Looking Back

I don’t know what to say. Three days, 10 hours of sleep, six towns and countless interviews later, TMN Politics is packing up and heading home to Missouri.

We’ve seen all the candidates, witnessed them in moments of humility and defeat, as well as victory. We’ve seen them at a human level and in times of staged theatrics. We’ve stood in the throng of the press, chased down interviews and eaten more fast food than any human being should be asked to consume.

And what did we gain? Other than the blisters and the bruises and the loss of dignity, as we ran alongside campaign buses in high heels?

We gained insight into one of the most unexplainable political phenomena in the world: the fact that every four years, eyes turn to one Midwestern state that will influence a national decision that impacts billions of people around the globe. For three days, the Iowa caucuses outshine all other news including war, famine and crime.

We gained firsthand experience in observing political candidates, their moments of spectacle and meekness. Rick Santorum seeking out a young girl who fainted to give her an autograph was an incredibly human act. Mitt Romney’s intricately staged campaign events were planned exhibitions that reflected his character. Michele Bachmann’s malt order softened her professional exterior.

We gained experience in our craft. We bumped elbows with photographers and beat out national press for interviews. We learned to stand our ground and find an interesting angle. Instead of pressing to the front of the crowd, we often rushed to the back, seeking out those in moments of conflict, such as the occupiers and Ron Paul supporters forcibly removed from Mitt Romney events.

But mostly, we gained confidence: confidence in ourselves as journalists and our fellow Americans as voters. Iowans are incredibly motivated and competent and educated. Their enthusiasm for the caucuses is at once intimidating and inspiring.

As professional journalists prepare for the next onslaught of theatrics in New Hampshire, we will take what we gained here in Iowa and carry it with us into the upcoming election. For now, we’ll be following the political horse race from afar.

KanhemaPhoto.com

Photo essay by Tawanda Kanhema. Look for more at kanhemaphoto.com.

Mitt Romney's wife, Ann Romney at a campaign event in Marion, Iowa. 

One of Michele Bachmann's campaign team members waits for her arrival for an event in Des Moines, Iowa.

Michele Bachmann addresses supporters at her campaign headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa. 

Newt Gingrich's wife, Callista Gingrich looks at a mascot from her new children's book at a campaign event. 

Branding himself as "Republican, Businessman, Leader" Mitt Romney tells supporters, "We will win this thing" in Marion, Iowa.

Republican candidate Ron Paul addresses supporters in Kirkwood, Iowa. 

A man listens to Ron Paul speak. Paul's events were dominated by young voters. 

A girl holds up a yard sign at Ron Paul's campaign event in Kirkwood, Iowa, on the last day of campaigns. 

Newt Gingrich speaks to supporters in Walford, Iowa.

One Last Campaign Stop: A Photo Essay

Press was mostly exiled to certain zones of this Mitt Romeny event, unlike some of the other events of that we attended yesterday. Security gaurds roamed the crowds before, during, and after the event. This combined wit hthe press wrangling crease a more professional and less intimate feeling.

South Dakota Senator John Thune (R) has been assisting Romney in Iowa and introduced him at last night's event. Thune endorsed Romney in late November. 

 

Romney invited his wife Ann and four of his five sons onto stage. After Ann Romney interacted with the crowd, Mitt Romney went on to cover economic issues and how to decrease government spending. Romney said that is a program was not worth funding for unless the government was willing to borrow money from China to fund it. The event was briefly interrupted by Occupy protestors but Romney supporters began chanting to drown out the other voices. 

 

Romney took time after the event to circle the stage and shake hands and sign posters and other memorabilia. Supports rushed to the front to try and get close to Romney as the press surrounded both Romney and his supporters. 

One section of the crowd was filled with enthusiastic young people who awaited handshakes and autographs. Romney posed in many group photos with these exciting young supporters. The Romney family also made the rounds shaking hands and speaking with supporters around the stage and warehouse. 




All photos taken by Carrie Nelson

A Timeline in a Typical Truman Media Network Students Iowa Caucus Day Part 3

Yesterday was a long day for the media team I had the pleasure of tagging along with. Dubbed "Team C" we were assigned to go to events in the eastern part of Iowa, places like Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and others. We saw four rather distinct events in our 302 mile journey around Iowa.

