Day Five - The Iowa Caucus

This is, fittingly, one of the longest slideshows I've made to date... Which explains why I'm uploading it at 5:30am Des Moines time, despite our long drive home tomorrow, as it took forever to create. Hope everybody's enjoyed my audio/visual coverage of the Iowa Caucuses, have a good one.

-B.T.I.

You've got to wonder...

You didn’t need any one to tell you how this statewide battle would end up.

No reporters from CNN, the New York Times, or even any of us here at the Collegian were really necessary in reporting this event. If you, the reader, took to the streets of any of the other mass of towns and cities around this state in the past five days, you would see that two specific candidates were poised to take the caucuses, and no polls or analysis would’ve been able to tell you that. People will tell you what they see when they look at candidates and when they look at the issues and you will hear different responses and points-of-views but you will see that only Huckabee and Obama truly represent the political philosophies behind their parties: Obama is all about energized change, something different, while Huckabee is a man of true Christian morals and as such strong foundations.

There are a couple of aspects/questions to consider as we evaluate the results of these caucuses,
-Has Giuliani fucked himself over?
As much as he’d like to pretend otherwise, coming sixth in Iowa simply says that a large quantity of the party does not condone him for 1) his character and 2) his questionable stances on issues of gay marriage and, more importantly, abortion. Huckabee may not appear to be as strong a leader as the former NY mayor, but that just doesn’t matter anymore: Giuliani has taken a step back, and is being quickly swallowed up by Huckabee’s shadow.

-How much does experience matter?
Do the American people really value experience as much as you might hear? I’m not so sure anymore. Many people say they value experience, but Obama seems like the kind of candidate who is wise beyond his few years as Senator. At least, he comes off as such; watching him speak the issues. And the final results raise that question. This reporter is not so sure what the answer is.

-Will Obama and Huckabee win their ticket? Can they win the presidency?
While its difficult to see exactly how the next month will unfold, both candidates have the strong potential to take their ticket, but should they both make it to the next level, only one will be able to get to win it: Obama.
Democrats backing Clinton, Edwards, and other Democratic candidates will often unite behind the same argument: Obama has promise, but is without the experience. After eight years under what truly was one of the most failed and despised presidencies the country has ever seen, very few Democrats will be willing to seriously consider a strong Baptist/former preacher who isn’t afraid to include God and his message in his campaign. Same goes for independents, and Obama has a considerable following when it comes to independent voters, so the pundits have noticed. Also, the Republican Party is been split at much more significant percentages than the Dems; would Ron Paul supporters be willing to give Huckabee the benefit of the doubt? Maybe, but don’t be surprised if a third party candidate is responsible for pulling a “Nader” and steal votes from Huckabee.

Most college students will be voting in their first presidental election this year; and its an exciting election to be a part of. But before hitting the booths, studnts ought to remember to research the issues, the candidates, and their own situations (so as to become fully aware of how their vote can affect them.) Support who you want; do not let Iowa results change your perspective. Vote for the man and woman you find to be the best president, not the best candidate.

Hours away from some big answers

It’s hard to predict what exactly will happen today. After four long days of zooming across the state, meeting characters from both ends of the political spectrum, and achieving a new understanding of what people are doing here.

We’ve heard about the political game that campaign offices have been playing, and how the caucuses go down, but there’s quite a big difference between seeing and believing. We’re eager to hear the debate and the discussion, the tabulations, and the voices of the politically active Iowans who are looking to set the wheels rolling for the man or woman who might just be the next president of the United States with their decision.

It’s hard to tell who’ll be touting a 1st place position by the time this is all over. The final Des Moines Register polling showed that Obama and Huckabee lead their respective political parties, but that was January 1st: three days just might make all the difference in this state.

It’s certainly an exciting time to be here, the entire nation looking at the events tonight as a kind of super-special event. And yet, there will be no definitive answers by the end of tonight: a victory in Iowa will certainly help a candidate’s chances, but until answers arrive in New Hampshire and the swarm of primaries taking place on Super-Duper Tuesday, we’ll have to wait.

Iowa results cannot be completely depended on: In 1992, Bill Clinton pulled a 3% showing compared to Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, who won the caucuses with 76% of the polls.

But then again, a caucus can boost the little guy to the ticket: Jimmy Carter was something a pure no-name when he entered the 1976 race, and following victory in Iowa, Carter eventually rolled into the White House.

This year has seen a exciting presidential race thus far; we hope tonight’s caucuses will be informative and representative of the sort of direct democracy that we have heard so much about.
-E.M.

