Romney in Clive

The final candidate on my list  was Mitt Romney. I had met Romney four years ago at an actual caucus but didn't have a photo with him. That was my goal. (Silly, silly, I know, but we all need hobbies. Collecting photos with politicians happens to be one of mine.)

As soon as I'd snapped my photo with Perry in Perry, I jumped in my car and sped off to Clive. It was 7:00 p.m. and a forty minute drive lay ahead of me. Although the event wasn't scheduled to start until 8:40 p.m. I knew this rally would be big so I wanted to arrive at least an hour early. There would just barely be enough time. I hadn't eaten since since 1:00 in the afternoon but I wasn't going to let mere hunger interfere with this chance.

When I pulled off the highway into Clive, a suburb of Des Moines, the parking lot of Competitive Edge was already full. I had to park in the lot of another company in the business park. Competitive Edge printed and embroidered promotional material for companies. Its structure was a huge open warehouse. A plywood black stage was set up in the middle of the cavernous space. Bleachers for the public, a large printed Iowa state flag, and artfully stacked Fruit of the Loom boxes were to the left. Bleachers packed tight with camera stands and photographers to the right.

I was able to stake out territory right at one of the corners of the rope line around the stage. Based on the setup I tried to anticipate where Romney would stand and where he'd go if he ended up venturing into the crowd. My photo op depended on this. After attending these things this for years, I have to admit I'm getting pretty good at it. Perhaps I could be a political tour guide.

I struck up a conversation with a tall man who looked like Tim Pawlenty and was there with his daughter. It turned out he was a former professional golfer who now taught lessons and ran a driving range. He had been to a Rick Santorum event earlier in the day and was supporting Santorum in the caucus. Nevertheless, he and his daughter had the same idea as I did: see as many of the candidates as possible. The three of us strategized that if Romney did indeed come around we'd take lots of pictures and exchange email addresses.

The warehouse steadily filled up. By 8:15 it was getting uncomfortably warm and because I was standing by a sweaty Minnesota high school group the smell wasn't great. I found it quite shocking how many people had flocked to Iowa from outside the state. I think political tourism is becoming a phenomenon. A small one perhaps but a noteworthy one. When you think about it, this is really the only opportunity like it. When else do average Americans have a chance to shake hands with would-be leaders of the free world?

By 8:40, the scheduled start time, the Romney event still hadn't begun. There had been sound checks and the press photographers had been situated in front of the stage but there was no sign of the candidate. The place was packed now and the buzz was palpable. Five, then ten, then fifteen minutes passed. The tension sagged to mild annoyance. All of a sudden there was activity at the far end of the warehouse. In strode a bevy of preppy young men: four of Romney's five sons, a few congressmen, and North Dakota Senator John Thune. They chivalrously passed out poster board signs to the adoring crowd.

After the castle guard made their way down the raised walkway to the center stage, Thune took the microphone. He harshly judged President Obama's performance living up to the promises candidate Obama had made four years ago in Iowa. Then he introduced Romney. Decked in dark, loose jeans and wearing no tie or jacket, Romney looked like he was trying a little too hard to be casual. But he gave a good speech. He opened with a few remarks then handed the microphone off to his wife, Ann.

Ann Romney is immensely likable. Blonde and wearing a steady smile she spoke for less than five minutes and did much to push back against the accusation that Romney is too mechanical. She said when he was on the road working for Bain he would call and tell her she had the more important job--raising five sons. She went on to say that raising five boys could be a challenge because they were always up to something. Now she loves watching her numerous grandchildren misbehave.

Then the microphone went back to Mitt. He gave his focus group tested spiel. Much was familiar but one theme he hammered that I think could gain traction is the question of whether a particular government program is worth borrowing money from China to fund. Big Bird is a great thing he said, but is it worth borrowing money from China for the government to fund? In a Mitt Romney administration, there'd be ads on Sesame Street.