After Ron Paul we left to go see Mitt Romney at Pate Asphalt in Marion, Iowa. The event was expertly ran, as after we had just finished setting up and helping one of our team members do her first stand up, the crowd went wild because Mitt Romney and his gang had come out of the door and was ready to please. The gentleman who owns Pate Asphalt introduced Senator John Thune of South Dakota, and he then after Senator Thune gave his spiel he introduced Romney to the already knowing audience. Mitt Romney started off in a light and casual manner, trying to imitate the idea of the blue-collar worker (like Gingrich did, and Ron Paul didn’t). He addressed the issue of family instantly, talking about his wife, five children, and 16 grandchildren. He then moved on to what he would do if he were to get elected to office, stating that his day 1 task is to repel Obamacare. It was easily one of the quickest events of the day, where we spent more time waiting for him to come out of the doors than it took for him to talk.

Mitt Romney finished promptly, which allowed us to move onto something we hadn’t seen all day, food. We ran quickly to grab a bite so we could move back from the east side of Iowa to the west side. After we ate like champs, we then hopped back in the van and went to Urbandale, Iowa, where Michele Bachmann was finishing up an event on Sean Hannity and coming back to her campaign headquarters where she was going to address all her volunteers and thank them for their work. Before Michele got to the office we were allowed to interview Eric Woolson (Iowa Campaign Manager) where he talked about moving from working in the newspaper business to helping Michele Bachmann potentially win today’s Caucus. The address from Michele was brief, as it was outside and bitterly cold, but her supporters showed lots of positive upbeat-ness and were clearly having a good time.

That was the end of Day 1 for Team C from Truman Media Network in Iowa! Let us see what today holds.

A Timeline in a Typical Truman Media Network Students Iowa Caucus Day Part 2

Yesterday was a long day for the media team I had the pleasure of tagging along with. Dubbed "Team C" we were assigned to go to events in the eastern part of Iowa, places like Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and others. We saw four rather distinct events in our 302 mile journey around Iowa.

We entered The Hotel at Kirkwood Center to listen to Ron Paul address an eager and young crowd. Orderly and on time, Ron Paul stepped onto the platform with his son and the hotel’s manager a few minutes after 2:30 (event start time). Rand Paul received an introduction from the hotel’s manager, and a standing ovation from the audience. Rand Paul moved through his words quickly, being sure to address that his father has the support of not just young enthusiastic people, but also of active duty military personal and veterans, proving that his anti-war stance is popular. Ron Paul then stepped up and took the microphone from his senator son and addressed the audience. Being interrupted frequently by an energetic crowd, Representative Paul really lit a fire in the hearts of these potential voters making them eager to show up today and caucus for him by reminding them that he was there to make war something more like our days in the early years of the country, not the long drawn out wait we do now. He also was sure to mention that he would balance the budget by slashing more out than any other candidate dares to propose. The standing ovations were endless for the Texas representative, leading to a swarm of people around him when he left the stage.

Campaign Stops Vary in Substance

Michele Bachmann favored style over substance in a number of campaign stops in local neighborhood eateries. Bachmann’s campaign mainly focused on shaking the hands of local caucus goers. Several of the more prominent caucus goers, such as ambassadors or local leaders, were pointed out specifically by her handler. Bachmann quickly moved from one venue to the next, taking time to shake hands and order some food but not much else. The event felt like more of a last ditch effort to make any impression possible on voters than a full-fledged campaign event. Most caucus goers at the event, as the gentleman pictured above, seemed to be undecided and were still ‘shopping around’.

Before visiting Rick Santorum’s next campaign stop we had the chance to stop on the set of “Hardball” with Chris Matthews, where we met a Truman alumnus, who was showing his support for the Iowa caucus’s first in the nation status. Next we traveled to a “Pizza Ranch” where Rick Santorum came for a meet and greet. Santorum gave a short yet spirited speech for the multitude of news crews assembled at the event, and another speech to caucus goers in the restaurant. In juxtaposition to Bachmann’s event, Santorum’s seemed much more enthusiastic and was more than just shaking hands of potential voters. Santorum inspired the crowd and hoped to woo many of the undecided voters. There were several dedicated Santorum caucus goers as well as a few undecided Iowans in the crowd. The event had much more substance than Bachmann’s event.

