OVER HERE - IS THIS HEAVEN? NO, IT'S IOWA
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at 03:07PM Iowa presents the first political challenges to the candidates for the American presidency. The main challenge of course is finding a decent Italian restaurant in the capital Des Moines, but that is their problem. As a people, we Yanks have the challenge of understanding what it all means, and the problem of how one of our smaller states effects the presidential race.
Iowa was named for the Ioway Native American locals. The capital Des Moines ("River of the Monks") gets its name from the first (and last?) European visitors, the French. It is known as the Hawkeye State, joined the union in 1846, its sons fought on the side of the Federals in the American Civil War, and the chief business is agriculture (hogs, corn etc). It went for Bill Clinton twice, Gore once and George W in 2004. It has provided us with a slew of interesting characters: Donna Reed, Buffalo Bill, Herbert Hoover, Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, Glenn Miller and noted thespian Ashton Kutcher. The present population is just under three million souls. The movie Field of Dreams was set there, with the haunting line for all Iowans - If You Build It, He Will Come. Folks in Iowa built their state's caucus system, and the candidates duly come (down Colm).
In our 24 hour news cycle, and frantic media overreading of the tea leaves, the Iowa results are big news. The first test as they say. But should it be big news? New Hampshire holds the first real primary, and the bigger states weigh in later. Do we really want the eventual lineup to be effected this greatly by a few folks in John Deere caps and bodies-by-Burger King? I kid of course regarding the natives, no better or worse than the rest of us damn Yanks, but should such a disproportionate hand be dealt to Iowa? And shouldn't the results be seen for what they are: unduly emphasized.
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Reader Comments (63)
If Iowa goes to Huckabee, I totally agree, no disproportionate attention should given to this little out-of-the-way state. But if should swing to my man Romney...well.. Iowans are wisdom incarnate, and the rest of America should pay attention. ;)
the results in Iowa mean nothing. In this the longest presidential campaign cycle in history it is nothing but the first stop to provide numbers to all the pundits on each side to tell us why they are right and everyone else is wrong....
Just the fact that Huckabee could win it on the one side proves the actual caucus is worthless
So tell me Mahons what os the party line on your side does anyone really believe Obama can unseat Hillary?
On my side it's still a coin toss between Mitt and Rudy
Patty: LOL. You could make a great spinmaster (or is it spinmistress?)
Troll: I suspect that Obama will cause her more grief than she anticipated, but the Clinton machine and Obama's empty shell will defeat him in the end.
I like to think of Iowa and New Hampshire as retail windows on a wholesale process. Boutique marketing, face-to-face with real Americans. Focus Groups: that's the marketing phrase I'm looking for. Also, Patty is quite right: They are irrelevant (unless my guy/gal wins).
Alan: I suppose I enjoy the thought of forcing our politicians to trudge through New Hampshire snows and Iowa cornfields in terms of seeking votes, my only concern is it might knock out some otherwise viable candidates before the rest of us get a chance.
It seems to me that Iowa and New Hampshire are more important this time than in recent years because (a) no incumbent is running and (b) the whole primary process has been bunched up in the early months of 2008. So, early "momentum" counts more than usual. I think this is a awful for American politics because the ability to turn around a campaign over the months of the primaries is a good test, but that possibility will hardly exist this year.
I also think it's worse for Republicans than Democrats because there are so many candidates who all seem to be equally flawed and no candidate has the time to really build a winning campaign heading into November. All we'll get is a quick sprint to the nomination and then months of the chosen Republican being chopped to bits. I think it would suit the Republicans better to have their candidate selected at the convention.
Oh, and Mahons, you left of Iowan journalist/author Bill Bryson, who is pretty well known over here. He's from Des Moines.
Also, was Madison County filmed there? I can't remember now; never saw it anyway.
its a 3 person Race Clinton. Romney, or Guiliani the only thing too be decided is who Clinton is going to run against
The American presidential election? What, the one that the media have been boring the pants off us with for what seems like FIVE YEARS, trying to convince us it's of some small importance?
I thought it was all over, and that Wotsisname had won. That Republican chappie—or is he a Democrat?
What say you? It isn't over yet? Yawwwwwnnnnnn.
your right Dawkins it's irrelivant whether the US shifts to a communist system while pulling all it's troops home allowing the rest of the world to be over run while we self destruct economicly here at home.
At least it will be a hell of a show
Eagle: I offered a few names of representative rather than definitive Iowans. Else I would have included Tom Arnold.
Good points incidently. The Bridges of Madison County was in fact set in Iowa. Perhaps so many of them are coverd to prevent the locals from jumping off of them to escape the long months of the campaign.
Now now, Troll, me was only joshing.
But I do believe you're serious :0)
sadly I am....
I believe the election of Hillary Clinton means just that...
Troll: I could believe someone can make an argument that Hillary Clinton's election would be a disaster, economically, militarily and politically. I don't agree, but it surely isn't beyond reason. But you isolate yourself in paranoia if you maintain that we'd enter into a communist system.
