Should I visit Iowa on caucus day?

[Mr. Morden]

I'll be heading back to the USA over the holiday season, and will be visiting friends and family in Minnesota during the week of New Year's.  Should I drive down to Iowa on caucus day?  Is there anything to see / do there, aside from candidate victory parties?  I mean, the entire national (and world) media establishment will be there.  Surely they must be doing something interesting.

An Iowa visit is actually something that was suggested to me by a Minnesota friend who's also a political junkie, but I'm not sure what exactly there is to see....

[Eraserhead]

Would you be willing to help get the vote out for Cain?

[patrick1]

No, pretty sure you'd have to apply for an AQIS permit for your return if you did that.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Hey maybe I should.

[Torie]

Ask Phil and Naso and Assad, the latter that NJ troll of yore. I think they all went to Iowa for the event last time.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Other than drinking with angus, I can't think of a single reason to step foot in Iowa.

[Torie]

Other than drinking with angus, I can't think of a single reason to step foot in Iowa.

My farm is gorgeous, and my neighbor has a nice pot farm screened by a phalanx of trees. We got to be good friends.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Other than drinking with angus, I can't think of a single reason to step foot in Iowa.

My farm is gorgeous, and my neighbor has a nice pot farm screened by a phalanx of trees. We got to be good friends.

Oops.....somehow I missed you had property there........and next to a pot farm?  Ok, 2 reasons to go

[angus]

Other than drinking with angus, I can't think of a single reason to step foot in Iowa.

That's pretty much it.  

Speaking of...   I had to give an invited seminar recently in the Brick Arch Winery in West Point, Iowa.  Not too shabby.  I've tried several Iowa wines, but they're all sweet.  Nasty.  But this place had some excellent, hearty reds.  Lots of razor stubble on the legs.  Throaty assertiveness.  Extremely dry, yet full bodied.  Like a petit Syrah.  I recommend sampling the reds at Brick Arch.  Also, apparently West Point is the birthplace of Herbert Hoover.  Who knew?  We were pulling off the freeway on the only West Point exit, and all of the sudden there's the Presidential Museum and Library.  I didn't visit, but it might be of interest to the serious junkies.

For a caucus, mine was pretty interesting last time.  Black Hawk county did a county-wide caucus.  It's one of the more populous counties.  About 130 thousand people.  Huge, by Iowa standards.  It was in Central Middle School, about five miles from my house.  Freezing, bitter cold.  About five degrees below zero Fahrenheit, as I recall.  Ron Paul was there, as was Huckabee, and Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, was there also.  It went on for about four hours.  It was pretty interesting.  If you do attend an Iowa caucus, I'd choose Black Hawk or Des Moines or Cedar Rapids.  One of the big ones.  Chances are you'll get to actually rub elbows with some candidates if you do.

Aside from that, there ain't much.  Just miles and miles of snow, snow, and more snow.  And sometimes fog.  Few buildings.  Few people.  Not much to break the monotony of white on white.  

Torie's implied advice to visit in the summer is good.  Summer is much better here.  There's actually excellent kayaking in the upper Iowa river off the limestone bluffs, and cycling is great here.  Few hills, and most cities are very bicycle friendly.  My little town of 40 thousand people has 78 miles of paved non-motorized bicycle trails, and there's a nice bicycle-only trail from here to Cedar Rapids parallel to the Cedar River with lots of nice bridges across it.  And just about every town has a mega waterpark.  For example, there's one about a mile from my house with lazy river, deep pools, waterfalls, kiddie pools, and about seven slides, one of which starts with you jumping into a pitch black tube 75 feet off the ground and then, after about 20 seconds of falling through wet blackness, you exit from a hole which is about ten feet above the water.  It's all rather exhilarating.  But these places are open for only about 3 months per year, and the water is really too cold to be in for the first month of that.  Well, you know how it is if you're from Minnesota.  Iowa is basically Minnesota without the Mall of America.  And unless you're here for the politics, it's really best avoided in January.

[Reaganfan]

Ask Phil and Naso and Assad, the latter that NJ troll of yore. I think they all went to Iowa for the event last time.

That we did.

I discussed the possibility of a sequel with Keystone Phil. It seems unlikely.

[angus]

I discussed the possibility of a sequel with Keystone Phil. It seems unlikely.

And as a bonus, this time you two could get married here if you want. 

[Mr. Morden]

For a caucus, mine was pretty interesting last time.  Black Hawk county did a county-wide caucus.  It's one of the more populous counties.  About 130 thousand people.  Huge, by Iowa standards.  It was in Central Middle School, about five miles from my house.  Freezing, bitter cold.  About five degrees below zero Fahrenheit, as I recall.  Ron Paul was there, as was Huckabee, and Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, was there also.  It went on for about four hours.  It was pretty interesting.  If you do attend an Iowa caucus, I'd choose Black Hawk or Des Moines or Cedar Rapids.  One of the big ones.  Chances are you'll get to actually rub elbows with some candidates if you do.

So, to clarify, each of the caucus meetings is open to the public?  I can go to any of them and just watch, even if I'm not a registered Iowa voter?

[angus]

For a caucus, mine was pretty interesting last time.  Black Hawk county did a county-wide caucus.  It's one of the more populous counties.  About 130 thousand people.  Huge, by Iowa standards.  It was in Central Middle School, about five miles from my house.  Freezing, bitter cold.  About five degrees below zero Fahrenheit, as I recall.  Ron Paul was there, as was Huckabee, and Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, was there also.  It went on for about four hours.  It was pretty interesting.  If you do attend an Iowa caucus, I'd choose Black Hawk or Des Moines or Cedar Rapids.  One of the big ones.  Chances are you'll get to actually rub elbows with some candidates if you do.

