BERNIE.... BERNIE ....BERNIE!!!

   Finished my canvass route around 4pm and headed back to the bustling noisy energetic World HQ.
Not a stellar door knock. I was in a poorer neighborhood with a lot of folks who should be voting indicating their lack of interest in caucusing.  Those that were going were split between Bernie Hillary and undecided.. Its all important work .. but I like the Bernie numbers best

  I arrived at HQ shortly after Bernie made an appearance there - for a quick stop in between a Waterloo event and a trip to Ames - and some HQ interviews with media - hence the satellite truck need.  I dropped my papers - made the rounds with my buds..said hi to Stella from Greece - she seemed tired again...charged up my phone for a few minutes..to basic low level battery .. then headed to Grand View University SISAM Arena for the last official Bernie event before the official counting begins in Primary season.   . Work is done - time for fun

   I connected with Chris Lavasseur from Manchester CT who just arrived in Des Moines to work for Bernie and arranged to meet him there at the event and he found me in line inside the venue
  I arrived early to get in the front of the line and go inside close enough for some good  photos for posting here. I was near the entry door as the foyer filled up fast,

The first part worked - but alas - Chris and I were relegated to the stands behind the podium..We became "wallpaper" volunteer - you know..the happy animated background behind the podium and the speaker. We heard celebrities, staff, Jim Hightower, and others as they did warm up and an extra dance or two while we waited for Bernie to arrive...unusually late,,, from Ames.
We did get to see Bernie's walk in ...then his bald spot on the back of his head ...but heard every word and reacted as appropriately on cue as any good happy wallpaper volunteer should do... 

The side effect for the bad view of Bernie and being wallpaper was.. we were probably in every podium camera shot during Bernie's speech that left enough space for wallpaper...
The "where's Waldo" version for political events.. Did you see me on the news?

  The Arena is a basketball court - very limited seating ( we had wallpaper folk bleacher seats) most feveryone else stood for 2 hours or so..It was packed - beyond capacity ..at least a thousand people.  And a really engaged crowd filled with volunteers and people committed to Caucus tomorrow.

  After the speech - Bernie did the rope line.  He now has a Secret Service detail so his rope line regimen is approaching the political norm - he is guided by his detail according to normal regimen:
Walk off the stage where you arrived go left around the line - go out the way you entered...
So after the speech I went over to the spot where he came in - everyone rushed to the left side.

  Well After a few minutes hanging in my almost empty hand shake fishing spot I got to say hi to Jane Sanders - ( Jane says thanks to CT for the help)  said hi to the kids ...and then Bernie came by.

FLASHBACK
Well, Back in July I met Bernie at a Citgo Gas station in Berlin NH after a small venue speech in a very hot art center in town. After his speech  I headed out and stopped to gas up for my 4 hour ride home. Pulling in to the station right behind me was Bernie.  They made a pit stop and a beverage break before heading to the next location - He walked by I said hi.  He was moving fast and said hi back,

On his way out I greeted him again and he stopped for a quick chat.   I told him I was from CT and we have a great team at work there.  I handed him my Bernie Sanders CT Team business card - told him about all the great things were doing in CT and invited him to come there  -"here's my card  call me when you are ready"  I said.

 - he looked at the card looked away and did the proverbial second look and laughed - he said "I haven't been to CT yet"  I said "you know how to find me".  Can we get a picture - he said "sure"

He waved the card in the air as he walked away and proceeded to step over to his car... then stand a few feet away in what seemed to be a head clearing stare at nothing,  by himself for just a few moment as he chugged down the green Gatorade he just bought in the Citgo Store.  Then he headed off to Littleton NH and I headed home...smiling..

BIZ CARD PART DEUX
Well.. tonite at the rope line where I was waiting, he came by and I handed him my card again and said "Bernie, We met in Berlin NH and I gave you my card, here's another", I gave him the card.. He looked at it ...then at me .. then at the card again and let out a big belly laugh.." I rememba," he said and laughed again, held up the card  turned and headed out the door..

