Election Day

It all comes down to this. 

37 months ago, John Delaney kicked off a campaign that posited that a Moderate Democrat could be the next President. Three years after ridicule of John’s quixotic run and promises of free college, free healthcare and Universal Basic Income, the next President may end up being a moderate Democrat.

Mike Pence made one last trip to Des Moines on Friday afternoon with an agenda of Faith and Jobs (covered separately, I presume). The liberal Progress Iowa once again came through with a billboard for the occasion. This time proclaiming “Just one night of unprotected Pence can cause COVID." 

Of course, one of the headlines of this cycle was two nights before, 135 miles away in Omaha. The headlines read that thousands of people (many seniors) were stranded for hours waiting for a bus to get them back to their cars. Many had waited hours prior to the rally and now unexpectedly were waiting in 32 degree weather. 

You might expect me to be critical here, but the nature of a swing state rally is that you’re going to be standing in the cold. I have done it myself for the much less charismatic John Kerry. The organizers for the Trump rally say they had double the number of buses as usual, tents and hot chocolate. Reports from other attendees indicate that they saw walking back was going to be a better option. A two mile walk may not be an appropriate choice for a Senior, but these all personal choices. 

I certainly would have went into this rally as fully prepared as I could be. We like to think that an army of volunteers would have the same tenets of Customer Service in mind, but quite simply that’s impossible. I wrote ten months ago at even the most organized of campaigns, I had a One Star experience. So little blame from me on this one, but that hardly matters, the press ran with the story of at least 30 people needing medical attention due to the circumstances and six needing at least temporary hospitalization. 

 The Lincoln Project jumped on this as well, also digging up footage of Trump calling Iowans stupid. Now that seems a bit disingenuous. This was Trump in 2015 complaining how Ben Carson was leading in Hawkeye State polls. But they did also include footage from his recent rally where he complained the Derecho storm in the Midwest stole his headlines. Hardly, the position a sympathetic politician would take. 

Biden made a trip to Des Moines on the same day Pence was here. His rally was a drive in with attendees in cars while he spoke at the Iowa Fairgrounds. Biden may have suffered from waiting too long. 

Trump had already hit Des Moines and the western side of the state (in the guise of Omaha), he would spend the weekend in Dubuque, the eastern side of the state. Here, he claimed that he had saved two million Americans from Covid by his actions, that a vaccine is weeks away, and even without a vaccine, the disease was in decline. Trump also claimed to have eliminated Death taxes and Estate taxes, and as his scare tactic, that Democrats were working on removing “Under God” from the Pledge or Allegiance. 

 It’s hard to argue that it’s not working here. The Des Moines Register puts Trump up seven points over Biden 48-41- with 3% for others-similar to his 2016 drubbing of Hillary. Trump also said in Iowa that the election results will be finalized on Election Night, which seems unlikely. So, the curtain closes on this weirdest of election years. 

I will forever carry the image of one of the local late night Trump vehicle rallies in my head. Boat and truck rallies were held all over the state, and though they did not get headlines like some of the contentious rallies held elsewhere, I think they are no less notable. 

Tractors, cars and trucks joined in a parade in Atlantic with the local GOP candidate for House. In the western part of a state a 1000 Tractor parade was held. In the heart of Steve King country, where Trump carried Crawford County 66-28, I don’t doubt the numbers. 

Still, small town late night rallies paint a different, more menacing picture in the mind, and a friend reported one last night in his town, and I saw one myself a couple of Saturdays ago. 

These rallies took place in some already politically heated areas. The southern suburb of Des Moines, Norwalk was site of one two nights ago. Norwalk was in the news a couple of weeks ago due to the action of a counter protest to an anti- bullying rally ( a pro-bullying rally?). The incident here that the School and the Town seem to be handling badly was marked by the counter protesters invested heavily in MAGA gear. 

 But voting itself seems to be going off without a hitch. A poll worker friend did indicate he had been contacted by someone who was taking up Trump’s offer to patrol the polling place, but that was the only instance I know of.  Early voting was busy here but efficient from reports I heard. 

I will also always remember this election as every Saturday on the Main Street in my town- Local Republicans and Democrats set up at 11AM two blocks apart to hand out campaign signs. That memory of last week will stay. Two Dem volunteers distanced and masked provided a different image than a huddle of a half dozen mostly unmasked GOP counterparts. 

 In any case, we’re here and any other commentary that I would have liked to fit in like Trump Bear- the ubiquitous cable TV ad that no one is quite sure if it is celebrating or mocking the President.

Nor, will I find room for the type of musician-related news I love, like Trump managing last minute endorsements from rappers Lil Wayne and Lil Pump.  No room for any commentary.  It will have to be foregone. 

No, I have to say something about the mumble rapper with facial tattoos, who surely is the face a million Facebook seniors picture when they hear the word 'millennials".  Trump introduced him as "Little Pimp" and asked him onstage.  "I love your music... Big star... Does everyone know who this is?"

Indeed, the last image of this election will be of Trump (once again on Twitter) doing some dance moves to the Village People’s YMCA.

In any case, whatever the outcome, I will be putting some of the 2020 election blog to bed, will look for interesting post-election stories, and plotting my 2024 blog.