Not a huge crowd, but I suspect the weather had something to do with it. I'll post or link to additional images/movies Again, I remind folks that I'm registered Independent, and am not endorsing any kind of national candidate.
I'm always just glad to see politicians in Davenport that don't pose with cornstalks or hay bales.
Updated: None of my pictures turned out well, but fortunately Pioneer98 was there as well and took some much better ones. They can be found here.
One thing that I have to hand to the Obama supporters, is that they're the only folks to come to my door trying to get me to caucus for their candidate. They also came around during the three worst storms we've had this winter, including Friday's snowstorm. Of course, I had to explain to them that while caucusing does sound interesting, I'm not willing to register a party affiliation. The last guy was really insistent, making me wish I'd just told him I was a hardcore Republican to be rid of him.
14 comments:
Come see Joe Biden on New Years Day
7pm @ 901 Tremont Avenue .. Big Mississippi Mansion
He is a super speaker
Obama is getting beat up very heavily over on the CNN political ticker for his elect me now or lose me forever speech.
Personally, I hadn't even heard that Edwards was coming to Davenport last night until someone told me at the Obama event. I originally didn't think I'd be able to go to the RiverCenter, but because he was so late I was able to attend. If I'd known about the later Edwards event I may have planned to go to that one instead.
Conservative Demo here:
Anybody other than me totally politicked out by now?
I definitely am. I just kind of wanted to see Obama speak in person, in case he doesn't come back this way again. It'll be a nice break in political ads from the 3rd until whenever the candidates are finalized and we start getting bombarded with general election ads.
QCI - I would have pegged you as a Republican. However, your support of public funds for just about everything would support you as a Dem.
Woops. They moved the event.
Come see Joe Biden on New Years Day
7pm @ The Raddison downtown Davenport.
Even if you are sick of the caucus, you should go.
He dose not give:
Rah Rah Vote for ME! Sound-Byte Pep Rallies.
He simply talks. He has been a senator for 35 years he is head of the senate foreign relations committee and simply knows more than most anyone about the way the world goes round. Its fascinating to hear him speak.
Or just come to see how the Iowa caucus is SUPPOSED to work. A war of Ideas. Not $$$.
Maybe if this is what the caucus was really like we wouldn't be so sick of it by now.
Anyways. check out this link. Notice the date. And listen to him speak.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9ZyZCsRJyM
This is the same guy that warned of a terrorist attack coming in the belly of a commercial plane from the senate floor on September 10, 2001
I'll get off my soap box now.
JJ
Unless you are concerned with your party affiliation because you may decide to run for office someday, you should go to the caucus. Heck, my parents have caucused for both Democrats and Republicans over the years. Pick a candidate you like and go. There are plenty of good candidates on both sides. Its a unique opportunity we have in Iowa to select the next president.
I agree with pioneer98.
I used to be registered Independent. Then I realized that my vote often mattered more in the primaries and caucuses than it did in the general elections and by staying registered as an Independent, I was missing out on that action. I've since changed my party affiliation a few times so that I could make my voice heard in various primaries and caucuses. Because I've found candidates I like in both parties, and want to do anything I can to help them help our county/state/country. I often vote for a mix of candidates in the general election, too. You can register for one party and still vote for candidates in other parties, you know.
I'm very sad I won't be able to participate in the caucuses this year, as the last two go-arounds were really powerful experiences. My excuse, however, is that I'm now living in another state (and haven't even been back to visit Iowa since 2005). Saddest of all, it's a state where my vote probably won't even matter in 2008.
Your vote matters, though, QCI. So if there' s a candidate you like in either party, go caucus!
You can register for one party and still vote for candidates in other parties, you know.
To clarify, I was talking about the general election with this comment. You obviously can't vote in one party's primary or caucus for a candidate from a different party (at least not realistically).
As an Independent voter, and as someone who has never caucused or voted in a primary, there's no way I'm going to wait until the general election to be part of the process this time around. It's the first open election since 1952, and I'm definitely going to be where I'm supposed to be this Thursday night and be part of the caucus process.
Too me, all the campaigning & the stumping is exciting... there are allot worse things that can happen; irrelevancy, one-candidate elections, politics by force.
Thursday night, I'll be declaring a party affiliation for the first time ever, and if the candidate that I caucus for ends up not getting the nomination, then so be it… but I’m not waiting until November to cast a vote.
I didn't have an Obama person try to talk to me, but did have an Edwards campaigner show up at my door about a month ago. I had already decided to caucus for him by then, but did have a discussion with the young man for about 20 minutes on all kinds of issues. It was interesting. I also went to see Edwards at the Putnam on Friday and enjoyed it. I wanted to go see a few of the other candidates this year as well, but it always seemed that when they were in town, I had other committments I could not get out of. I'm getting a little burned out on the phone calls and commercials, but consider myself lucky to live in Iowa, where we get an opportunity to see any candidate we choose during the course of the campaign.
I am sorry you are letting your stand as an independent stop you from attending the caucus. Do you know that you can register at the door and than change right back to an independent. Surely after all this time you have a candidate you favor. What difference does it make what party they are affiliated with? I have been to both Republican and Democratic caucuses. I look at a candidate rather than a party.
I've used this quote before, but it definitely sums up how I feel about the current system.
"The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty."
-George Washington
Why can't each person run as their own person, build their own "organization" that agrees with their views, and run on their name and their platform. I guess I believe in political parties, but only if there are 310,000,000 of them.
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