporter.”
Gay Marriage
Biden doesn’t support same-sex marriage, but Droll liked the honesty with which he approached the subject during that hour-long conversation. “When he explained his opinion on gay marriage, he was coming at it from his heart – not from necessarily what we wanted to hear,” Droll says. “He said the nation just isn’t ready for marriage in 2008. He supports equal rights for everyone – he thinks everyone should have the same rights. If he’s willing to support that, that would set us on the right path.”
Catching back up with Jeff Westendorf, president of the Iowa Log Cabin chapter, who is preparing to offer three proposals at his caucus tonight in West Des Moines, precinct 2: one on taxes, one on a more inclusive (or perhaps, less exclusive) definition of family, and one for repealing "don't ask, don't tell."
He's a Rudy supporter but, on taxes, he likes Huckabee's idea of putting a consumption/sales tax in place of the income tax. Referring to his second proposal on families, Westendorf says, "It's my view that family is a concept best decided by individuals. It shouldn't be decided by political parties or government. People, churches, community organizations should decide that." He's chosen to address the definition of family in his plank because he thinks it's the biggest stumbling block for people in terms of supporting civil unions and marriage.
As for DADT, "it's not consistent with a nation at war that we need to be kicking people out of the military," he says.
Jeff's only been living in his new precinct for about six months, so he had no predictions about whether or not his props would pass with a majority vote. He has checked his county platform, which is quite "Christian conservative" in nature he says. How predominate that conservatism will be at his caucus remains to be seen. And yes, he admitted "some apprehension."
But he added that that's what he loves about the caucus system. "It breeds moderation. It's neighbors talking to neighbors. You have to justify your positions to the people you live with, work with, and play with. You can't just be an idealogue – you have to be able to justify your positions." He calls introducing platforms "a part of the momentum of changing ideas."
How is this relevant (no, it's not my attempt at art)? Look beyond the scaffolding and you will notice a sunny side, a shady side, blue skies... this is the harbinger of a high-turnout caucus here in Iowa. It's still chilly, but the sun has been shining for two days straight, sidewalks are pretty clear, and people will be more likely than ever to rally themselves out of the house.
What if instead of a 5-7% showing at the caucuses, we saw 10% of Iowans make it? Who benefits from that... it's all a matter of turnout.
Blazing Saddle or "The Saddle" as it is known to the locals, is a downtown hot spot and, as everywhere, political talk flowed freely on Tuesday night (yes, I'm still catching up on some postings).
Christopher Diebel, a local and Obama's state LGBT co-chair, was there talking up his candidate and telling them that Obama held a gay-specific, 300-plus person event here in Des Moines to discuss LGBT issues. "My job tonight and every night is to remind people that he was the only one to do that here in Des Moines." After asking around, it does appear that Obama is the only front-runner who personally attended a large-scale gay event here specifically to discuss LGBT issues. (I am still trying to confirm with Edwards/Clinton people and will let you know if this is not true. Edwards did do an event with openly gay state Sen. Matt McCoy but gay issues were not the main topic of conversation according to those present).
Diebel says he chose to support Obama because gay issues are his "biggest issues" and he believes Obama will fight hardest for LGBT rights.
Diebel, like other Iowans I've spoken with, understands why none of the big three Dems have come out in favor of marriage equality. He's been on several statewide candidate calls as well as national ones and notes the difference between those activists on the coasts and those in the heartland. "It's frustrating being on these calls and hearing people in New York and San Francisco screaming for marriage. Being in a battleground state and raised in the Midwest, you're going to get what's achievable," says Diebel, adding that statewide activists "are very measured and strategic."
The Reuters poll conducted by Zogby from the past three consecutive days show little change. Obama and Edwards seem to be gaining a bit of momentum while Clinton is slowing slightly (note that the days read in reverse order, with the latest numbers coming first).
Pollster John Zogby says high turnout will bode well for Obama and Edwards because new voters and first-time caucusers are more likely to vote for them. At the caucus precincts, Zogby says, "if crowds are much larger than in the past, we're looking at an Obama or Edwards victory."
On the GOP side, he said that the first place finish will depend on whether McCain or Thompson draws more votes – McCain pulls from Romney, Thompson pulls from Huckabee. A third place finish for McCain would be a coup for him since he has spent little time here and his campaign was in shambles this summer. He is now running neck and neck with Romney in NH. Pundits are speculating that Thompson will drop out if he finishes fourth here in Iowa.
