Down in the Park with Friends of Mine
For years, Iowa's longtime Senator Tom Harkin had a fundraiser called the Steak Fry.
Harkin has retired, but the Steak Fry continues.
In 2007, it was the moment where Obama launched a meme, even if standard practice for years, it was that you hold your hand over your heart for the Pledge, not the National Anthem.
For the last couple of years, it has featured a host of people who were speculative Presidential candidates or considered future Party stars- Cheri Bustos, Tim Ryan, Seth Moulton, Jeff Merkley, Pramila Jayapal, and an actual bonafide 'first in the race' candidate John Delaney.
This year, as those made their mind up, there were 17 actual candidates. In fact, the only major candidate not to attend was Delaney, whose daughter was getting married that weekend.
I called it "Democratic Wrestlemania"
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I thought it was clever, until the local NBC affiliate called it Caucus Coachella.
That's a good one.
It should be remembered, of course, this is a fundraiser, and we all take it way too seriously.
I did not go. Like Delaney, sometimes family and other commitments are more important than politics.
Even if you really wanted to go.
Ok, Delaney made the right choice. There's never not a reason to post the Delaney Slide photo though.
I had a few people offer me tickets, and I don't think it was terribly hard to get one. I also heard it was a terrible mess of traffic and disorganization, to the point, one might have decided it wasn't quite worth it.
The Register reported 12,000 attendees and 18,000 candidate signs.
Yes, Sign Wars.
Yes, at the end of the day, what better way to show your strength, and your candidate not theirs will win, than with a bunch of signs.
In any case, like Wrestlemania, what was really important was a big entrance.
Kamala Harris probably had the biggest get with Iowa's Isiserettes, who performed for Obama at his inauguration, have played the Kentucky Derby Parade and the DC Easter Egg Roll among other places. Iowa Starting Line also said she had striking McDonald's workers in tow, and had a great playlist with Lizzo, Prince, Aretha, Beyonce, and Janelle Monae.
Julian Castro came in with a Mariachi Band
Steve Bullock rocked out to my favorite Y2K German dance artist, Cascada
From there, there was a lot of grilling and pouring of drinks (vegan style if you're Cory Booker)
There were events all day on the way to Des Moines and afterwards.The winner for the closest event to my house was Beto O'Rourke (2 miles away).
Of course, not everyone took part in the morning festivities. The Warren campaign took the time per the LA Times passing on live music and held quickie organizing training sessions and sent their volunteers, many wearing glitter in Warren’s signature green, into the crowd, clipboards and canvassing scripts in hand.
The Sanders camp also skipped the morning. This led to other candidate supporters on social media to suggest that Sanders did not have many supporters.
The truth is that Bernie supporters canvassed Des Moines neighborhoods. Iowa Starting Line may be the best caucus-related website, but they have a point wrong with Bernie here. Yes, it seems Bernie could have canvassed the Steak Fry, but it betrays the fact that the Steak Fry is for the hardcore. I doubt there were many Dems there who didn't have an opinion about Bernie, Instead, Bernie went to homes and talked to the people who will be the caucusgoers on that February night, not just those who live politics 24/7. His team reported knocking 7500 doors and making 27000 calls that day.
Despite a bad forecast, the weather mostly cooperated. It did rain on Tim Ryan, as it had the last time he spoke at the Steak Fry. Maybe, God is trying to tell him something.
The truth is you never know what you might see at the Steak Fry.
Eater broke down the Steak Fry. The Steaks are grilled, not fried- and they report With more than 12,000 attendees, it was a far cry from the days when Joan Kiernan would go to the local butcher to feed everyone. Instead, the organizers tapped Hy-Vee, a supermarket chain based in Des Moines with $10 billion in sales a year, to provide 8,000 8-ounce strip loin steaks (from South Dakota), 2,300 chicken breasts (from Nebraska), and 700 black bean burger patties (from a vegan science lab). The meals are served from a central food tent, with a side of baked beans, potato salad, and bread. Food trucks serving ice cream, apple pastries, and local craft beer flank the main tent.
When history is written, Pete Buttigieg's gambit of buying 1500 tickets and getting them to his supporters may be the big payoff.
There was an informal 'cast your kernel' poll of course, which showed a good showing for Pete, at least when i saw it.
