Man Plans God Laughs
I decided that I would blog about the 2020 Election for a couple of reasons. First, because I love this stuff and that was only going to be the case. Second, because simply living in Iowa gives me an unique perspective. If nothing else, with a steady diet of local television and area newspapers, I am likely to pick up stuff that might not be in the National media.
But you never know where things will go. For me, I did not get to as many campaign events as I would have liked. That said, I did have a handful of candidate interactions. More importantly, I was able to share quite a few secondhand accounts. While I might not have been there at a certain scene, it's quite likely that I knew someone who was.
Which brings me to attempting to see Elizabeth Warren one time before the caucus.
But Iowa weather is the great unknown in the Caucus process. It's unlikely that anything would have changed, but it is important to note that weather slowed or stopped early campaign visits from Julian Castro and Kamala Harris. Would anything have changed? Probably not, but the idea does hang in the air.
The two weekends considered the most important by the candidates were also the worst for the weather.
Iowa saw a huge storm hit Friday, January 10. I was actually travelling that day (couldn't avoid it) and there were many wrecks. I follow a cafe in Ames on Social Media and they had to cancel their Coffee with a Candidate with Bernie Sanders. (They had hosted Bill Weld only a few days earlier). I can only assume that this was the norm for most candidates.
Saturday is a big canvassing day, and snow on the ground and chill in the air, I think things were pretty much business as usual. There is an election to win, after all.
The weekend of the 17th and 18th was as big (or bigger) but God again had other plans.
The night of the 15th was a local Democrat Party fundraiser. I had planned to go because it was a chance to see Elizabeth Warren in an unique and intimate environment. John Delaney was also supposed to be there, but let's face it- Delaney is the opening act, Warren is the Top Bill.
Unfortunately, that Friday was a full day of snow then freezing rain and then more snow. Everything cancelled, and including the Fundraiser.
I won't be able to describe seeing Warren, but I will manage a blog post about the cancelled event, in any case.
This close to the Caucus, it seemed likely that most candidates would make it that way. Buttigieg and Yang were in the State, after all.
Biden had not planned on attending. (Of note, the candidates all trekked through the storm on the 17th, with the exception of Biden, who is doing his travels this weekend). Biden had selected a surrogate in the form of Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, and then later former Senator/2008 also-ran Chris Dodd.
Bernie picked a surrogate closer to Iowans in Des Moines school board member Dionna Langford. Langford has been a powerful advocate for Bernie and co-chair of his campaign- writing about Bernie for IowaStartingLine.
Another attendee would have been congresswoman Deb Haaland. The Representative from the Albuquerque was one of the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress. Haaland, from a military family, is a rising star in the Party. She advocates for the Green New Deal, for Military Housing, and Universal Childcare. Haaland has been active in endorsing Warren.
As last minute jockeying still occurs, and Campaigns certainly need to be cognizant of the Super Bowl being the night before the Caucus- the weather is not the only outstanding factor effecting this Caucus Cycle.
You see, I said Biden was going to send Casey and then decided to send Dodd. Well, there is that matter of the impeachment. It would be uncertain if Casey could make it from DC.
Indeed, while recently retired Mayor Pete Buttigieg and entrepreneurs Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang crisscross the Hawkeye State, Democratic Senators are limited to only travel to Iowa on the weekend.
In case you missed it, that affects Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Michael Bennet, all stuck in DC from Monday through Friday.
It doesn't mean the campaign stops, As the New York Times reports, there are surrogates.
For Bernie, that list starts with big names like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michael Moore, rising stars like Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Pramilia Jaypaland, and former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner, as well as concerts with Portugal The Man, Bon Iver, and Vampire Weekend.
For Elizabeth Warren, that is Julian and Joaquin Castro, Rep. Katie Porter, and celebrities like Ashley Judd and Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness.
Klobuchar is using Gold Medal Curling Coach (and Minnesotan) Phill Drobnick and Iowans like State Rep Karin Derry and State Senate candidate Rhonda Martin.
Of course with TV ads, Sanders, Warren and Klobuchar are never that far away. In any case, I suppose it will be full steam ahead as the days count down.
- - - - -
Addendum: While writing this, I ran across a local news story which could only come up in a weather storm.