Midway through his speech, Romney was interrupted by Occupiers. One started chanting something about Romney being a corporate shill. Then someone else piped up from the other side of the warehouse. They were almost immediately drowned out by chants of, "Mitt is it, Mitt is it, Mitt is it," Then someone yelled, "Go to work." Romney and the crowd chuckled as Romney calmly swatted away the distraction, "Isn't it great we live in a free country where you can voice your opinions....I hope when Barack Obama comes to down we have people to voice how his policies have been a failure."

After wrapping up the speech, Romney did indeed venture out into the crowd. I was ready when the opportunity presented itself. I shook hands with Romney and quickly asked if I could get a picture. He smiled his assent and I snapped the photo myself. Victory! Three in one day, four for four overall. I had managed to score a photo with Newt on Sunday then ones with Bachmann, Perry, and Romney all on caucus eve. I offer the following simple advice to anyone wishing to get a photo with a candidate:

1.) Arrive to events early, preferably an hour but at least 30 minutes before.

2.) Scope out the area. Try to anticipate where the candidate will enter, speak, and exit.

3.) Get as close to one of these points as possible.

4.) When the event ends, push towards the front. Some people will fall back to exit, this is your chance to gain precious ground.

5.) Strike up conversations with people who work at the establishment where the event is being held. They often have valuable information about the schedule and are only too happy to divulge it. Campaign staff do not like sharing details with the public. The media is hit or miss. Sometimes they're pleasant and other times they're disdainful.

6.) Shake hands with the candidate first. While shaking the candidate's hand ask if you can get a picture. They typically do not mind posing for 2 or 3 seconds.

7.) Have your camera ready. Ideally, have a photo buddy. This is someone who can take your picture while you interact with the candidate. It can be difficult to snap the photo yourself.

Perry in Perry

If an Iowa town shares a candidate's last name, you can bet the candidate will make an appearance there. Rick Perry did exactly that last night at Hotel Pattee in Perry, IA. The event was well-organized and was the first I attended that wasn't just a meet and greet; Perry would actually be speaking. In the hotel lobby, supporters could pick up signs and stickers, before entering a small ballroom.

I found Perry to be a very compelling speaker in person. When he controls the room as opposed to being forced to think on his feet, he does quite well. Perry has an intense, laser-like gaze and really gets into what he is saying. He gesticulates and makes side comments to those up on stage, sometimes even walking over to them and putting his hand on their shoulder.

Perry was joined at the early evening rally by a wide cast of characters. Country artist Larry Gatlin started the festivities, strumming his guitar and working the crowd for 30 minutes before Perry's entourage arrived. Accompanying Perry on stage were two current governors, two congressmen, his lieutenant governor (currently a candidate for U.S. Senate), the Texas comptroller, a war hero, and assorted family members including his wife, Anita.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal introduced Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, who introduced the Texas governor. Perry gave a forceful speech that brought a few in the audience to tears. He started off with boilerplate rhetoric he has used throughout the campaign: make congress part-time, balance the budget, cut regulations, offer an optional flat tax. Then Perry transitioned to taking care of veterans and told two dramatic war stories.

The first story Perry told was that of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell who fought off hundreds of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan and won the Navy Cross. Perry ended the story with, "And he's here with us..." introducing the bearded man on stage as Luttrell. The second story was about a veteran with extensive burns who was brought to a Texas hospital that Perry got to know personally. He also was in attendance and introduced on stage by Perry.

Perry ended the speech by likening himself to the prophet Isaiah. He insisted the election wasn't about him, but that he'd been thinking about what Isaiah had said to God, "Here I am. Send Me." After the speech, Perry didn't spend much time gladhanding the crowd. He shook hands with a few people standing directly in front of the stage (myself included).