Mitt Romney’s final campaign stop of the evening, and before the Iowa caucus, was well organized and most highly attended. Romney introduced himself and his family, but handed the microphone to his wife to have her begin the speech before he took over. The crowd was highly energized, cheering and waving signs at key points of Romney’s stump speech. Still, many of the caucus goers remained undecided, while others intended to caucus for Romney.

A Timeline in a Typical Truman Media Network Students Iowa Caucus Day Part 1

Yesterday was a long day for the media team I had the pleasure of tagging along with. Dubbed "Team C" we were assigned to go to events in the eastern part of Iowa, places like Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and others. We saw four rather distinct events in our 302 mile journey around Iowa.



We started by going to Newt Gingrich's rally in Walford, Iowa, where he was speaking at an event in Schrader Excavating & Grading. Inside of the event, we were able to see through large windows on huge garage doors his bus pull up. We were surprised to find out that they were planning on driving the bus into the building, so that Newt could use it for a backdrop! After it was expertly reversed behind the former Speaker's podium for the day, to the tune of "Eye of the Tiger" no less, Newt Gingrich emerged from his bus with his wife right behind. Instantly he approached the podium where he started to address the audience, and quickly brought them up to a fire of fury hitting major points about Obama's failure, his own personal experience, and, of course, relating himself to Ronald Reagan. Through his speech he talked about how he had the know-how to run this country like a well oiled machine, to which the audience seemed to agree. Towards the end of the speech, he was sure to mention that his book was on sale behind the audience at a table and that they should pick it up and read it, as well as buy his wife's newly published children's book "Sweet Land of Liberty". He finished the event by signing books and posters of himself for the attentive audience after answering a few questions.

That concluded our time with the former Speaker, and we quickly ran out to the van (to avoid the cold) and left to go see Representative Ron Paul give a speech in Cedar Rapids

Jobs, Debt and the War Dominate Iowa Caucus

As the "invisible primary" winds down in rural Iowa, candidates for the Republican Party's presidential nomination battle to get the most out of this conservative state, writes US journalist and Truman State University student Tawanda Kanhema.

Photo by Tawanda Kanhema

Read more

Romney Confident in Last Rally Before Iowa Caucuses

Mitt Romney greeted a large crowd of approximately 250 people at a warehouse in Clive, Iowa. Warming up the crowd was South Dakota Senator John Thune, who received cheers for promoting Romney as the person to "take us in a new direction."

Romney, wearing the usual checkered shirt and jeans for his Iowa rallies, introduced his family to the large crowd. After the cheers died down, Romney dived right into his speech, attacking Obama for his healthcare plan (even using the term "Obamacare,") and for killing American jobs, while simultaneously promoting his experience as a job creator.

Romney in particular used some lines from "American the Beautiful" to illustrate his points from the "shining city on the hill" to thanking veterans for their sacrifice.

Midway through the rally, a few dissidents expressed their frustration with the war and the "war on the poor." Some audience members replied with the phrase "get a job!" but Romney kept smiling. After the outbursts died down, Romney exclaimed that it was great to be in a country that allowed people to express their beliefs and urged his supporters to do the same thing at Obama rallies. After working the crowd up with his speech, he walked around the edge of the platform, shaking hands and signing autographs.

Romney, Paul and Santorum are virtually in a dead heat for Iowa. With a very likely victory in New Hampshire, Romney could very well dominate if he wins Iowa.

Perry's Last Stop

Rick Perry ended his final day campaigning before the Iowa caucuses in Dallas. In particular, Dallas county. In particular, the town of Perry in Dallas county. In the Pattee Hotel in Perry, Perry urged his supporters to push hard in the final hours to gather additional votes for the Iowa Caucuses. Supporting Perry were governors Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Sam Brownback of Kansas as well as country music singer Larry Gatlin and two veterans. Representative Sam Graves from Missouri was also present.

Perry touted his support of the repeal of Obamacare and saying that, as President, he will not apologize for America. Perry did not focus all of his attacks at the Obama administration, however. Perry also subtly attacked his rivals, claiming to be the only truly consistent conservative. Perry said that the voters should not have to settle for anyone just because they are "electable," but instead vote for whomever is closest to their beliefs.