Iowa is a nice state. The first time I drove through it I saw the most wonderful and eccentric thing ever - pig houses! You'll be driving along the highway and all of a sudden you'll notice hundreds of what look like dog houses all neatly lined up in the middle of a large grassy field. As you get closer, you notice the pigs going in and out of their houses. I had no idea pigs lived so well!
As for the politics - Iowa is only important to the politicians, the media and the Iowans themselves. The rest of us aren't too worked up about who they choose.
Daphne: Those were politicians' lodgings.
Mahons: Would that make them pigleticians</b.?
Mahons
The term communist can be applied very broadly in Troll's view of the world.
PS - I just recently read Bill Bryson's 'Thunderbolt Kid' all about his upbringing in Des Moines. yes it's a sentimental rosey eyed view of fifties smalltown USA but an enjoyable read nontheless.
Bill Bryson's first travel booked opened with the immortal line "I come from Des Moines.Somebody had to.. "
Colm: Yes. Everyone he disagrees with.
Mahons Hillary is a devout socialist she believes in the power of the state and only the power of the state. If you think that she would not use the office to FORCE everyone to live their lives as the government dictates than you are sadly mistaken.
You will be forced to take government healthcare you will be forced to drive a car that only meets green standards, freedom of speach will be removed from the public airways via the fairness doctrin and to use her own words She has a thousand Ideas she's just not sure we can afford them all.
A vote for Hillary is a statement that you believe communism is the better system and that the socialists in our country will be able to administer it without the corruption that the soviets suffered from.
That is what they believe and she stands for.
And that, comrades, is utterly false.
The ant-communist nature of how the US is run is so deeply ingrained , that it's impossible for even the President to so radically change it - even if Hilary was as zealously socialist as Troll claims.
Not utterly false mahons. What about the Fairness Doctrine that would destroy conservative talk radio? They can't beat the arguments so Dems want to shut down debate.
Troll, elaborate please!
Charles,
When the Fairness Doctrine was the law for all those years (1949-1984), were the presidents all communists?
Anyone who claims Hillary is a communist doesn't even understand the meaning of the word, or they do, and use it merely to excite the extremist fringe of rightworld.
Hillary Clinton was raised in a fervent anti-Communist family, and even campaigned for Goldwater in 1964. She was raised a Methodist and as far as I know remains one. She was president of the Young Republicans while a freshman at Wellsley College. She worked as lawyer and sat on the corporate board of Wal-Mart (a massive company with a famous anti-Labor history). She is part of the capitialist power structure of this nation. To claim otherwise is just plain silly.
Charles: You really think that a Soviet style crackdown on any dissent is the goal of Clinton? I don't doubt she minds harrassing her adversaries (both sides do that) but you actually think she intends to transform us into the Soviet Union?
I didn't say she was a Chi-com, but the things Troll listed weren't utterly false.
Alan, they weren't Communist, but they Fairness Doctrine was as unfair as racial segregation was. i don't want a president bringing back either.
Charles: Can you tell me which sentence of his 8:01 is not utterly false from what he wrote? I ask out of respect for you only.
Recall, I am not saying she's above criticism, far from it, but when it is false criticism then I think it should be pointed out.
For our Euro friends, the Fairness Doctrine states the political makeup of a radio station. If you have 1 hr of conservative talk you have to have 1 hr of liberal. Radio here is mostly conservative, and this doctrine destroys the freedom for the broadcaster to do what they want. Libs "own" all other outlets, and they're out to get the last one.
IMHO!
Charles: If someone said Bush wanted to run a Nazis Adminsitration, I would say that is utterly false. If someone countered that he allowed torturing of suspects in certain instances, I would still argue the Nazis claim is still utterly false despite the wrongful policy.
I think you are overselling the liberal ownership of media outlets, and the bi-partisan nature of the partisanship that arises out of the fairness doctrine. It is a great issue, and I am not on Hillary's side on that issue, but to jump to accusations of Soviet Communism is wrong (incidently, guess was brought about the fairness doctrine in the first place - can you say anti-Communism in the late forties).
I can only parase out 1/2 a sentence!
"freedom of speach will be removed from the public airways via the fairness doctrin "
Now let me say i would not vote for mccain for the same thing due to campaign finance reform!
I would think that Alan would not want the government to legislate content on the airways.
And i appreciate the respect! ;)
Charles: But each full sentence he wrote is false. Unless we are going to give Troll credit for the words "and" and "the" standing alone, then what he wrote was utterly false.
So it's utterly false b/c he used a run-on sentence!
Had he started a new sentence with the word "freedom"
would you agree with me that the new sentence would be true?
If you mean "Freedom of speech will be removed from the Public Airwaves" if she's elected I would say that is ridiculous.
If he had written "Hillary Clinton's partisan and selective embrace of aspects of the fairness doctrine is a challenge to free speech" I'd have agreed. If he had continued "and a reason not to vote for her" I'd accept that as a rational argument.
