Obama, I Just Met A Guy Name Obama

I never understood why so many people drank the Kool-Aid and hopped on the Obama bandwagon. I remember a great piece Mara Liasson did on NPR in December of 2006 about people who wanted to draft Obama into the Presidential race. Nina Totenberg sang a song called “Obama” to the tune of “Maria” from Westside Story. Sure I liked the guy but I didn’t get what made him so different than everyone else.

Last night, in a middle school gymnasium on the south side of Des Moines, I got to experience the magic that is Barack Obama.

One reporter called the event “overwhelming.” A caucus-goer said it was “awesome.” Someone else said it was “simply indescribable.” I think they all got it right. The room was positively electric. Over 900 people clamored into the huge space leaving very little room to move let alone escape the force field of the Senator.

He’s passionate and poised and while Bill Clinton can charm your socks off, Barack Obama can inspire you to fly. Hope is that intoxicating.

In his speech he paints a picture of the perfect Washington where lobbyists are a thing of the past, blue and red are purple, and everyone has free parking (okay, maybe he didn’t go that far but he did tell me to hope for the impossible). Behind him was a banner that read “Change We Can Believe In” and I have to admit that his argument is compelling -- that the person best equipped to bring about change in a broken system shouldn’t be the master of that system.

I don’t think its fair to call Barack Obama a Democratic rockstar. A rockstar’s music only appeals to people that like that genre while Obama has the potential to inspire every Democratic voter. But there is a reason why it’s potential.

Obama is magical and inspiring when he has the opportunity to use his incredible “change” and “hope” rhetoric (remember “The Audacity of Hope” speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention?) but in debates and on talk shows when moderators demand tight answers, Obama tends to flounder a bit. He’s very intelligent, has great judgment and insight, but unlike Hillary and Edwards who are experts at the quick response, Obama has the habit of uhing and uming while he formulates his answer.

In Iowa, where most caucus goers will have seen the candidate they are supporting, Obama and his magic are going to do quite well. However, in larger states where retail politics is a fantasy, the hope machine may not work on those who are motivated by impressive resumes rather than impressive rhetoric.

He may joke that he’s a “hope-monger” but hope works for him. Everyone wants to feel that anything is possible. And in Iowa, Barack Obama is very possible.

Straight-Talk? More Like Old Talk

There was a time when John McCain was the Republican frontrunner. No, I’m serious. I know that names like Romney, Giuliani and Huckabee have clouded your thinking but if you remember, back in the beginning of the year, McCain was the guy to beat.

Things have definitely changed for the Senator from Arizona. There was support for a Bush-backed immigration overhaul that was extremely unpopular in GOP circles, unwavering support for the war (if not the strategy) in Iraq, out of character courting of religious conservative leaders, and severe mismanagement of campaign funds. The McCain campaign was written off and left to wither amongst the less successful candidates like Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter. With McCain floundering, Fred Thompson was seen as the Great White Hope.

However, the holiday season has brought a lot of joy to the McCain campaign in the form of endorsements. The Boston Globe, The Manchester Union Leader, and The Des Moines Register all have picked the Vietnam veteran as their Republican of choice. Also, Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman, a Democrat who won reelection as an independent in 2006, came out in support of his old friend.

McCain isn’t polling very high in Iowa. The focus of his campaign has been New Hampshire where he beat Bush in 2000 and has a chance of repeating that performance in 2008 (or at the least coming in second to Mitt Romney). Although Iowa isn’t his priority, he has recently been campaigning in the Hawkeye State and in fact made an appearance Thursday morning at the Elks Lodge in Urbandale, a suburb of Des Moines. Although there was no bus with his picture plastered on it, there was a decorated jeep parked outside to denote the presence of the Senator.

It was frigidly cold and lightly snowing, but 200 people crammed into the room to hear McCain speak. The average age of the attendees was 60 (mind you there were lots of young journalists and photographers that I include in this average). McCain, who is 71, was described by the gentleman who introduced him as a leader that “has seen it, done it, and learned from it.” Speaking behind a banner that said “John McCain A Commonsense Conservative” the Senator discussed Bhutto’s assassination, what that meant for the U.S., what the importance of Pakistan is but didn’t say how he, as commander in chief, would deal with the continuously unstable nuclear power. That being said, it’s clear that he has a command of the situation and understands what’s at stake.

