Travel to the epicenter
Flew out of Bradley on an 8am er to Charlotte. Charlotte to Des Moines- on the plane I sat next to a Bernie fan, Brian, who owns a Jazz bar in Iowa City near the venue for the Saturday Night Bernie rally featuring Vampire Weekend.. We talked all the way to Iowa about the changes needed to bring back the country for all of us.
In the seat in front of us was A.B Stoddard a writer for the Hill. We traded cards and within a few hours as I was out canvassing she was texting me about my reaction to the new info about Hillary's e-mail flap and if I felt Bernie should get in the crowd calking out Hilkary on the issue...I said i didnt like the idea and the process needs to run a course outside the super hype arena... dont think Bernie has commented yet...
I asked her if Bernie knew in advance when he met POTUS ...and was still silent? Good point she says...
On the plane there were a bunch folks headed tpo the political epicenter and Bernie fans, many of whom chimed in to the deep conversation that Brian and I were having... that was cool..
In Des Moines - got the Thrifty rental car...checked into the Holiday inn...and headed to Bernie Des Moines World HQ...via a trip around down town and a satellite truck tour of all the media hangouts.
I was here 8 years ago when I came to help Chris Dodd in his campaign for president. It all looks different..or maybe I didn't pay much attention last time..it was about 50 degrees cooler and I didn't go outside much...
The Bernie HQ is on Mlk Parkway in a shopping center a couple miles from downtown in the middle of a bunch of retail shops including a a grocery store to the left. and a package store to the right - I'll be well supplied on this trip..
In the doors is a reception area staffed by Stella - she's from Greece and here to help out..
beyond reception is a YOUGE room with stacks of info, boxes of canvass turfs, tables filled with laptops for data and calling. It was busy and bustling and messy, like any incredibly active campaign office... People everywhere coming and going. Canvassers, callers, and waves of media armed with tripods, cameras and note pads..taking pix and chatting with volunteers.
As soon aas I got in there I was greeted by staff and volunteers who quickly armed me with a turf youte - quick instructions and a partner to head out to the doors with.
I was matched up with Billy - a 19 year old Des Moines native who always introduces himself as being Laotian.. People always ask if he was fom Laos and he explains he was born in Des Moines but hs parents were.. We hopped in the Thrifty rental and headed out to the doors and the kid got right into some canvassing 101 instructions.. Me and Billy the kid canvasser in the Des Moines neighborhoods working on Get Out The Caucus...
We hit the doors met a number of voters - but only 3 of the dozen we talked with were on our GOTC list - my fav was Megan - who is a rabid Bernie fan. She's ready to Caucus ...and bring her family and and neighbors. She said the neighborhood we were in was filled with Bernie support...too bad only a few were home...But 1 great supporter fires up the Bern...Thats what I like - so I immortalized the moment ...Billy was happy too
I think Besides Billy the kid canvasser i met only one other person from Desmoines... but more people were on the streets than in HQ.
After our first run Billy and went back to hq - filled out out summary page and had pizza - there were racks of pizzas - soda and veggie roll-ups - fuel for volunteers - true campaign sustenance that helps you feel the heart Bern....
So I went around the room and said hi to folks and started figuring out the system and the schedule
pretty much all focus is on voter contact canvass canvass canvass
When I arrived at first - I said hi to a nice woman who was intensely typing on her computer and talking on a phone wedged between her shoulder and cheek - she kind of nodded her head up to say a multi task hi back....
After our first turf completion, I got back to hq and while making my rounds I went back to say hi again to the nice lady with the phone ..now that she was freed up - it was Simone Sanders - Bernie's national press person...yep the epicenter of politics - right here in Des Moines
So after a few minutes of chill - Billy the kid canvasser and I were approached by Simon again.. he doesn't let anyone remain idle for long...and set us right up another turf.. He even remembered our names and signed us up on the log sheet ... Meantime a new wave of parade marched in the door - laded with their weapons of mass communication armed and started engaging with staff and volunteers - ...
As Billy the kid canvasser and I were heading out for our route, we were approached by a guy loaded with nikons and lenses who started asking questions about our canvass and the politics.. Fredrik. He started asking questions, sating his curiosity about why we were working so hard to talk to voters and reaching out at their homes, as it was now getting dark and cold.. we explained .. he offered puzzling looks.. So it turns out our process is very foreign to Fred.. Where he comes from - campaigns are time limited - money limited and people are much more in tune with the candidates, process and vote in much higher numbers than here... and they don't have caucuses...
Figures... - Fred Kalstveit - who is a reporter for the top national Media outlet TV 2...in Norway.. is a freakin socialist...kind of snickering at what he's seeing... well I am too... .socialist? or snickering...or both? ..kind of why I support Bernie... to achieve a snicker free political system.that people participate in because it looks out for them ..maybe we could make one that's even better than Freds....some day...
So to help Fred better understand our snickery process Billy the kid canvasser and I grabbed out turf maps, got Fred the Red and his cameras - and headed out to the doors in the Thrifty rental car....and I proceeded to offer canvassing 101 classes to two people who wanted to learn the fine art of voter persuasion.
Fred had a blast - as he took pictures, asked questions and interviewed a few voters. We even ran into a guy who was Norweigan and like all good Americans with foreign heritage, proceeded to humor Fred with the 5 words he knew from the mother land - all swear words - Fred the Red had a good chuckle...many of the words are no longer used in modern norse conversations -- they are words used here by immigrants... from years ago...
Canvassing done - made more contacts and a couple voters persuaded to caucus.. 3 hours on the doors and I had 8 total contacts off my official GOTC list only 1 solid Hillary 1 leaning hillary and zero O Malley.
After all that fun - I made some more rounds saying hi and finding out about the campaign - staff - and weekend events, one of which I attended af ter a stop at my hotel to begin this blog post..
Tonight was Music For Bernie - an event with local musicians at theDes Moines Social club - Kum and Go Theater - on Mulberry St. A good crowd and leading the cheers and emceeing the event was ...Simone Sanders ---
and taking pix for Norse consumption was Fred the Red...
What a blast... anyone know the word for almostfamous in Norwegian..?
So ...Saturday - more canvassing - big crowds of out of staters I'll be driving around making voter contact and GET OUT TO CAUCUS GOTC
Theres a big event in Iowa City about 90 minutes awaythe big deal is Vampire Weekend - and maybe a visit to Bryan's Jazz Bar at The clinton St Social Club..
Sunday is a big Bernie rally here in Des Moines
Monday Caucus day and the big VICTORY Party - so go figure..made my day
I have a 6am flight on Tuesday so I booked the Holiday inn by the airport..just for convenience..and I use my points for a free room... and guess where the big Bernie Caucus watch/Victory party is...yep my house at the Airport holiday Inn - I volunteered to help with that event...since its so close to home..
Day 1 done - its actually Day 2 now - we'll see what happens
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