A big thanks to Carlos Camacho who designed and printed our CT Team cards - they work well as props for good stories..and also to help folks contact us...

That's my version of having fun.

Oh yea - about the up close pix...my camera battery died - no selfies or pix of Jane or close ups of Bernie or the crowd outside after the event....hope my words can paint a few of the pictures for you.

One more day of work and play in the political epicenter of the world.   Then the victory party,,which just so happens to be at the hotel where I am staying by the airport.

Blizzard update tomorrow...

Coming soon....the big day - #4  This is what its all about...

FEVER PITCH IS NEAR...
  Got in my 50 or so doors today..the router were all leftovers..places people went before and no one was home..half of the doors were answered ..but only 8 by folks I wanted to talk to...
It took about 2 hours to walk that massive turf...
Got back to World HQ and handed in my sheets...

The place is jamned...literally twice as many media types as when I left.

There's even a satellite truck now by the front door...
Bernie is in town...on my way to the big event...
Need a Bernie Fix...to read energize the tired bones

DAY 3- AMPING UP THE NOISE..

HQ was buzzing...seems like it was noisier today...maybe because there's twice as many media folk asking questions...and twice as many answering.

...except for maybe the Bernie dog...that immediately captured the attention of the deep issues based media...without comment

.note.. Simone sanders on the left...
I've seen her at her media post in unrelentless fashion ...and I'm not talking about her clothing style....which seems to be with it...

Fwiw...as I chat as much as I can with media types..those willing to answer my question, most often say the Bernie World HQ-Des moines.. is the coolest and the busiest...

Hand drawn wall decorations...themes from the heart and lighted signs for the evening shots...and scads of people doing Bernie stuff...

In 32 hourz well know if it means anything

Mean time.....off to the doors...
Were revisiting homes hoping someone is there for this knock..

DAY 3... MEDIA BLIZZARD WATCH
....snow blizzard watch tomorrow

The satellite truck caravan has begun...no traffic jams yet...but soon downtown Des Moines will be very busy.
It's all part of the Iowa Caucus texture..gotta take it all in...well as much as I can see in a very limited space in a YOUGE amount of activity.

  Got a coffee and reading the paper at Java Joe's on 4th street.. watching about 30 people on the MSNBC staff and crew set the stage. And the lights. And the cables, and the teleprompter for the Iowa kickoff of Morning Joe 6am tomorrow

I was here in 2008 with Chris Dodd...at the morning Joe show...it was 10 below zero..not a giant crowd...it'll be in the 30s Monday...heat wave

.

DAY 2 - Quick Shots

Watching tv and flipping channels as I write the posts for CT Berner Blog
At this time - near 11pm cst Bernie gets the prize for highest volume of ads - at least by my count

The World Bernie HQ - Des Moines is the bigger Des Moines office of 2 in the city - it also houses the state campaign.. With 3 days to the big event the big guns were hanging out - checking in with staff - volunteers - media...and Road Berners like me... any Jeff Weaver the National Campaign Manager for Sanders 2016 was here - and heard all about the CT Team and road berners - he says Hi

As the media waves continue some folks who look like someone show up.. Couldn't remember who this guy was - but my name/face recognition program named Al clued me in fast

John Nichols from The Nation and frequent TV news commentator was visiting and making the rounds in world HQ

THE NURSES ARE HERE - I was setting up for my canvass and there were a couple of members from the Nurses Union making calls - one of them got all excited and started yelling "THE BUS IS HERE...THE BUS IS HERE"  as the big red Nurses union bus rolled up and a pile of red shirted members got out to get dispatched out to the streets for some door knocking.