McCain continued on with jokes -- one ethanol and one Irish (I haven't quite figured why the Irish one) -- and then on to the classic stump speech followed by questions from the audience. Speaking to some people afterwards who have been to other McCain events, the consensus was that he’s great at staying on message. Of course he’s still straight-talking but it’s the same straight-talk they’ve all heard before.

I personally believe that John McCain is an admirable man and I have deep respect for him. But if the demographic of his supporters at this event is any indication, perhaps McCain and his straight-talk are a little outdated to carry Iowa which continues to be predominately made up of economy focused war skeptics.

I look forward to seeing some McCain magic in New Hampshire.

The Bill Factor

I checked into my hotel room in Des Moines and before I even had a chance to shower a photographer I had met on the plane, Eric Thayer of Getty Images and The Stumping Grounds, picked me up and drove me to Mount Pleasant, some two hours away, to attend the kickoff of Hillary Clinton’s “Big Challenges, Real Solutions, Time to Pick a President Tour” (try saying that three times fast). In Los Angeles, I always say that 20 minutes is the standard travel time. In Iowa, it’s 2 hours.

It was a bitterly cold day. No matter how many layers I was able to pile on, I still felt the cold in my bones. Thank goodness there were 500 people crammed into the atrium at the Mount Pleasant Community High School waiting for the Clintons to arrive, they kept me plenty warm.

When the event finally started, two hours after it was initially supposed to begin, it was really a family affair. Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, who lives in Mount Pleasant and has been doing a fine job running for VP after dropping out of the Presidential race in early February, was accompanied by his lovely wife and his two strapping sons (if Iowa corn can make me look half that good, bring on the carbs!). Then of course the Clintons came out – Chelsea included – and the crowd exploded with applause.

When Vilsack introduced Bill I realized something extraordinary: I’m seeing Bill Clinton speak and it isn’t on TV. I didn’t have to pay anything. He actually wants to talk to me. Only in Iowa.

Bill Clinton spoke about how Hillary has been a “proven agent of change,” about her willingness to take the lead in improving people’s lives. No surprise there. Of course he’s going to say that.

A central theme of the Democratic contest in Iowa has been experience. Hillary attacking Obama for lack of it; Obama questioning Hillary whether being first lady qualifies as experience; Joe Biden declaring he has the perfect amount; Bill Richardson saying he has almost too much. So when Bill Clinton started to talk about the demands of the presidency, I start to understand the natural upperhand of incumbents. If you actually have the experience, it’s impossible to debate who has more of it.

I don’t know Bill Clinton personally, but yet when he’s speaks it is as calming and familiar to me as my best friend. He can soothe my fears and warm my heart. And when he’s speaking to a room of 500+ people, it still feels like an intimate conversation just between him and me. So when Bill Clinton tells me (and all the other people listening in on our intimate conversation) that Hillary Clinton can win a general election, I/we can’t help but believe him. He’s a friend after all. And friends don't lie.

Bill’s final words to the crowd were, “I hope, courtesy of your support, that I’m introducing you to the next President of The United States.” For me, the naïve blogger adventuring through Iowa, I felt for that moment that supporting Hillary is doing something for a friend.

Hillary focused on issues concerning the “average American” who have been “invisible during the Bush presidency.” She talked about her experience fighting for families and children (which was perfect since her family and child were there). She said that when she tackled healthcare in the '90s that “that problem tackled me back.” Overall the speech was fine – hitting all the major issues with nicely packaged rhetoric that kept to the theme of a “new beginning” and “agent of change,” but it was Bill that made the event unique.

Bill has only campaigned with Hillary a handful of times and my reaction to Bill is proof of his danger. He’s intelligent, charismatic and a tough act to follow. Don’t get me wrong, I think Hillary is an impressive candidate but she is no Bill Clinton. No one is. And nostalgia, while a powerful force, isn’t a productive force.