Agreed Mahons. I should never base my arguments on Trolls ability to puncutate!
Or as the English say, he put too much egg in that pudding? ;)
His punctuation? Well he does write angrily enough to assume he's effected by a period.
good one!
I think he sounds like he's got something stuck in his colon.
BTW Does the Fairness Doctrine cover all private radio? Does sound strange (and very un-American)
But excellent post, mahons. Hope you get the time/space to write a similar one on each state when its turn comes. All this really brings the excitement of the race over the Atlantic, and shit, it still has a full year to go!
This looks like being the most tense and polarising election - regarless of who gets the nominations - since Nixon vs McGovern.
Steady on Noel , there's excitement and there's obsession. I'm sure even Mahons would struggle to write exciting posts about the race in Idaho ,Montana or Wyoming ;)
"BTW Does the Fairness Doctrine cover all private radio? Does sound strange (and very un-American)"
Ah, I see we're making headway here! I think that it would cover all private radio, but there's very little liberal radio. It doesn't sell.
Charles
In all honesty is your hostility to the 'fairness doctrine' fuelled more by the fact that it would have a greater affect on Conservative broadcasting than the principle itself. If Radio was succesfully dominated by liberal broadcasting and Right wing voices barely got a foot in and a Republican candidate was seeking to redress the balance with a law would you be equally outraged ?
Hillary Clinton is a communist and so are any in the Democrat party that claim they are "progressives".
Look up the communist manifesto and and look up the things the Democrats have pushed for over the [past 50 years you will find amazing similarity.
The destruction of Senator McCarthy made it impossible to call these wretches what they were then and are now. The thing is McCarthy has been proven by history to be correct.
When you here the word communist you get your panties in a knot, thats because you have not studied history and what the communist agenda was about. It wasn't about soviet nuclear missiles it was truely about socialism the needs of the many out way the needs of the one. All for the good of the common man.
Every political platform that this woman promotes and stands for is a socialist utopian plan to steal the profits of the productive and give them to the unproductive. That is Communism comrad Mahon.
As for the fairness doctrin what it was was a law that stated if you made any political comment on the air you had to provide free response time to the opposit view. Therefore the problem was avoided by not allowing ANY political speech.
Since it's removal the political speech that has attracted audiences is rightwing talk the reason being is 90% of the main stream media projects the leftist point of view.
Every leftist commentator that has tried to succede on talk radio, plane and simple gets no listeners because they are not informative nor are they entertaining
And Since they can NOT compete and they can no longer go unchallenged with their points of view like When that toad walter crankite said the war is lost they have caniptions and therefore want to bring the doctrin back to squash the only media format that challenges their point of view. The whole concept is sensorship of political speech, which also happens to be a communist [policy
You have a great writing style Mahons. Don't exactly always agree with your conclusions/opinions, but I do really like the way you present them.
Colm, i think I'm honest when saying i oppose the principle. For instance on this blog. Would you oppose the government in the UK forcing David to provide free equal access to the IRA? That's crazy, but that's esentially what the Dems want to do to conservative radio in the US.
>>even Mahons would struggle to write exciting posts about the race in Idaho <<
Colm, you are not a true political junkie. For me, at Irish election time even the poll returns for the 3rd seat in Mayo West become a matter of life and death.
>>Hillary Clinton is a communist and so are any in the Democrat party that claim they are "progressives".
Look up the communist manifesto and and look up the things the Democrats have pushed for over the [past 50 years you will find amazing similarity.<<
So, she advocates the abolition of land ownership and of the right to inheritance, gradual nationalisation of all industry and state seizure of all banks?
If she does, she's a communist: if she doesn't, she isn't.
By the way, Troll, I presume you wouldn't wish to live under what you think is a communist dictatorship. What country do you plan to move to if Hillary gets elected?
Charles
I accept that you oppose in in principle , but you are only human and you are bound to be more bothered by a 'lefty' benefiting policy.
Noel
Troll would probably say that those things are her ultimate aim - even if she hasn't said so yet.
Ah Colm how right you are
So, she advocates the abolition of land ownership and of the right to inheritance, gradual nationalisation of all industry and state seizure of all banks?
Lets see we just had a big supreme court case that allowed the government of a city to seize peoples homes to turn them over to a mall developer because they could get more tax revenue from the land It was called Kelo
The Democrats believe in this little thing they call the Death Tax which she has stated should be at least over 70% because it's unfair to allow that kind of money to be just passed on...
We already have state control of the main Bank it's called The Fed and it controls the value of the money
What country will I go to NONE I will excersise my 2nd ammendment rights in the manner that the founders of this nation meant that right to be exercized....
oh and as for the nationalization of industry Just ask what her plans are about all that unfair profit the oil companies are recieving or try to wrap your brain around why the steal industry the clothing industry and 60% of our manufavturing base has either left the country or at least located their headquarters outside of US territory...
DSD: Thanks. I'll remind myself not to be an obnoxious ass next time we disagree.