Day Four - Des Moines

Kentucky group travels aboard "Huckabeast"

Reverend John Brewer- followed by four young Southern Baptists- is low on funds, but high on love for presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. So much so, that Brewer sold his wedding ring for $150 on eBay, just so he could fuel a bus and bring his crew with him to Iowa from their home state of Kentucky. And it’s all in a show of support for the man they feel was chosen by God as the next president.

“We’ve driven this bus all around Iowa,” says David, who runs the team’s YouTube site: (http://youtube.com/profile?user=mtndewlover). “Everywhere we’ve gone, its been nothing but people waving. Its amazing to see the effect Mike Huckabee has had.”

These five ride the aptly titled “Huckabeast.” For the past two days, they’ve been following Huckabee from stops across Iowa: Ottumwa, Des Moines, and Fairfield.

For Carl, a 33-year-old college student at Boyce College, where he’s seeking a degree in youth ministry, Huckabee is the country’s only candidate that deserves consideration. He appreciates Huckabee and his strong stances on the moral issues (pro-life, the definition of marriage being between a man and a woman), but also truly appreciates Huckabee’s focuses on education and business.

“He wants to do help move the disabled into the mainstream,” Carl said. “I’ve always been put in a type of a situation where I was in a disabled classroom; I was never really given a chance to make it in the mainstream, into college.”

Carl hopes the country will see their story of grassroots determination and be inspired to become more involved with politics.

“The biggest thing we can do is get inspire other people,” Carl said. “If we can inspire people to the caucus, we’ve done our job.”

Day Three - The Campaign Trail

-B.T.I.

Chuck + Devil's Music = Youth Vote

Mike Huckabee is up on stage, tuning his bass guitar while the crowd waits. I’d squeezed into a nice spot among the crowd (100 people or so) in the Elks Lodge of Cedar Rapids. Huckabee would be strumming at his best today; the man who had just retaken the lead in the polls from Romney (according to the final Des Moines Register polling that morning.)

I felt a tapping at my shoulder, and was surprised to find a middle-aged mom staring at my sweatshirt.

“Are you going to school there?” she asked, referring to the crude golden and black bird I adorned on my chest. I held a groan; having had my jacket stolen the night before, I was forced to shell out some bucks for a brand new sweatshirt, so I figured getting one with the University of Iowa logo would make a fitting souvenir.

But now I was in a tough spot. This woman certainly had some kind of opinion when it came to the college scene, and expressed her surprise to me that a student would be here at a Huckabee event.

Jane, as she called herself, was a Baptist mother who had three children, two of whom also attended the university. With a nervous laugh that, she told me that the university really was something of a “devil’s playground”: a liberal campus set in a liberal town.

But talking around to others in the area, I don’t think that’s the case: a fairly young Iowa City couple told me that the Ron Paul following at the university was more active than any other. This campus, in fact, has a bevy of student groups centered around a single candidate: Paul, Hillary, Rudy, Giuliani, Obama…even Huckabee and Thompson have their own student groups.

Though a presence of youthful voters were extremely slim at Huckabee’s Cedar Rapids visit, his stop in Des Moines drew an energetic crowd of over 2000, 40 percent of which were mired from that attractive college-age population. This shouldn't be; trends show that young Republicans tend to lean towards socially-moderate candidates, certainly not the Southern Baptist who relies entirely on his faith when it comes to the issues. And yet, the final Des Moines Register poll shows Huckabee on the up in regards to support from college students, which has helped add up his new, comfortable lead in the polls.

Huckabee is certainly personable, but it’s Chuck Norris’ endorsement that has given him a firm backing of youth voters. His apperance at the "Huck n' Chuck" event in Des Moines confirms this. When comparing his Cedar Rapids visit to the one in Des Moines, its as if Huckabee can appeal to two different significant demographics...and, perhaps, political viewpoints. No one can deny that Chuck Norris is a figure of respect from many twenty-somethings, regardless of political preference. This reporter wonders if the Texas Ranger hasn’t been able to pull in some disgruntled Democrats into the pure conservative fold that Huckabee represents. Just having a chance to see a beloved star in person is too tempting for any moderate to resist.

And don’t forget the guitar- Huckabee and his band play some mean southern rock. The man is something bizarre: a Baptist preacher backed by everyone’s favorite ass-kicker, the populist who seems a better bar buddy than Bush ever could’ve been. And should he win the presidency, we might not be forced to think that his bass will get dusty.

“When we win it,” Huckabee said that night. “Well, first we’ll be playing a gig on the White House lawn.”