Iowa Caucus Guy’s Presidential Election Blog

I had limited expectations for this blog when I started. What I didn’t figure was that four years from the last election, I am a much more social animal. I have covered some unique things in my blog that might not be captured in the same way. That’s pretty awesome. I have long joked not to look here for insight but I have stumbled into really relevant stuff here. That said, I am generally interested in the ephemeral since I know I can’t compete with other sources by being the definite story (nor would I want to). Anyway, it’s the end of August now and where do things stand. There was an early temptation to write about everything and I was overwhelmed. With so many candidates, every day is a news day. If I could change one thing, I missed an opportunity to talk about the spring flooding. No discussion of this election cycle is complete without mentioning it. I was in the Omaha area in March. Levees failed from the so called ‘bomb cyclone’ storm and snow melting. I won’t ...

I didn’t make it to the Iowa State Fair. I also missed a Buttigieg event that was less than 2 miles away- almost literally my backyard.  I am slacking.  I did drive by the Pete event and though it was a far cry from the masses gathered to see him in April, it still looked like he overfilled his chosen venue. The State Fair is a must for a political junkie, and though, I didn’t go, I have a wide enough social network that I can still get some yardage out of it, and pass along some worthwhile and unique takes. One friend of mine went on Saturday and caught five Presidential candidates (Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Tim Ryan, Jay Inslee, Cory Booker). Both him and another went to see Elizabeth Warren on the Soapbox and people showed up in droves. Warren has gotten attention the last week in Politico and NBC News. Whatever the outcome, Warren’s Iowa ground game appears solid. My friend saw the Harris entourage tour the fair, and another saw the Harris ...

If you have been following my blog, you know I am the guy who asks the Presidential candidates “What are you listening to?” You also know no one answers. I am generally ignored. These candidates don’t have a problem asking for a donation from me, so I know they got my request, but still, I get no response. I won’t jump to the conclusion that they are too self-important or arrogant to answer me. Maybe they’re just inefficient or lazy. Of the 25 candidates deemed “Major” by the media, only Admiral Sestak answered me. Now, I know what you are thinking. That this is because these guys and gals are so busy, but here’s the thing : I asked the same of a dozen Libertarian, Independent and minor Democratic candidates and I got the same thing. Nothing. You know who didn’t ignore me? Dan Taxation is Theft Behrman. I am a big fan of Dan Taxation is Theft Behrman’s campaign , with the only caveat that it causes me to type Dan Taxation is Theft Behrman every time I mention him....

As a friend suggests, the general post-debate analysis is "my candidate definitely won that". The second debate didn't have that shock of the first, but the idea solidifies- this is what 2020 looks like. The Daily covered some of the changes and the current scenario turns candidates into salesmen trying to get as many donations as they can.  National candidates see that national TV show appearances like Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews do more to swell the coffers than to travel to Iowa and talk in front of 50 people.  In short, you need to be established as a national candidate to compete, and the fact that Pete Buttigieg has broken through, only means it's the exception that proves the rule. In any case, no one probably watches this stuff but die-hard politicos, but here goes.  The second series of debates will go down as the one where Marianne Williamson went from kook to serious contender.  Hard-core politicos gasp at this idea, but perhaps they think the ...

For a special blog post, I wanted to turn the reigns over to Mike Conner Jr. Mike is running for the City Council of Knoxville, Iowa. He is active in Libertarian Party politics. He is also a friend of the Iowa Caucus Guy blog and has a political insight I greatly respect. When he told me this story, I asked him to share it, since I found it very unique. In the world of retweets and forwarded memes, we could use some healthy discourse, and this is a great example of that actually taking place. In my years working in management, I can't count the times leadership recommended the popular book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It's been a mainstay on my desk and library for years, and a reference point to how I lead both my professional and personal life. In his book, Steven Covey encouraged readers to "Seek first to understand then to be understood." This quote is something that I take to heart as I dive headfirst into today's political climate as a ...