Iowa Caucuses Field Trip Day 2

What a day! We started early, heading to Carly Fiorina event at the Waukee Hy-Vee. She kept emphasizing her six point blueprint. Wasn't the best at answering questions. Posed for a picture with us. 

We headed back to the hotel where we had a great time with or new friend Pat Harris, Mike Huckabee's big sister. She was a teacher - "There are two kinds of teachers - tired and REtired." She might ride with us to Chicago to beat the storm. 

We then headed to a event for Martin O'Malley. A different feel as we were in Judy and Tom's living room. 

Tom is the precinct chair for Johnston 2 where we may head tomorrow night. We got to talk with them while waiting and with Sen. Michael Brown and Rep. Franklin Garcia of the DC shadow Congressional delegation that I didn't know existed. Then we went out on the lawn as the candidate was about to arrive and I was interviewed by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Weird. 

O'Malley gave a nice talk and posed with the students. Next we stopped by the State Capitol 

Loved the 99 county map

Also stopped by the Caucus exhibit at the Stare Historical Society

From there we headed to the Huckabee event at the Inspired Grounds coffee shop in West Des Moines. The kids got to talk to Sen. Chuck Grassley who made campaigning in all 99 counties famous - he does it every year - it is known as the Full Grassley. He told them, "You have a chance to be governed or to help govern. I hope you get involved."  

Huckabee gave a nice speech which was quite critical of the other Republican candidates and he posed with the kids also. 

The Valley Jumction neighborhood was really cool. 

From there we tried to go to a Santorum event which meant showing up in toney neighborhood at someone's house. They were nice but we thought it best to wait on the driveway where a bunch of the "caucus tourists" that we have met at various events had gathered - we had a nice chat with them on the balmy 45 degree day. 

When he candidate didn't by 4; we hopped back on he bus to get to Ames for the Christie rally at the Prairie Moon Winery. Christie was very entertaining as he ripped into Rubio and Cruz and Trump, and he also posed for a nice photo with us. 

After a quick dinner at Panera, we went to the Clinton Rally. It took about 45 minutes for us to work through a quarter mile long line because of the Secret Service metal screening of everyone- again we were thankful for the relative warmth. When we got in Sen. Harkin and his wife were speaking, then after a video, Chelsea and Bill warmed up the crowd. 

Hillary then gave a rousing and well-received populis speech. I was impressed by her energy. As every Republican speaker we saw attacked her, she also heavily criticized the Republican candidates. 

Similar enthusiasm at Clinton and Sanders events this weekend - it is expected to be a very close Democratic caucus tomorrow. We did t get out until after 10, so we jus headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow we see Trump!

Iowa Caucus Field Trip Day 1

We arrived in Chicago at 11am CT and after grabbing food boarded our bus and headed to Iowa. Our timing was perfect to get to the Bush Rally in Cedar Falls at 4. Along the way we went through scenic NW IL on US20 (passed a ski area - who know?) went through Galena - home town of Ulysses Grant and crossed the Mississippi into Dubuque. 

The Bush Rally was at the Elks Lodge in a very rural part of the state. 

Bush was introduced by Rep. Kinzinger and Sen. Grassley. 

Bush gave a good short speech and then took questions. His answers were very detailed and kind of wonky - e.g. his seven point plan on Social Security. 

At one point he came into the crowd to hug a guy right next to us and almost decided to hug the students as well. 

From there we drove an hour down to downtown Cedar Rapids - a good sized city - for the Sanders Rally. This was a very different crowd in a very different part of the state. And a very different message. He was introduced by Cornel West - the kids had read an excerpt from Race Matters in their summer reading. 

Sanders gave a rousing populist speech to a receptive crowd. 

He hit hard on the themes of equal rights and income inequality, including attacks on Goldman Sachs and the Walton family, who he described as controlling the same amount of wealth as the bottom 40% of the country. 

From there we got dinner at a mall in Coralville and opted out of trying to catch the tail end of the concert at UIowa. So we headed to Des Moines and settled into the Microtel Inn and Suites in Urbandale. The first day has given us a great introduction to the state and to caucus politics. So much more to come tomorrow!

Field Trip to the Iowa Caucuses

We're off to Iowa - Here is our Proposed Itinerary - but as we know, no battle plan survives first contact.

Monomoy Regional High School - A.P. U.S. Government - Mr. Dickson Field Trip: Iowa Caucuses 2016

Saturday, January 30, 2016

6:00am – Leave Cape Cod for Logan Airport
9:17am – United Flight 775 Boston Logan to Chicago O’Hare
11:14am – Arrive in Chicago, board Charter Bus
4pm – Bush Rally: Cedar Falls Eagles Club, 2125 W Lone Tree Rd, Cedar Falls, IA
6pm – Sanders Rally: DoubleTree Hotel Cedar Rapids Convention Complex 350 1st Ave NE Cedar Rapids IA 52401
6:30pm(5:30pm door) – Students for Bernie Concert with Vampire Weekend, Foster the People and more: University of Iowa Field House Iowa City, IA 52242

Sunday, January 31, 2016

8:30am – Fiorina Town Hall: Hy-Vee Market Grille 1005 E Hickman Rd Waukee, IA 50263
10am – Possible Meeting with Prof. Kedron Bardwell of Simpson College - TBD
12pm - O’Malley Canvass Launch: Private Residence in Johnston, 5985 NW 61st Ave, Johnston, IA
1:15pm – Visit to the State Historical Society Caucus Exhibit: 600 E Locust St. Des Moines, IA 50319
2:30pm – Huckabee Rally: 117 5th St, West Des Moines, IA 50265
4pm – Santorum Rally: House Party, 4123 Oakwood Ln, West Des Moines, IA
5:30pm – Christie Rally: Prairie Moon Winery, 3801 W 190th St, Ames, IA
8pm – Clinton Rally: Des Moines Lincoln High School, 2600 SW 9th St, Des Moines, IA
9:15pm – Cruz Rally: Elwell Family Food Center, Iowa State Fairgrounds, 3000 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA

Monday, February 1, 2016

11am: Trump Rally – Ramada Waterloo Hotel and Convention Center - 205 West 4th Street Waterloo, IA 50701
3:30pm – Polk County Heritage Gallery Shooting the President Art Show - 111 Court Ave (corner of 2nd & Walnut) Des Moines, Iowa 50309
5pm: Paul Rally - Iowa State University, 1027 Curtiss Hall, Ames, IA
7-8pm – Attend Democratic/Republican Caucuses in Johnston?
8pm: Rubio Rally - Des Moines Marriott- Downtown Ballroom, 700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA
[8:30pm: Clinton Rally - Drake University, Olmstead Center, 2875 University Ave, Des Moines, IA]
[9pm: Paul Rally - Scottish Rite Consistory, 519 Park St, Des Moines, IA]
[9pm – Sanders Rally: Holiday Inn Airport, 6111 Fleur Dr, Des Moines]
[9pm – O’Malley Party: Wooly’s, 504 E Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309]

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

7am – Leave Des Moines, IA
Noon – Arrive O’Hare
1:55pm – United Flight 578 Chicago O’Hare to Boston Logan
5:13pm – Arrive Logan – Parent pick up for return to Cape Cod