So - there is a "super Pac" that actually is spending money on Bernie - the nurses union has funded a program to help members get out in the field to campaign for Bernie - they have a bus ..red shirts.. and a TV crew producing videos about the exercises in democracy - and they interviewed me -  I told them I used to organize nurses for AFT...they liked that I was not following my unions lead on candidates ...and asked if I wanted to join their union...cool

So - after I did the Nurses Union TV interview - the bevy of reporters taking bus pictures  liked my interview so much that one by one they asked me to do an interview for them - there were 5 other crews 4 of them got me - the only one that I caught was Al Jezera international ...by the 5th interview I was really on a roll... just don't even know if my best Bernie sound bite ever got air time...hope it did...

Day 2 is done - it's 11:30pm CST - about 42 hours till we know who won IOWA!!!- posts are done - I'm tired... ready for Day 3---

 We have a YOUGE Bernie rally in Des Moines tomorrow - I'll be there after some door knocking and calls and CT Berner posts...   woo hoo more electricity...I'm in need of a good Bernie jolt now...

Hey Readers - is there something here you want me to cover?  text me 8607946075

FEEL THE BERN!

DAY 2 - THE TRUCKS ARE COMING

  

   The circadian rhythm of caucus induced satellite truck migration is now in full force and effect.

Yep - every 4 years they roll in like clock work and fire up the rhythmic hum of generators powering computer servers, lights, cameras, and microwave transmitters.  Its almost show time!

MSNBC has 2 big trucks and a pile of leser ones, crew, security and wires everywhere on 4th St 

to produce 2 shows of Morning Joe - with Mika Brzynski ( a former channel 3 reporter) and Joe Scarborough -( hes a former something too).

The scene is Java Joe's coffee shop which was packed tonite as the setup was going on and will be more packed starting around 5 am Monday for the Morning Joe Show Live from Des Moines-

I was there 8 years ago when Chris Dodd was interviewed..crowds were small - it was 10 below zero at 7am... Monday--- in the 30s.

 not sure yet when I'll be there...to say hi to Mika..

DAY 2 - Voter Contact
  I had a plan to go to the big event in Iowa City - I love big events - especially Bernie ones.  Ive been to a bunch and it is truly electrifying...so I go to more
The grand plan was to canvass quickly - get some good work in and head east to Iowa City. If I left by 3 I could be there, find a pace to park ole Thrifty rental, get to the venue and maybe even get in.
And after getting electrified maybe stop by and visit my commuter bud Bryan at the Jazz bar.
  Well I was out on my second turf in a very nice neighborhood knocking on doors and having lots of voter contact.  Not everyone was on my list but it was still good to listen.
  My Hill bud AB Stoddard asked if I'd survey some folks to see their reaction to the new Hillary e-mail hype - as it turned out voters really don't care about the issue anywhere as much as the media does.." whats new about it" was the most popular refrain.. The Bernie fans agree that he shouldn't be commenting about it until or if it is more real than hype...
  A.B. might have been focused on the issue as she referenced it a bit and since I sent her my findings...silence...maybe she's taking an evening off..or writing...

The conversations in the field became so rich ..and my list was pretty big - time flew by. And I was so committed to see this turf thru and hit every door and find as many Bernie caucusers as I cold.... my Iowa City - big event - supercharged Bernie rally - exciting story with pictures and people and everything plans...were dropped as the clock ticked past my departure deadline and I knocked on a few more doors...and talked to more voters...

   That's just not like me - I always pick fun over work...that's my life.. so the fun reward I gave myself for meritorious conduct was to finish my route - head back to the World HQ- Des Moines and make calls for 2 hours - same amount of time I would have been driving back from Iowa City...
Calls were not as great as doors tonite...but we did find more Bernie caucusers...

On my way out the door - 12 hours after the HQ started buzzing - a wave of media was finding stories - this one ZDF TV from Germany was interviewing a father and his son logging in a canvass turf...  Annette Brieger wants to do CT Road Berner story in New Hampshire - we'll meet up next weekend.   And .. the phone bank cave still had 2o people making calls - about 10 more were in the big room... And as I was bidding farewell to Donovan a couple of 20 something guys showed up to see if they could go canvassing...  As appealing as it was to get a few more door knocks in..Donovan erred on the side of caution and said come back - I'll set you up in the morning...