Iowans passionate about politics ahead of caucus

Source: Reuters

By Carey Gillam

TOLEDO, Iowa (Reuters) - One Iowa woman baked cookies emblazoned with John Edwards' likeness and passed them out at parties, while another sculpted Barack Obama's head out of butter to display on caucus night.

Less than a week to go before the January 3 Iowa caucuses, scores more in this snow-covered farm state are knocking on doors, making endless phone calls and using business meetings and family dinners to try to build support for their preferred presidential candidate.

Many Americans in the Midwest shun political debate among friends and family.

But in Iowa, where U.S. voters are the first to weigh in on who should be the Democratic and Republican nominees for the November 4, 2008, presidential election, passionate partisanship has become a part of daily life




Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2848513920071228

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This is an exciting race indeed!

..and I hope others outside of Iowa realize just how humbled and proud we are to
be "first in the nation."

I attend many candidate events, read the literature that is sent and I try to
do as much research as possible.

I know many people (on DU and otherwise) balk at Iowa (or any other state) being first.
I can understand why it might seem unfair to have one state deciding so much for so many.
However, I can guarantee you that we vet the hell out of these candidates. We challenge them,
ask them questions and put them on the spot.

I certainly don't speak for the entier state, but I know that most of us take our role
seriously. We feel that if we're going to be the "first in the nation" that we need
to look these people in the eye, talk with them, judge candidates to lead us into the
New Hampshire primary.

After living in Iowa and participating in this process, I am a major proponent of
having this one-state-at-a-time approach. Iowa doesn't necessarily have to be first.
However, these personal mini-campaigns show us who the quality candidates are--and
hopefully who the charlatans are, as well.

If we have a front-loaded primary, with many states voting simultaneously--this favors
the candidate with the most money (probably from lobbyists and other special-interest
groups) who can buy the most television spots. Ads are vacuous and staged. Speaking
with a candidate and looking in their eyes---there's just no substitute.

Six days to go until the caucuses!