Iowans are not surreal. Some candidates and many of the media are. I’ll be at my precinct caucus in three hours. There’s an outside chance that you won’t see me on CNN, but try to enjoy the show anyway.
Thanks. I try to participate every cycle. I had to burn a vacation day to be available this year. So be it. I don’t get crushes on politicians any more. This is an important process we have going in Iowa. Giving a damn and showing up seems like the only decent thing to do.
The blizzard died down. Roads are clear. We still have subzero temps, but that won’t keep Iowans cooped up at home when something big is cooking. I predict normal to above-average turnout tonight.
The thing I hate the most about the Iowa caucuses is that the media pretends they have ANY IDEA about where the delegates will actually end up. In 2012, the first round of voting was basically a three-way tie between Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum, but after the county and state conventions, Paul ended up with 22 delegates to Romney's 6. (Everybody else was shut out.)
Tonight is the first step of the caucus process, not the end of it. (Though that doesn't make for much of a story!)
I covered several caucus cycles for Iowa papers. It was fun, like the circus coming to town but I didn't take the caucuses seriously as anything more than a way for the parties, TV stations, hotels, restaurants and consultants to get a big payday.
Important but overlooked point: caucuses are run by the party, not state government.
There is little real transparency, which increases the impression that the whole thing is a fraud.
I don't have any reason to disagree. But Obama won the Dem caucus in Iowa. And now the Dems abandoned the Iowa caucus for South Carolina because it is more representative of ---- what? Whatever works.
I covered Biden in a campaign stop at a restaurant in Fort Dodge, Iowa, in 1988.
He stopped his spiel, looked at me as I scribbled notes and said "You aren't going to write a story about this, are you?" in a mock concerned tone, as if I was intruding on a private gathering.
I said "Yes, I am" in as forceful a way as I could.
I just don't like the inference that since Iowa is not "representative" of the nation, the Dems threw away tradition. But of course, that is all the Dems do anymore.
Real snakey how the corporate news outlets are leaving Vivek out of their polls and pretending it is a 3 person race. Voter suppression as it gives folks the sense that he's dropped out. Will be interesting to see how he performs against the headwinds.
You do realize that her husband is currently deployed and she has a son and son-in-law who are draft age. She does not want us to go to war. She wants the USA to be a strong leader on the world stage and protect us from foreign actors who want to destroy our nation and citizens.
Her husband is in the same National Guard as I was (I am retired). I guarantee he doesn't meet height/weight standards. I was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, both stupid wars we shouldn't have been in. Nikki has loved every war we've had. I guarantee that her husband is looked after better than other soldiers. Lindsay Graham was also in the SC National Guard and he never saw a war he didn't love. She has called for war with Iran multiple times. She is also on board of Boeing. I hated her as governor and hate her now even more. Electing her is electing Biden.
I believe you are mistaken. First, her husband served for a year in Afghanistan back in 2013. I really don't care about his height or weight. I am grateful that he is willing to serve (and I am grateful that you served). Second, she served on the Boeing board for about a year. She stepped down in early 2020 because she disagreed with the airline bailout the company was going to receive from the government. If you are going to bloviate, be accurate.
I also served in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well. Maybe I should be nominee, huh? They kick normal soldiers out for not being in compliance with Height/weight standards. Unless you are special, like the husband of a neocon warhawk. All military people know how this works and it wreaks havoc on morale. Haley is a MIC shill and has become a millionaire from her brief time at the UN. She is one of the more disgusting people in this regard. I live in SC, I have known her for a while. I will not vote for her if she gets the nomination. I will go for RFK Jr if that happens.
I think it's pretty safe to say that Dictator Trump will assassinate his opponents & then march any Iowa Democrats & anti-MAGA traitors off to camps.
Then again he may just order a Big Mac/McNugget/Large Fry/Chocolate Shake Very Freaking Happy Meal & sit around his hotel room in his gold plated bunny slippers & Tweet mean shit about DeSantis's hair.
