My Thoughts from Iowa

(A wonderful message from someone who's there giving his all!)
Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 05:08:43 AM PST

The eyes of the world are upon us. Here in Iowa, the thaw has begun. After long, dark days harsh cold, it's supposed to warm up for the caucuses today. The ice is receding. The new winds are taking hold in preparation for the magic of a January night under the stars. Our party is united for change, for hope, to fight, to lead on (or before) day one. We're united for peace through strength, for an America that rises like a sun as the snow melts. We're fired up and ready for Bush to go. We have plans - for Iraq, for Pakistan, for restoring our Constitution. The Fire Fighters are for us, as are the service workers, the middle class, the single parents, the teachers, the farmers. The archetypal Americans are for us because we are for them. The children from the Norman Rockwell paintings are weathered and as old as 2007, but they will be standing for Biden and Dodd and Edwards and Obama.

Today we're more than ourselves - we're teams, we're beliefs, we're opinions, we're percentages of state delegates but we're united. Interconnected. By November the ice will have given way to the grass and its roots and the luminous splendor that grows forth from it. We are already a part of the campaigns that we have been waiting for - the change we have been working for - the judgment and experience that anticipates the action to bring our country back on its feet, proving that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Our spite will succumb to the stupor we will feel when the blessings of America are returned to us. God Bless America. Let's celebrate our democracy. Happy Caucus Day everybody.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/3/8339/12821/573/429636

and good luck.

As a resident of the MW I would hope a future election would bring more discussion and media coverage to the larger states. It is my opinon that the primaries should be shorter (thus not boring the h... out of us). It should be on the same day in all states. Picking a few states for the debates, etc. is just plain undemocratic. Industrial (or previously so) states have no say as to the Primary candidates or platform until the actual election. It's too late then.

I'm also upset that the VP is chosen by the Presidential candidate and party leaders not the delegates at the convention. The VP can become President so we party members should have a say about the candidate and their party goals too. Today, the convention ends up being just a big pep rally when all is said and done.

Members of the Democratic Party need to do real changes in the future. What we have now is not working but for the few elite. Our party base values are important.