Warren 33.2
Buttigieg 26.6
Biden 6.9
Klobuchar 6.8
Harris 6.6
O'Rourke 5.4
Booker 5.2
Sanders, Yang 2.9
Castro 1.1
After the Fry, the People's Forum gave an extended speaking time for four candidates, 2500 people attended the event, headlined by Ilhan Omar. Notable by Biden's absence, I am told the speeches by Warren, Sanders, Buttigieg, and Castro were all fantastic.
Warren spoke of growing up when a minimum-wage job called sustain a family. She called for the national prohibition on right-to-work laws, a wealth tax above $50 Million and legalizing marijuana. She had a big crowd, and as first speaker, many departed with her.
Castro used Newton, Iowa as an example of clean energy and opportunity, advocating for drug price controls and Universal Family Care. He also talked of housing as a human right, and restricting big factory farming.
Sanders may have gotten the biggest ovation. The crowd of Iowan farmers gave rebuke to the idea that Iowa only has rural Trump voters.Sanders talked Healthcare, introduced the Workplace Democracy Act to increase union membership, and advocated for Dems to reach out to young Progressive voters.
Buttigieg also talked Ag. He got pushback on his Medical plan for not being progressive enough. Of the four candidates, Pete seemed to have the hardest time connecting with the progressive audience.
The night before, there had been a LGBTQ+ forum in Cedar Rapids. Here, Joe Biden had to answer to previous stands on DOMA and Dont Ask Dont Tell. He may have been able to answer what he could, but he didn't leave on good terms from this meeting as the Cedar Rapids Gazette columnist who was taking him to task, afterwards said he called her "a real sweetheart" and was condescending to her. Tulsi Gabbard also was able to answer some questions from quotes she had made a decade ago.
Incidentally, I drove by the Park after the Steak Fry the next morning, and the 18,000 candidate signs seemed to be picked up, leaving only two for a candidate named Mosie Boyd.
True Grit and Madame President they read.
Boyd, a lawyer from Fort Smith Arkansas, runs a PAC to elect a female President, and holds degrees from Brown, Harvard, and Arkansas-Little Rock. Boyd suggests she has a good chance of winning, but if not, she will use the experience for her next run.
Anyway, a big week for Caucus Talk. I feel obligated to mention that this post owes much to others. My hope is that anyone reading this might appreciate that. I pulled from friends, from major media outlets, and social media feeds, and am proud of everything the finished product contains.
If I do get the chance to take in the Steak Fry in four years time, I will. Where serious issues can be found with serious fun.
Harkin has retired, but the Steak Fry continues.
In 2007, it was the moment where Obama launched a meme, even if standard practice for years, it was that you hold your hand over your heart for the Pledge, not the National Anthem.
For the last couple of years, it has featured a host of people who were speculative Presidential candidates or considered future Party stars- Cheri Bustos, Tim Ryan, Seth Moulton, Jeff Merkley, Pramila Jayapal, and an actual bonafide 'first in the race' candidate John Delaney.
This year, as those made their mind up, there were 17 actual candidates. In fact, the only major candidate not to attend was Delaney, whose daughter was getting married that weekend.
I called it "Democratic Wrestlemania"
I thought it was clever, until the local NBC affiliate called it Caucus Coachella.
That's a good one.
It should be remembered, of course, this is a fundraiser, and we all take it way too seriously.
I did not go. Like Delaney, sometimes family and other commitments are more important than politics.
Even if you really wanted to go.
Ok, Delaney made the right choice. There's never not a reason to post the Delaney Slide photo though.
I had a few people offer me tickets, and I don't think it was terribly hard to get one. I also heard it was a terrible mess of traffic and disorganization, to the point, one might have decided it wasn't quite worth it.
The Register reported 12,000 attendees and 18,000 candidate signs.
Yes, Sign Wars.
Yes, at the end of the day, what better way to show your strength, and your candidate not theirs will win, than with a bunch of signs.
In any case, like Wrestlemania, what was really important was a big entrance.
Kamala Harris probably had the biggest get with Iowa's Isiserettes, who performed for Obama at his inauguration, have played the Kentucky Derby Parade and the DC Easter Egg Roll among other places. Iowa Starting Line also said she had striking McDonald's workers in tow, and had a great playlist with Lizzo, Prince, Aretha, Beyonce, and Janelle Monae.
Julian Castro came in with a Mariachi Band
Steve Bullock rocked out to my favorite Y2K German dance artist, Cascada
From there, there was a lot of grilling and pouring of drinks (vegan style if you're Cory Booker)
There were events all day on the way to Des Moines and afterwards.The winner for the closest event to my house was Beto O'Rourke (2 miles away).