An expectant crowd packed into the Historical Society building tonight in downtown Des Moines to see Hillary's last major appearance before the caucus. Bill, Chelsea, former Sec. of State Madeleine Albright, Gen. Wesley Clark, actor Ted Danson, and NY Lt. Gov. David Paterson (for all you New Yorkers out there) joined her on stage.
She touched on Iraq, health care, renewable energy, the economy and the middle class -- naming all of them as major problems that the next president will face. After saying that "a sense of fatalism" had "infected the country," she asked, "Since when has America become a can't-do nation? We're the country that sent a man to the moon." She closed the night by urging her throng of supporters to get out and caucus. "I'm asking you to stand for me so I can stand up for you."
Just who will turn out for the caucus remains to be seen. Clinton aides say the campaign is providing some 5,000 cars to transport people to their precincts, and another 600 shovels for volunteers to help clear the sidewalks for older folks, women especially.
Meanwhile, Edwards wound up his "Marathon for the Middle Class" – 36 hours of continuous campaigning – and says he feels a palpable sense of passion and intensity from his supporters.
And according to the Obama campaign, their candidate's "politics of hope" is drawing larger crowds than any of his rivals. His closer today? "If you are willing to stand with me... if you're not willing to accept what the cynics tell you... we will heal this nation, we will repair the world – if you believe."
Candidate: Undecided, vacillating between John McCain and Fred Thompson
Hometown: Des Moines
First-time Caucuser? "No, this will be my fourth time."
Last Candidate Caucused For: Lamar Alexander in 2000
The Decision
Lapp’s biggest concern is finding the candidate that’s most electable in November. “McCain seems to have broad appeal with a number of the moderates or even liberals,” says Lapp. “As far as Thompson, there’s a number of issues where I just don’t know enough about him. A lot of other people have the same problem. But there’s a big likability factor also with him. People seem to just like him."
As for the two front-runners here in Iowa, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, Lapp sees drawbacks to both of them. “Romney, the big thing that disinterested me in him was his negative ads. And Huckabee, honestly, I’m a little bit leery of the fact that he’s so close with the religious right.” Lapp doesn’t like the way the religious right tries to interfere in people’s personal lives.
An Unusual Year
Usually, Lapp makes up his mind and is off and running with a candidate by this time in the process. But like many Republicans across the country this year, he hasn't quite found a candidate to take the plunge for yet. “I’m really surprised that I haven’t made my decision,” he says. “Always in the past, I’ve made decisions early on and then actually worked for the candidate, going door-to-door, dropping off leaflets, calling people.”
When asked why he hasn’t settled on anyone, Lapp responds, “It’s definitely not because I enjoy anywhere from 20 to 40 phone calls a day from the candidates and their staff. I’m not kidding, the phone rings constantly.”
Why Not Giuliani?
“I like Rudy, I’ve read up a lot about him. I know a number of individuals that strongly support him,” says Lapp, including his mom. "I can’t think of anything bad about the guy. I do know as far as gay and lesbian issues, he’s been real good. I’m just uncertain about him as far as some of the key Republican issues – fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, controlling the budget – those items are more important to me than the social issues. I consider myself more of a fiscally minded Republican."
Here's a look at the the Equality '08 t-shirts handed out by HRC and
One Iowa during the caucus workshops they hosted over the past couple
months (they come in green and yellow, depending on what your color
is). Those who are caucusing Thursday were encouraged to wear a t-shirt in order to represent.
Photo credit: One Iowa/HRC
The two organizations held six different training sessions across
the state with 200-plus attendees total, of which about 100-125 people
pledged to caucus this Thursday. If you're wondering why it matters to have an LGBT presence at the caucus, check out the "Caucusing 101" posting below.
Here's the Des Moines Capitol as viewed from Locust Street, or what is essentially downtown's Main Street here. You'll note the road is blocked off (photo above). That's so news crews could set up a staging area complete with police detail 24/7 at the other end of the street (photo below). If you haven't caught the CNN correspondents wincing their way through a frigid "live" shot yet, make sure to tune in sometime after the sun has gone down -- that's when you can practically feel their pain.