When I shook his hand I asked him if I could get a photo. Perry agreed so I thrust my iphone into the hands of the nearest person, who turned out to be a member of the candidate's security detail. Apparently, they aren't supposed to take photos because when I handed him my phone he acted coldly as if he were breaking protocol but Perry said, "Go ahead, it's ok." With the governor's permission, the man snapped a photo and I thanked them both profusely before rushing on to the rally for Mitt Romney 40 minutes away in Clive, IA.

Bachmann in West Des Moines

Michele Bachmann made a handful of stops early this afternoon in Valley Junction, a historic shopping district in West Des Moines. I saw her exit her campaign bus in front of Paula's Maid Rite Restaurant and had a chance to meet her outside of Diggity Dog, a local pet supply boutique. After those two stops, Bachmann was going to visit a floral shop, a gift shop, and then hold a media availability in front of her campaign bus.

Bachmann was scheduled to arrive at Paula's at 1:00 in the afternoon, but when I got there 30 minutes early, the restaurant was so packed it was impossible to enter. There was a small cluster of people halfway up the block in front of Diggity Dog. What looked to be the owner was standing outside the store telling two members of the press Bachmann's campaign had called that morning to say she'd be stopping by.

Liking my chances better of meeting the candidate better at that location, I staked out a spot in front of the store. About fifteen minutes later, Bachmann's bus rolled down Elm Street and pulled up in front of Paula's. I ran down the block to snap of few photos of her leaving the bus with her husband, Marcus, and entering the restaurant then hurried back to Diggity Dog to reclaim my piece of sidewalk.

Another fifteen minutes later, Bachmann and a gaggle of perhaps twenty reporters and cameramen made their way up the block and across the street to Diggity Dog. A city bus was momentarily blocked from passing by the flood of people and the driver angrily honked in an effort to get the crowd to move out of the way. Bachmann was animated and personable when she got to the people waiting outside of the store. As she shook hands, she asked each person's name and where they were from and thanked them for being there. I asked if I could get a photo and Bachmann happily obliged as she asked me the same two questions.

Newt in Ames

My first political event in Iowa was a campaign stop by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista. The place: West Side Towne Pub in Ames. I arrived at about 11:30 for an event scheduled to start at noon. The place was full enough that I couldn't get a table but not yet packed. Most people were there clearly for the event, many of them media, and just stood by without ordering food. A few unfortunate Iowans had come to the sports bar thinking they'd spend a low-key afternoon watching the last week of NFL football; little did they know...

By noon, it was packed. I'd estimate one-third were national reporters and photographers and the rest actual Iowans. I struck up a conversation with an older lady waiting to get her Newt-authored book signed and her husband. They were undecided between caucusing for Gingrich or Romney. She said those two were the only that could go toe-to-toe with Obama in the debates, a reasonable assessment. Nearby, I heard an Iowan comment on the caucus, "We may not always pick the president but we narrow it down to the final three."

No one really knew what to expect inside the restaurant, Newt's bus pulled in shortly after noon and a cheer went up. When the candidate didn't enter the establishment's main entrance after a few minutes the media finally caught on to the fact that Newt had gone in through the kitchen. There was a scramble to the back of the bar where I was able to catch a glimpse of Newt behind FoxNews lighting doing a live Sunday morning news interview with Callista looking on. It was odd to hear Newt giving the interview in person as well on the TVs in the bar on a 10 second delay.

After the interview Newt left through the kitchen and the media people started to groan that they weren't going to get any coverage of him interacting with voters. Luckily, within a few minutes Gingrich strode through the bar's main doors and slowly made his way through the crowd. He patiently took the time to shake hands and pose for photos with everyone who wanted to meet him.

The national media were out in force. Among other national names, I saw NBC's David Gregory (he's super tall in person!), TIME's Mark Helprin, and FoxNews' Brett Baier. From my brief 10 seconds meeting Newt and Callista I found them both to be gracious and kind. Callista shook hands and thanked me for being there. Newt shook hands, and then unknowingly shook my hand once more a minute later in the thick of the crowd.

