ClarkUSA
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Thu Jan-03-08 08:13 PM
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ATTN: Obama Supporters: My Report from Des Moines, Iowa |
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Edited on Thu Jan-03-08 08:41 PM by ClarkUSA
I've been here for days phonebanking at Obama GOTC (Get Out The Caucus) HQ in Des Moines. This evening, I dropped off Obama caucus goers at their respective caucus sites and will be picking them up after 8 p.m., then it's off to watch the caucus results with the rest of the HQ gang in downtown Des Moines where Barack Obama will be putting in an appearance at evening's end. I'll take my computer there and see if I can get in a quick report on this thread later.
Some random thoughts:
:redbox: I'm staying at a hotel where a TV crew with a humongous TV satellite truck is also camped out. There have been lots of Romney supporters at the breakfast buffet, along with a handful of Obama supporters (everyone wears their buttons). I'm here now getting a bite to eat before I head out again.
:bluebox: One of the men I met is a lawyer who was a year ahead of Barack in law school. He's a native Iowan who's caucusing for Obama tonight. Nice guy who said he didn't know Barack personally but he did know of Barack because "he really stood out and was a star on the Law Review". I also met members of Obama's national finance team and national government reform team who were phonebanking and doing visibility exercises with the enthusiasm of college kids. This is a great grassroots movement where there is no stuffy hierarchy, just a desire to be of service in the drive to make Obama come out on top.
:redbox: Iowa is C-C-COLD as soon as the sun sets.
:bluebox: Native Iowans and everyone at HQ are very very nice people.
:redbox: I saw Barack Obama in Cedar Rapids and at his last rally at Hoover High School in Des Moines. In Cedar Rapids, I sat right behind Barack Obama and can be seen on the YouTube video. Afterwards, I got to talk with him and shake his hand. Great eye contact from Barack and a genuine smile during our brief conversation. I told the Secret Service at his side to take good care of him. His speeches at both rallies were different yet hit similar riffs. The events were packed to the rafters. It was fantastic, historic, and moving to be present at both events.
:bluebox: Within a half-hour of arriving at Obama GOTC HQ, I met someone who I knew four years ago from a candidate fundraiser in a town over a thousand miles away from Des Moines. And the guy next to me had a girlfriend who attended the same high school as I did. It is truly a small world.
Tomorrow, I'm heading back home. I drove 16 hours through a blizzard to get to Des Moines. The experience has been worth every minute. Pictures to follow in a couple of days. I have to head back to the caucus sites soon but I thought I'd drop this report off.
Spirits are relaxed and confident at HQ.
GOBAMA!!! :hi:
P.S. Before I go, feel free to ask any questions. I'll try to answer them when I get back later tonight. Hopefully, we'll all have something great to celebrate!
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ChairmanAgnostic
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Thu Jan-03-08 08:15 PM
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1. and what of the riots? THE BLOOD? THE SHOOTINGS? |
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Not one report about them?
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ChairmanAgnostic
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Thu Jan-03-08 08:16 PM
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2. Oh wait. this is not Condi's Pakistan or Condi's Sudan, or her Kenya. |
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this might lead to a real secretary of state and a real foreign policy.
strange that a state filled with vanilla white conservative, religious farmers will pick our next president.
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silverweb
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Thu Jan-03-08 08:16 PM
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Thanks for the report and for all your hard work.
My daughter's with the Obama campaign in Ames right now and checked in with me earlier. Spirits are high!
GObama!
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ClarkUSA
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Thu Jan-03-08 08:21 PM
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5. Yes, spirits are high. |
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Yeah, I would like to track down other Obama DUers but we seem to be at different places. Thanks to you and your daughter for doing your part!
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sandnsea
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Thu Jan-03-08 08:19 PM
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Can't wait for the pics. I'm going to make it to one of these places one of these years.
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ClarkUSA
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Thu Jan-03-08 08:28 PM
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7. I have lots of photos from the Cedar Rapids rally and video from his last rally in Des Moines |
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Edited on Thu Jan-03-08 08:33 PM by ClarkUSA
I took photos of HQ also. I'll do the best I can to upload the photos as soon as I get back home. I brought the wrong cable so I can't download any photos here. Fortunately, I have lots of memory chips. I'll have to try to take lots of photos from the Election Night Celebration tonight.
Wish you were here... I'm sure you've been doing your usual great job at DU on behalf of Obama, though. :hi:
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ellisonz
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Thu Jan-03-08 08:23 PM
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6. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. |
Adelante
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Thu Jan-03-08 08:30 PM
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ClarkUSA
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Thu Jan-03-08 08:33 PM
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I'll try to live blog from the downtown election night celebration party, too. Now I gotta go to start picking up the caucus goers I dropped off earlier.
Hasta luega, amiga! :hi:
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TheDonkey
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Thu Jan-03-08 08:38 PM
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10. Thank you for being involved! |
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Its a lot of work. I used to do it but it was too much for me to handle. Glad there are other brave people still out there ready to get in the mix and save this country.
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Mon Jun 17th 2024, 02:17 AM
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