Kerry Eleveld here in Iowa where politics is pervasive and frostbite comes with the territory... it's coooold. As soon as I landed last night, I went to pick up my rental car at Budget, where agent Don Austin kicked off my trip with some caucus predictions, free of charge. His top three Dems are Obama, Edwards, and Biden (Hillary didn't make his cut, though a Reuters poll over the past 4 days still has her leading the pack).
As for the GOP, Austin said the slug fest between Romney and Huckabee would be decided by the third place candidate. If that turns out to be McCain, he'll pull votes away from Romney (they have the same base) and Huckabee will finish first. But if Thompson places third, that will siphon votes away from Huckabee and Romney will nab the top spot.
For what it's worth, Austin's GOP predictions struck me as quite sound while his crystal ball for the Dems seemed a little suspect. But who knows, he's met most of the candidates and has been to several debates... I'm just an out-of-towner.
If you ever wondered about the difference between caucuses and primaries, here's your chance to find out with a resident expert from Drake University, an upstate New Yorker who came to Iowa via Washington D.C. Rachel Paine Caufield
Drake University
Associate Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations
Caucusing v. Primaries
Unlike a primary where everybody just pops in and votes and leaves, says Caufield, “The fundamental difference is that a caucus is an actual neighborhood meeting, where everyone comes together at one time in one place.”
Turnout tends to be low. In 2004, around 125,000 of the approximately 2.2 million people living in Iowa caucused according to most reports – or what translates into about 5-7% of the population.
Why the low turnout? It’s a long intensive process and, says Caufield, “Everybody has to be in one place at one time. If for some reason you can't be there -- you don’t have child care, you work a second job, or a family member’s in the hospital -- you’re going to attend to that.”
Polls, Polls, Polls…
“I hear all these people talking about how candidates are doing in Iowa and hypothesizing about what’s going to happen on caucus night,” says Caufield, “and I think one of the things that’s being ignored is that on caucus night, the candidate is not in the room. At that point, it depends entirely upon your supporters. Not only are your supporters energetic and enthusiastic, but can they bargain, do they know the process well enough to use it?”
In Caufield’s 2004 caucus, John Kerry supporters were “incredibly articulate” and made a really strong presentation. “The people who spoke on behalf of Dean, were first-time caucusers, had nothing prepared, had no idea that they were going to be getting up and talking about Dean,” she says.
Not surprisingly, when it came time for realignment – where people whose candidate didn’t reach the 15% support threshold choose a second candidate – the Howard Dean pitch fell flat and Kerry picked up most of the votes in the room. (Kerry ended up making a surprising first place finish in Iowa in 2004, whereas Dean, the supposed front-runner, took third.)
“The really good campaigns have set up their precinct captains in each precinct, and that’s a huge advantage,” says Caufield. “If you have someone who’s caucused before, who’s taken the time to learn about it and can use the process itself to their advantage, that’s what’s going to matter on caucus night.”
(On the Democratic side, this lesson may bode well for John Edwards, who has spent four years building on the experienced network that brought him a strong second place finish in 2004. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both started from scratch in Iowa and are hoping to motivate new voters to the caucus in a massive get-out-the-vote effort. Obama is focusing on younger voters, around 35 and under; while Clinton has her sights on older women, 65 and up.)
The Dems v. The GOP
The Democratic and Republican caucuses are very different in terms of how the meeting proceeds.
“In the Republican party, they do a simple preference vote -- meaning everybody just has the opportunity by secret ballot to express their preference for a presidential candidate. It actually looks somewhat like a primary,” explains Caufield.
After the vote, some people stay to talk about the party platform and major issues, while others may choose to leave.
In the Democratic Party, they talk about party issues and the rules of the caucus for about half an hour, and then, about half an hour in, they physically get up out of their seats and move into preference groups associated with their candidate.
“Every group has an opportunity to tell the caucus why their candidate is the best," says Caufield, "what the major strengths and weaknesses are of any candidate. They can speak on anything, but usually it’s just one person from each group.”
Then a head count is taken, and any candidate who has at least 15% of the participants in the room is considered to be “viable;” any candidate who falls short is not viable, at which point there’s a second round of voting.
“Anybody can move from the preference group that they’re in, into another a preference group, which is called realignment,” says Caufield. “At that point, they take a second count and that’s the final count,” which is then reported back to the election headquarters in Des Moines.
Then, similar to Republicans, some caucusers stay to talk about party platform and others leave.