The crowd mostly consisted of older religious voters, determined via sight and by taking note of the multitude of voters who sang along with some religious hymns Gatlin played. The mix of "Amens" and "Damn rights" show that the audience was very passionate about the issues.

With Perry polling in the low double-digits in Iowa, he may very well need a miracle to pull out a much-sought-after top-three finish.

Do differences between campaign events have effects?

We rolled up to The Hotel at Kirkwood Center about 15 minutes after leaving Newt Gingrich behind in Walford, Iowa. Ron Paul was holding an event in Cedar Rapids and we wanted to be sure to hit it. What we noticed from experiencing both events was something unusual, they both had opposite environments about them that left an impact on me.

Gingrich’s tour bus pulled up to the Schrader Excavating & Grading site about 35 minutes late, and then it did not even make its way inside until another 10 minutes later. The event progressed on and on, finally ending with Gingrich taking questions. The place that the event took place was your typical excavating warehouse type place, being poorly lit, horrible for sound, and unheated. As well, after Gingrich got off his bus, he approached the microphone right away without an introduction, with his wife standing to his left and the bus behind his back. He then sat down at a table with his wife still dutifully to his left and Ellis the Elephant (a character from his wife’s book) in mascot form on his right. As well the majority of Gingrich’s audience seemed to be people either in their retirement age or nearing it.

Ron Paul’s event could not be more opposite. From outside appearance and no prior knowledge at all, The Hotel at Kirkwood Center comes off as a very upper end hotel aimed at people willing to spend a bit of money. The space that Ron Paul held his event was, in contrast to Gingrich, very open and bright. While Gingrich was going for the appeal towards the blue-collar worker, Ron Paul was going for a more upbeat atmosphere. Ron Paul also had an introduction from his speech, in the form of the Senator Rand Paul (his son). Rand Paul was also able to talk about things for his father that Ron Paul might not have been able to say about himself. The best example of this was Senator Paul addressing the vast amount of support that Representative Paul was getting from active duty troops. This allowed Ron Paul to show off the kind of support he was getting while not coming off as egotistical. The last major point of his event that struck me was how orderly it was, the event was to start at 2:30, and Representative Paul walked into the room at 2:33, and (while not rushing) he ended his speech appropriately and thanked everyone for coming out. As he left the stage he was instantly swarmed, but managed to keep moving through the room quickly while not hurried.

One of the most interesting differences though was the crowd. Ron Paul’s crowd was absolutely enthusiastic, giving him standing ovations whenever he would address one of his hot topics (like cutting the department of education or slashing the budget). We attributed this to the fact that the majority of his crowd was younger individuals, mostly looking 40 and younger.

What do you all think about the differences? Be sure to let us know!

You Can Never Have Too Much Malt: Our First Media Frenzy

By: Carrie Nelson

Our first stop of the day took us to a block in West Des Moines where Michelle Bachmann made three stops. We caught up with her Paula's Diner which was packed with a variety of people. As the media snapped photos and set up equipment, locals and travelers alike enjoyed lunch, while wait staff whistled over the noise to deliver orders. While the ratio of media staff to residents was highly skewed in the media's favor, people are still supporting Bachmann.

As we shuffled our way to the front of the media frenzy we managed to get a prime spot behind the lunch counter. Bachmann greeted the crowded diners and even stopped to take a few pictures, all the way reminding people to post these to Facebook. Bachmann and husband Marcus stayed for just enough time to order a chocolate milkshake with three extra portions of malt (according to Bachmann, you can never have enough malt) and two orders of cheese fries. 

After her brief stop and food to go Bachmann walked across the street to Diggity Dog , a pet supply store. The crowd from Paula's Diner filed into the street causing the delay of a local bus.  There are people lining up to meet Bachman even though her numbers are shrinking in the polls. 

Candidate Narrative Research

By: Catherine Jones

As a student researcher member of the team, I have the unique experience to speak with the audience of voters.  As an extension of our fall class, my research partner and I are evaluating candidate campaign narratives.  We have studied the GOP debates, candidate ads and campaign websites in order to determine the campaign messages for each candidate. In hopes of finding message penetration, we have been asking voters questions like “Which candidate do you support as the GOP nominee for 2012? What have they said to gain your support?” and “who are you sure not to support? And why?”  We are looking to see if the reasons voters support candidates align with the candidate campaign messages. 