Of course, not everyone took part in the morning festivities. The Warren campaign took the time per the LA Times passing on live music and held quickie organizing training sessions and sent their volunteers, many wearing glitter in Warren’s signature green, into the crowd, clipboards and canvassing scripts in hand.
The Sanders camp also skipped the morning. This led to other candidate supporters on social media to suggest that Sanders did not have many supporters.
The truth is that Bernie supporters canvassed Des Moines neighborhoods. Iowa Starting Line may be the best caucus-related website, but they have a point wrong with Bernie here. Yes, it seems Bernie could have canvassed the Steak Fry, but it betrays the fact that the Steak Fry is for the hardcore. I doubt there were many Dems there who didn't have an opinion about Bernie, Instead, Bernie went to homes and talked to the people who will be the caucusgoers on that February night, not just those who live politics 24/7. His team reported knocking 7500 doors and making 27000 calls that day.
Despite a bad forecast, the weather mostly cooperated. It did rain on Tim Ryan, as it had the last time he spoke at the Steak Fry. Maybe, God is trying to tell him something.
The truth is you never know what you might see at the Steak Fry.
Eater broke down the Steak Fry. The Steaks are grilled, not fried- and they report With more than 12,000 attendees, it was a far cry from the days when Joan Kiernan would go to the local butcher to feed everyone. Instead, the organizers tapped Hy-Vee, a supermarket chain based in Des Moines with $10 billion in sales a year, to provide 8,000 8-ounce strip loin steaks (from South Dakota), 2,300 chicken breasts (from Nebraska), and 700 black bean burger patties (from a vegan science lab). The meals are served from a central food tent, with a side of baked beans, potato salad, and bread. Food trucks serving ice cream, apple pastries, and local craft beer flank the main tent.
When history is written, Pete Buttigieg's gambit of buying 1500 tickets and getting them to his supporters may be the big payoff.
There was an informal 'cast your kernel' poll of course, which showed a good showing for Pete, at least when i saw it.
Warren 33.2
Buttigieg 26.6
Biden 6.9
Klobuchar 6.8
Harris 6.6
O'Rourke 5.4
Booker 5.2
Sanders, Yang 2.9
Castro 1.1
After the Fry, the People's Forum gave an extended speaking time for four candidates, 2500 people attended the event, headlined by Ilhan Omar. Notable by Biden's absence, I am told the speeches by Warren, Sanders, Buttigieg, and Castro were all fantastic.
Warren spoke of growing up when a minimum-wage job called sustain a family. She called for the national prohibition on right-to-work laws, a wealth tax above $50 Million and legalizing marijuana. She had a big crowd, and as first speaker, many departed with her.
Castro used Newton, Iowa as an example of clean energy and opportunity, advocating for drug price controls and Universal Family Care. He also talked of housing as a human right, and restricting big factory farming.
Sanders may have gotten the biggest ovation. The crowd of Iowan farmers gave rebuke to the idea that Iowa only has rural Trump voters.Sanders talked Healthcare, introduced the Workplace Democracy Act to increase union membership, and advocated for Dems to reach out to young Progressive voters.
Buttigieg also talked Ag. He got pushback on his Medical plan for not being progressive enough. Of the four candidates, Pete seemed to have the hardest time connecting with the progressive audience.
The night before, there had been a LGBTQ+ forum in Cedar Rapids. Here, Joe Biden had to answer to previous stands on DOMA and Dont Ask Dont Tell. He may have been able to answer what he could, but he didn't leave on good terms from this meeting as the Cedar Rapids Gazette columnist who was taking him to task, afterwards said he called her "a real sweetheart" and was condescending to her. Tulsi Gabbard also was able to answer some questions from quotes she had made a decade ago.
Incidentally, I drove by the Park after the Steak Fry the next morning, and the 18,000 candidate signs seemed to be picked up, leaving only two for a candidate named Mosie Boyd.
True Grit and Madame President they read.
Boyd, a lawyer from Fort Smith Arkansas, runs a PAC to elect a female President, and holds degrees from Brown, Harvard, and Arkansas-Little Rock. Boyd suggests she has a good chance of winning, but if not, she will use the experience for her next run.
Anyway, a big week for Caucus Talk. I feel obligated to mention that this post owes much to others. My hope is that anyone reading this might appreciate that. I pulled from friends, from major media outlets, and social media feeds, and am proud of everything the finished product contains.
If I do get the chance to take in the Steak Fry in four years time, I will. Where serious issues can be found with serious fun.
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