So, to clarify, each of the caucus meetings is open to the public?  I can go to any of them and just watch, even if I'm not a registered Iowa voter?

Well, you have seen our comments about voter ID, and my surprise that I've never been asked for one at any time ever.  Not even to get my pink card at the Black Hawk County GOP caucus.

Anyway, the Iowa Caucus is meant to be a three-ring circus.  The party bosses want you to come and visit.  Obviously, there were folks there not from BH County.  Ron Paul lives in Texas, for example.  And Huckabee lives in Arkansas.  And there are reporters, onlookers, and rubberneckers of all sorts.  It's not as though they hire bouncers to guard the door.  You can come in.  Just don't try to get your pink card, because there's only one for each BH registered republican. 

I've only been to one.  It was four years ago.  You can read my comments here:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=67403.msg1382816#msg1382816

And here:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=88120.msg1810577#msg1810577

[memphis]

I'd advise strongly against visiting the Midwest during the Winter. Ditto for the South during the Summer. Bad weather is no fun.

[Mr. Morden]

I'd advise strongly against visiting the Midwest during the Winter. Ditto for the South during the Summer. Bad weather is no fun.

I've been to the Midwest every winter for my entire life.  I lived in either Wisconsin or Minnesota every year from birth until age 22, and still head back there each year for Christmas.  (But yes, I know I'm insane for doing so, now that I live in Sydney.  Especially since the airfare from here has gotten so ridiculous.)

I don't mind snow.  I don't count snow as "bad weather", unless I want to do a long road trip.  And cold is only problematic if it really really really cold, and I have reason to be outside.

[Keystone Phil]

Do it. As was referenced earlier, I went in 2008 and it was great. We were planning on going again and making it a tradition but because of the job I'll be starting around that time of January, I can't go. We're thinking South Carolina instead. I'd like that tradition anyway: it's the state that matters for us, the weather will be a relief for that time of year and it's on a Saturday. 

[Reaganfan]

Do it. As was referenced earlier, I went in 2008 and it was great. We were planning on going again and making it a tradition but because of the job I'll be starting around that time of January, I can't go. We're thinking South Carolina instead. I'd like that tradition anyway: it's the state that matters for us, the weather will be a relief for that time of year and it's on a Saturday. 

Nice to have invited me, Mr. Sanatorium.

[The Mikado]

For Phil: what do you actually do in Iowa on Caucus day as an observer?  (I assume you were doing GOTV stuff, but besides that)

[Keystone Phil]

For Phil: what do you actually do in Iowa on Caucus day as an observer?  (I assume you were doing GOTV stuff, but besides that)

No, we didn't do any GOTV actually. We went to different offices and a few rallies. The night before the vote, we went to McCain's final rally (since the three of us were McCain supporters but actually backing Huckabee in the caucus) at his headquarters. Some "stars" included Senators Graham and Thune. One of the guys along for the journey (hint: not me or Naso) almost accidentally knocked over Andrea Mitchell in the crowded headquarters after the rally as she was trying to get to McCain for an interview. Tim Russert walked by us as he made his way in to see McCain, too.

Caucus night was the best, of course, since we were allowed into one location (both the Democratic and Republican caucuses) as observers. Everyone was very nice about it, too, when we made it known that we weren't from the state. Afterwards, we went to Huckabee's victory party where we were just a few steps in front of the podium. We actually went to McCain's "party" first but were literally the only people there besides a few staffers. We were actually told the night before by a higher up that McCain wouldn't even be in the state the next night (he kind of pathetically begged us not to tell anyone, not that we would have anyway) and that there wouldn't be much of a party but we checked it out anyway.

[Keystone Phil]

Oh, we also went to this restaurant either the night or two nights before the caucus to see Hannity and Colmes. We were right behind the bigger of the two fools/the star of the show while he was on air. This was another occasion when one of us almost knocked over a TV personality: Colmes was walking off set during a commercial break and was bumped into by our friend.

After Huckabee's party, we went to Fred Thompson's event. I got to meet him. Naso met him and his wife. Paul's party was in the same complex so we popped in and right out of that conspiracy theory gathering.

[Reaganfan]

Oh, we also went to this restaurant either the night or two nights before the caucus to see Hannity and Colmes. We were right behind the bigger of the two fools/the star of the show while he was on air. This was another occasion when one of us almost knocked over a TV personality: Colmes was walking off set during a commercial break and was bumped into by our friend.

After Huckabee's party, we went to Fred Thompson's event. I got to meet him. Naso met him and his wife. Paul's party was in the same complex so we popped in and right out of that conspiracy theory gathering.

I remember shaking McCain's hand so I missed the whole Andrea Mitchell incident and I also missed seeing the late Tim Russert.

I have the video of our Fox News bit, and I recall some delicious fried ravioli at Huckabee's victory party.

I believe it was...

January 1st - Leave for Iowa
January 2nd - Arrive in Iowa mid-day, dinner @ Raccoon River Brewery w Hannity and Colmes, McCain rally with Thune and Graham
January 3rd - Huckabee, Thompson, McCain, Paul rallies
January 4th - Chicago and back home