Why Gay Caucusers Matter
“What’s really distinctive about a caucus is the conversation in the room at every stage of the process,” says Caufield, “particularly in the Democratic Party, there are conversations going on among friends and family and neighbors. So, for example, during the period of realignment -- that sounds really easy. In actuality, there’s a lot of bargaining that’s going on, a lot of issues and it happens pretty fast. Framing the agenda and knowing how to talk about issues is really important, knowing how to talk about candidates is really important.”
To make their presence known this year, some LGBT caucusers will be wearing green and yellow “Equality ‘08” t-shirts with the Human Rights Campaign and One Iowa logos on them. The two organizations orchestrated six different caucus training sessions throughout the state in order to encourage LGBT participation.
Caufield also notes that people who stay for the later conversation about party platform can really influence the policy positions of the party.
“This is one of the reasons of why social conservatives have so much power in the Republican Party in Iowa,” she says. “They come to caucus and they stay, and they don’t go and, therefore, they influence the party platform. They’ll stay forever – they’ll stay as long as they need to stay.”
Staying power is especially strategic because, later in the evening, after some people have left, participants can reopen an issue that the caucus has already debated earlier in the evening. “The longer you stay, the fewer people you have in the room, the more you have a chance to influence the agenda,” she adds. “Anyone who wants to can propose any resolution that they want to their precinct. Often times people come with really well written copies that they can pass out so people can see the language.”
If the precinct approves it, then it gets sent to the state party, where a committee coordinates all of the platforms for review, debate, and voting at the county conventions. Successful planks are then filtered to the district level and, if they pass there, they go up for consideration at the state convention.
Why Iowa?
“There is no rational reason why Iowa goes first historically. No one sat down and said Iowa is best,” says Caufield, “It happened by accident for the most part. Having said that, I actually think Iowa should go first. There’s a political culture out here now where people really do pay attention. Any caucus is going to have low turnout, but it’s a community driven process, it’s a conversation driven process.”
In that sense, says Caufield, there’s low participation, but the people who are involved are incredibly well informed, they’ve met the candidates, and they’ve paid close attention to different issues.
“I would rather have 6 - 7% of voters who really care than have 50% of voters and have most of them not really care… and maybe that’s the political scientist in me,” she says. “But I think it’s a really good indication of what’s going on among people who are really serious.”
Hometown: Norwalk (about 10-15 minutes outside of Des Moines)
Candidate in 2004: Howard Dean, but wasn’t living in Iowa for the ’04 caucus.
Why Clinton?
“I think that it is going to be a horrible campaign. The Republicans have proven that they will leave no stone uncovered to find things to smear people with, and Senator Clinton has all her stones turned,” says Webster, “and I thin that’s critically important to understand that in this campaign.
One of Webster’s biggest concerns is health care, and she thinks Clinton has laid the groundwork to make a change. “I think her ability to work with the existing power structure in the healthcare industry -- even though I don’t like it -- will just blow them away. I think she’s taken the time and has built those relationships and has a program that’s really going to work.”
In terms of LGBT issues, Webster has a very practical outlook on marriage equality. “I get why the major candidates can’t all come out for more than civil unions, which we know is a separate and unequal solution,” she explains. “It’s a no-win issue for most politicians right now, but I’m sure that Senator Clinton will use the bully pulpit to help educate.” A Second Choice? (In the Iowa Democratic caucus, if your candidate does not win the support of at least 15% of the people at your caucus site, he or she is not considered “viable,” and you must choose another candidate.)
Webster says John Edwards would be her second choice. “Edwards polled better against all the Republicans head-to-head [nationally],” says Webster of her runner-up.
Then why not make him your first choice? “I think the Clinton strategy is more sophisticated than any of the others,” she says. “Hillary gets criticized for being calculating and cold and then she gets called a politician, and I just put up my arms and go, you just described the job she’s running for… I want someone who is very thoughtful, very calculated, very strategic, and a politician. It’s a political job -- the last guy we elected sounded like he was fun to have a beer with, and look where we are.”
Iowa’s Political Culture
Webster understands some of the other states wanting to get into the primary mix earlier, but she also thinks Iowans take their envied position to heart. “Iowa sits in a unique position, and it makes us a lot more powerful nationally than I think people would hope,” she acknowledges, “but people here take this so seriously and pay so much attention to it and go out in horrible weather to seek these different candidates. We’re really concerned about how these candidates will do nationally. We really think at the national level.”