So, what have we found so far?  The Iowans are very friendly people that are willing to talk.  They’ve been more than happy to answer my research questions, and often spent 5-10 minutes talking to me and asking me about school afterwards.  As far as their political enthusiasm goes, the Newt supporters were far less enthused than the Paul supporters.  Many voters in attendance at the Newt event were still undecided and some admitted to going simply to just to observe, because they had already chosen to support another candidate.  It is still too early for me to draw any conclusions about my research, but we are headed to a Romney event and Bachman event today that will allow me to collect more data.  I am excited to speak with more voters and learn what the Iowans have to teach me. 

Rick Santorum Ropes in Supporters at Pizza Ranch

This afternoon we had the opportunity to see Rick Santorum speak at Pizza Ranch, a Boone, Iowa, restaurant.

Throughout our time at the event, I spoke with several Iowans. While their personal opinions about the issues varied, there was one common theme: Rick Santorum is a nice guy.

Rick Santorum speaks to supporters at Pizza Ranch.

This was most apparent when a teenage girl in the audience became overheated and almost fainted. She was carried out of the crowded room and paramedics were called.

A campaign staffer came into the room, where another TMN staffer and I were sitting with the girl. He insisted the room be closed. Mr. Santorum, he said, would be crushed to hear a girl who wanted to ask him a question was denied because she was sick.

Minutes later, Santorum rushed in. A more sincere apology could not be imagined. We handed over paper, and he autographed it for her after answering her question concerning education.

Although politicians are often vilified, the grassroots experience here in Iowa is reminiscent of what so many Americans wish politics to be: ordinary people working to help the country they love.

Iowa Caucuses: A Family Affair

This morning’s Ron Paul event was packed. So packed, in fact, that an air wall had to be removed to accommodate the crowd.

Whilst waiting for the wall to be assembled, I had the opportunity to speak with a family from Earlham, Iowa. Sherri Wisecup and her daughter, Emily, were caucusing together for the first time. For Emily, an eighteen year old high school senior, this was her first opportunity to vote. For Sherri, it was this fact that led her to participate in her first caucus.

Emily and Sherri Wisecup wait to see Representative Ron Paul.

Emily was particularly excited by Ron Paul’s emphasis on personal responsibility, his deficit reduction plan, and his consistent conservatism.

Representative Ron Paul addresses a crowd in downtown Des Moines, Iowa.

Next year, Emily plans to attend Iowa State University, a public school, which worried her about Paul’s position on government-funded education; but she said she would like to see student loans distributed through banks, not the government.

Caucuses are truly family affairs. One group had five kids dressed in Ron Paul sweatshirts at the event. Parent chaperones led school trips from out-of-state. The Wisecups felt a sense of responsibility as Iowans to participate, a responsibility they took quite seriously. Emily’s parents indicated the fact that they wanted her to become well-informed, while not influencing her decision.

These crowds of Iowans are well-informed, political savvy and eager to participate. In a time when politics are increasingly partisan, the Iowa Caucuses are still working to bring people together.

The Bus Stops Here

This morning, 19 Truman State University students and faculty members met in the Barnett Hall parking lot in anxious anticipation of an adventure to kick off the new year. 150 miles north in Des Moines, Iowa, the 2012 Republican Presidential Caucuses awaited.

Many of us participated in a special topics course, Politics in the Media: 2012, during the fall semester where we learned about campaign finance, caucus and primary procedures, and more. Excited to gain field experience after a semester of classroom learning, we toured the Iowa Events Center. Although most major news stations were not yet set up, it was exciting to see the area up close before we hit the campaign trail tomorrow. Here are a few photos of the Events Center. Although the Center is mostly empty it will soon be a bustling hub of media activity.

Main stage in the convention center where journalists will gather to work during the day.

Scaffolding for broadcast news teams (including Truman Media Network).

Bloggers work behind the scenes recording their own observations.

Check back later for updates as we travel around Iowa to various campaign events. Also follow our Twitter at @TMNPolitics for a live feed of information.