A lot of people have been speculating as to the influence Bill would have if Hillary were to be president. Joe Biden, in an interview with CNN, said “I love Bill Clinton, but can you imagine being vice president? ... (He) is such a dominant and powerful and positive force… I’m not looking for a ceremonial post.”

He’s right. Somebody should tell Tom Vilsack that Hillary already has a running mate.

Here I am!

After undergoing canceled red eye flights at understaffed and overcrowded airports on Christmas Day night, I finally made it to Iowa. When I landed I hesitated before going to the rental car desk. I thought, "What's going to go wrong next?"

Driving has always been my Achilles heel. I have never claimed to be a good driver. In fact, without provocation, I usually just come out and tell people that I'm a horrible driver. So for the last few weeks I've been losing sleep over the notion of driving in Iowa's icy conditions.

When I finally did get into my midsize rental car and turned on the ignition, the radio started to play and these were the first words I heard:

"Ron Paul voted against amnesty for illegal aliens. Ron Paul voted against nation building overseas. Ron Paul follows the constitution not the lawyers, not the lobbyists, not the latest polls. Learn more about Ron Paul, the real Republican running for President. Go to RonPaul2008.com."

Not something I hear on radio stations in Los Angeles or Washington. But I figure that if Ron Paul can run for president, then certainly I can drive a car.

Driving (I guess you might call it crawling) into Des Moines, I saw signs on lawns and shop windows in support of Mike Huckabee, Hillary Clinton Barack Obama and even one for Tom Tancredo, who dropped out of the race last week. 

Some point along this drive, I realized it: I'm in Iowa! This is  my Iowa Adventure!

Welcome To My Iowa Adventure

Tonight I'm leaving the warm 70 degree weather of my parents' house in Los Angeles for the bitter cold of an Iowa winter. I graduated college last week and instead of lying on a beach, I'll be chasing candidates in the snow.

And I couldn't be happier!

Iowa is home to the first serious test of the 2008 election calendar and, while this election-cycle has already been over a year long, it could also be over in the blink of an eye. That's the potential Iowa has in its role as the official start of the race to the White House.

Confession: I have no idea what is going to happen in the Iowa caucuses.

Another confession: Neither does anyone else.

For the first time in decades, the nominations of both parties are up for grabs and for all the talk about "frontrunners" in the national polls, the early contests of Iowa and New Hampshire are dogfights. No one knows for certain who's going to win these first-in-the-nation contests, and if they say otherwise they're lying.

National polls are meaningless in these two states where most voters actually meet the candidates before heading to the ballot box or caucus venue; there is a woman in New Hampshire who says she has never voted for a candidate she hasn't danced with. Everyone outside of Iowa and New Hampshire is waiting to see what happens on January 3rd and 8th. That's why I'm heading to Iowa.

Iowa is where the candidates can be found in school cafeteria answering questions not from moderators but from citizens who are still undecided. Iowa is where hundreds of volunteers are spending their holiday season handing out buttons and bumper stickers in 20 degree weather (on a nice day!) for candidates who may be trailing in the polls. Iowa is where retail politics survive and where the first battle will be fought, the first judgments made.

Iowans have a funny way about them. Sometimes, they are soothsayers, seeing something within candidates that the rest of the nation can't. In 1976 Jimmy Carter went from being Jimmy Who to the Democratic Party nominee by winning the Iowa caucuses. But sometimes their verdicts are not shared by the rest of the country. Witness 1988, when both George Bush and Michael Dukakis finished THIRD in their caucuses, and yet both went on to win the nomination.

I keep hearing that Hillary Clinton is on this "likeability" tour. I want to see if she's likeable. I see that Mike Huckabee has taken Iowa by storm. I want to learn why. I hear that a lot of voters are impressed with Joe Biden. I want to know why that's not translating into favorable poll numbers. Mitt Romney spent between 7 and 8 million dollars in Iowa. What has he gotten for that money?

It's with an inquistive mind that I head out into the cold to figure out what this whole Iowa thing is all about.

Welcome to my Iowa adventure.