First-time Caucuser?: âNo. This is my third or fourth, I think.â
Last Candidate Caucused For: John McCain in 2000. Bush had no opposition in 2004.
Why Giuliani?
âIâm supporting Giuliani because number one, heâs a fiscal conservative,â says Westendorf, âand I consider him a social moderate -- to maybe even liberal -- in the Republican Party.â One thing Westendorf admires about a candidate, whether theyâre Republican or Democrat, is when they take a stand and stick with it. âGiuliani stands by his convictions as it relates to abortion, as it relates to gay rights issues, regardless of whatâs politically popular within the party. I would love to see the Ron Paul stance that gays should marry, but Giulianiâs not there.â Giuliani backs domestic partnerships as a vehicle for giving gays and lesbians legal protections in their relationships. âHeâs standing up and heâs saying that even though itâs not politically popular within the party.â
Democratic vs. Republican Caucuses
The Republican caucus in Iowa is more of a straightforward straw poll, as opposed to the Democratic caucus, where people choose a candidate and, if she or he doesnât get at least 15% of the votes in the room, the caucuser must choose another candidate. At the GOP caucuses, "people will advocate for certain candidates and then, after the discussion, thereâs a motion to cease discussion and then you vote,â says Westendorf. Pretty simple, right?
After Midnight...
Here's where it gets interesting. At the end of both Republican and Democratic caucuses, some people leave while others stay to present party platforms, which are discussed and then voted on. A majority vote of whoever is present at that point advances a platform to the county convention where itâs debated and voted on again in similar fashion.
âI think thatâs the more critical part of the caucus than the straw poll itself -- the grassroots discussion and plank development ideas,â says Westendorf. Social conservatives such as evangelical Christians are famously committed to staying at Iowaâs GOP caucuses into the wee hours of the morning in order to advance conservative planks to the county, the state, and eventually, the national convention -- or so they hope. Thatâs why Westendorf plans to make it a late night. âIâll be there to argue against those types of planks,â he says, âand Iâm working on developing my own platform proposal that would be a more inclusive definition of family, a more inclusive definition of civil rights and liberties that doesnât discriminate against any particular person, including but not limited to homosexuals.â
Westendorf has been researching his platform and talking to the national Log Cabin organization about how to word such a proposal. âMy thought is if I can draft one or two that I think can be accepted, Iâm going to disseminate those to some other people in the state of Iowa,â he says, hoping that other caucus locations might also be able to pass the platform.
First-time Caucuser?: “Oh, no. I’ve caucused several times.”
Candidate in 2004: Howard Dean
Why Obama?
Sharon Malheiro is supporting Illinois senator Barack Obama because she thinks he can help bring about a change in the divisive political climate in America. “He’s got the ability to unite both Republicans and the Democrats to seek solutions of international import -- the war, the ecology, the economy,” she says. In terms of issues that are important to her personal life, says Malheiro, “I think he’s got what we need to bring about the changes for LGBT civil rights.”
A Second Choice? (In the Iowa Democratic caucus, if your candidate does not win the support of at least 15% of the people at your caucus site, he or she is not considered “viable” and you must choose another candidate.)
Malheiro has definitely thought about who her second choice might be, partly because all the campaigns have been asking. “You get phone calls every day. It’s the curse and the blessing of living in Iowa,” she says. “You talk to more people every day about your political thoughts.” But Malheiro hasn’t entirely settled on a runner up. “There’s a couple of candidates that I also really like. I like John Edwards, and I like Joe Biden. Some of it depends on who else would be viable in my precinct. Some of it is also driven by what my neighbors talk to me about. I’ve got a couple of neighbors whom I really respect, who are really passionate for one candidate or another, and hearing them can convince you.”
The Holiday Factor
Overall, a lot of people have held off on fervently talking up their candidate, according to Malheiro, mostly because the caucus on January 3 is coming so close to the holiday season. For her part, Malheiro kept her Obama yard sign in her garage pre-Christmas. “Yard signs are a big deal here,” she says. “My partner was asking me, ‘When are you going to put your Obama sign out?’ I said, ‘After Christmas, because I don’t know if I want a political sign in my yard with my Christmas display.’"
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