Newt seemed to be on autopilot but I still appreciated his humbleness. I do get the sense that he has changed from the bitter partisan he once was, but that old personality reappears in flashes. When the national media tried to corner him on just how well he had to do in Iowa to beat expectations (a strange premise for a question to be sure given that whatever he answered would set expectations), he gave the icy answer, "Look at all the people here, I think we'll be just fine."

Dubuque

Nestled between gentle (as opposed to jagged) cliffs and the rushing Mississippi River, I found Dubuque, IA to actually be quite stunning. I didn't anticipate that being the case; Dubuque is not the first place that comes to mind when one hears the word "picturesque." But it is!

I pulled off the highway and visited the city's ghostly downtown first for a late bite of lunch around 2:00 Saturday afternoon. The streets were bereft of people except for a few be-mulleted (as in they had mullets) industrial workers sucking cigarettes outside the corner bar. Some of the shops and eateries looked quaint, however, all but two or three had been closed in anticipation of the New Year.

I ended up at Jitterz Coffee & Cafe on Main Street. After a smoothie and an argument with the GPS lady (she didn't seem to understand one street went over another meaning I couldn't turn onto it), I parked my car by the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and headed for the Port of Dubuque Riverwalk, a half-mile paved pathway dotted with public art, a casino, a convention center and a brewery-turned-wine-bar.

You can't help but be impressed by the Mississippi River. It's incredible to think of the amount of water rushing between the banks and the distance it travels. Each molecule journeys all the way from the Canadian snows to the Gulf of Mexico. Of course that's just one small leg of its perpetual, inter-matter adventure.

Three lofty bridges span the River within view. Two for cars and one for trains. Apparently the River had long ago been deepened at this juncture due to the farmers' fear of the railroads gaining a monopoly on the transport of grain unless large barges were able to pass through. The project was funded by the federal government. That seems like reasonable use of federal funds. Multiple states on both sides, up and down the Mississippi benefited as did consumers of grain and all the food products it makes possible. Centralized government was able to step in and solve the collective action problem. Negotiating that complex of an arrangement between so many parties would have been nearly impossible in the open market. I am not a libertarian. I will not be supporting Ron Paul.

Along the river, I saw a bald eagle (see photo of distant bird)! It's a rare sight. That was always something that made me proud of Wisconsin: the national bird resided in our state. As apparently it does in Iowa as well.

The Riverwalk is short but the forceful winds make it feel longer. Following the arduous half-mile trek in the howling winds I figured I had no choice but to take shelter at the wine bar, Stone Cliff Winery. Warmed by a glass of cabernet, I visited the final landmark along the banks: the Shot Tower. The 120 foot tall Shot Tower was built in 1853 for the manufacture of lead shot by the U.S. Army. Bullets for muskets were made by pouring molten lead down the center of structure through fans that chopped it up into tiny droplets that plinked into vats of icy water.

The Drive Begins

Left at just after 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 31. It was an inauspicious enough beginning. Within less than two miles I had to pull over to unhook the ipod cable from beneath the passenger's seat before I could connect my music.

Wisconsin was unseasonably warm. Iowa is too, but the arctic winds here compensate for the higher temperature and still manage to create an uncomfortable, barren wintery environ. Barren and boring. Iowa is not the most exciting place. Perhaps just because it's so similar to Wisconsin. It's a lot of roads with places to go few and far between.

What I remember most about driving is the fog. Thick, wet fog from Madison to Platteville. Thankfully the roads were nearly empty. The fog and the rugged, glacially-untouched Southwestern Wisconsin terrain gave a fantasy novel vibe to the drive. My sweartshirt my traveling clock, my gray Camry my noble steed.

After an enjoyable stopover in stunning Dubuque, IA (no joke!), I continued on to Des Moines. Although the drive was long, the roads were open and at dusk the cold, cloudy sky above the cornfields aired an incredible pink and purple and gold and gray sunset.