Leaders in Davenport Condemn Snow Display Targeting Democrats
But you never know where things will go. For me, I did not get to as many campaign events as I would have liked. That said, I did have a handful of candidate interactions. More importantly, I was able to share quite a few secondhand accounts. While I might not have been there at a certain scene, it's quite likely that I knew someone who was.
Which brings me to attempting to see Elizabeth Warren one time before the caucus.
But Iowa weather is the great unknown in the Caucus process. It's unlikely that anything would have changed, but it is important to note that weather slowed or stopped early campaign visits from Julian Castro and Kamala Harris. Would anything have changed? Probably not, but the idea does hang in the air.
The two weekends considered the most important by the candidates were also the worst for the weather.
Iowa saw a huge storm hit Friday, January 10. I was actually travelling that day (couldn't avoid it) and there were many wrecks. I follow a cafe in Ames on Social Media and they had to cancel their Coffee with a Candidate with Bernie Sanders. (They had hosted Bill Weld only a few days earlier). I can only assume that this was the norm for most candidates.
Saturday is a big canvassing day, and snow on the ground and chill in the air, I think things were pretty much business as usual. There is an election to win, after all.
The weekend of the 17th and 18th was as big (or bigger) but God again had other plans.
The night of the 15th was a local Democrat Party fundraiser. I had planned to go because it was a chance to see Elizabeth Warren in an unique and intimate environment. John Delaney was also supposed to be there, but let's face it- Delaney is the opening act, Warren is the Top Bill.
Unfortunately, that Friday was a full day of snow then freezing rain and then more snow. Everything cancelled, and including the Fundraiser.
I won't be able to describe seeing Warren, but I will manage a blog post about the cancelled event, in any case.
This close to the Caucus, it seemed likely that most candidates would make it that way. Buttigieg and Yang were in the State, after all.
Biden had not planned on attending. (Of note, the candidates all trekked through the storm on the 17th, with the exception of Biden, who is doing his travels this weekend). Biden had selected a surrogate in the form of Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, and then later former Senator/2008 also-ran Chris Dodd.
Bernie picked a surrogate closer to Iowans in Des Moines school board member Dionna Langford. Langford has been a powerful advocate for Bernie and co-chair of his campaign- writing about Bernie for IowaStartingLine.
Another attendee would have been congresswoman Deb Haaland. The Representative from the Albuquerque was one of the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress. Haaland, from a military family, is a rising star in the Party. She advocates for the Green New Deal, for Military Housing, and Universal Childcare. Haaland has been active in endorsing Warren.
As last minute jockeying still occurs, and Campaigns certainly need to be cognizant of the Super Bowl being the night before the Caucus- the weather is not the only outstanding factor effecting this Caucus Cycle.
You see, I said Biden was going to send Casey and then decided to send Dodd. Well, there is that matter of the impeachment. It would be uncertain if Casey could make it from DC.
Indeed, while recently retired Mayor Pete Buttigieg and entrepreneurs Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang crisscross the Hawkeye State, Democratic Senators are limited to only travel to Iowa on the weekend.
In case you missed it, that affects Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Michael Bennet, all stuck in DC from Monday through Friday.
It doesn't mean the campaign stops, As the New York Times reports, there are surrogates.
For Bernie, that list starts with big names like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michael Moore, rising stars like Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Pramilia Jaypaland, and former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner, as well as concerts with Portugal The Man, Bon Iver, and Vampire Weekend.
For Elizabeth Warren, that is Julian and Joaquin Castro, Rep. Katie Porter, and celebrities like Ashley Judd and Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness.
Klobuchar is using Gold Medal Curling Coach (and Minnesotan) Phill Drobnick and Iowans like State Rep Karin Derry and State Senate candidate Rhonda Martin.
Of course with TV ads, Sanders, Warren and Klobuchar are never that far away. In any case, I suppose it will be full steam ahead as the days count down.
- - - - -
Addendum: While writing this, I ran across a local news story which could only come up in a weather storm.
Leaders in Davenport Condemn Snow Display Targeting Democrats
Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said Monday he's asked the police chief to investigate the display, noting “all hate speech is wrong.”
Homeowner Donald Hesseltine laughed off such concerns. He says he created the display over the weekend to “mess with” friends who support Sanders, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president.
The display includes a mannequin topped with a military helmet that is holding a rifle and chainsaw.
The rifle is pointed toward the Sanders snowman, which has red-dyed snow near its head.
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