ATTN: Obama Supporters: My Report from Des Moines, Iowa

[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!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. and what of the riots? THE BLOOD? THE SHOOTINGS?

Not one report about them?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. Oh wait. this is not Condi's Pakistan or Condi's Sudan, or her Kenya.

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.

[silverweb]

3. Yay! Great job!

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!

[ClarkUSA]

5. Yes, spirits are high.

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!

[sandnsea]

4. Sounds good!

Can't wait for the pics. I'm going to make it to one of these places one of these years.

[ClarkUSA]

7. I have lots of photos from the Cedar Rapids rally and video from his last rally in Des Moines

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:

[ellisonz]

6. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

[Adelante]

8. How great

Thanks for all that :hi:

[ClarkUSA]

9. You're welcome!

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:

[TheDonkey]

10. Thank you for being involved!

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.