1. The drinking game: take 2 shots or cannonball a tall boy whenever Walter complains about his hotel room. Drink yourself to oblivion if Walter uses the condition of his hotel room to generalize about the condition of the USA. 2. MSNBC minion: I suspect if Vivek garners more delegates/ precincts carried than "Darlin' Nikki" we may see a few minions' craniums combust.
They lose their S every single day. Mite expensive to stage a state-wide caucus just to give them an excuse to soil their underwear (if they even wear any).
Iowans are not surreal. Some candidates and many of the media are. I’ll be at my precinct caucus in three hours. There’s an outside chance that you won’t see me on CNN, but try to enjoy the show anyway.
Good luck, OB. I hope things go your way.
Thanks. I try to participate every cycle. I had to burn a vacation day to be available this year. So be it. I don’t get crushes on politicians any more. This is an important process we have going in Iowa. Giving a damn and showing up seems like the only decent thing to do.
The blizzard died down. Roads are clear. We still have subzero temps, but that won’t keep Iowans cooped up at home when something big is cooking. I predict normal to above-average turnout tonight.
The thing I hate the most about the Iowa caucuses is that the media pretends they have ANY IDEA about where the delegates will actually end up. In 2012, the first round of voting was basically a three-way tie between Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum, but after the county and state conventions, Paul ended up with 22 delegates to Romney's 6. (Everybody else was shut out.)
Tonight is the first step of the caucus process, not the end of it. (Though that doesn't make for much of a story!)
I covered several caucus cycles for Iowa papers. It was fun, like the circus coming to town but I didn't take the caucuses seriously as anything more than a way for the parties, TV stations, hotels, restaurants and consultants to get a big payday.
Important but overlooked point: caucuses are run by the party, not state government.
There is little real transparency, which increases the impression that the whole thing is a fraud.
But, then, US politics overall is fraudulent.
Enjoy!
I don't have any reason to disagree. But Obama won the Dem caucus in Iowa. And now the Dems abandoned the Iowa caucus for South Carolina because it is more representative of ---- what? Whatever works.
My sense is that Biden had a grudge against Iowa.
He was forced to withdraw from the 1988 campaign after he was caught plagiarizing in a speech at the Iowa state fair.
He lost the caucus in 2008 to Obama. And he did poorly in the 2020 caucus.
His serial failures in Iowa, which puts a premium on personal contact with voters is telling.
It says they got a good look at Biden and didn't like what they saw.
Agree this was because of Biden.
I covered Biden in a campaign stop at a restaurant in Fort Dodge, Iowa, in 1988.
He stopped his spiel, looked at me as I scribbled notes and said "You aren't going to write a story about this, are you?" in a mock concerned tone, as if I was intruding on a private gathering.
I said "Yes, I am" in as forceful a way as I could.
He smirked and resumed his speech.
He was and is a jerk.
What is the New Hampshire explanation?
Far as I know it was NH telling Biden to fuck off with his shenanigans. Not that Biden cares.
This insight is very interesting.
I just don't like the inference that since Iowa is not "representative" of the nation, the Dems threw away tradition. But of course, that is all the Dems do anymore.
Real snakey how the corporate news outlets are leaving Vivek out of their polls and pretending it is a 3 person race. Voter suppression as it gives folks the sense that he's dropped out. Will be interesting to see how he performs against the headwinds.
One of their tried-and-true agenda setting tactics, unfortunately
"Excuse me, little Iowa person, but I'm late for my donor reception. Nice coat!"
My caption for the pic.
I know you want your son sent to die fighting Iran and I will make that happen.
You do realize that her husband is currently deployed and she has a son and son-in-law who are draft age. She does not want us to go to war. She wants the USA to be a strong leader on the world stage and protect us from foreign actors who want to destroy our nation and citizens.
Her husband is in the same National Guard as I was (I am retired). I guarantee he doesn't meet height/weight standards. I was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, both stupid wars we shouldn't have been in. Nikki has loved every war we've had. I guarantee that her husband is looked after better than other soldiers. Lindsay Graham was also in the SC National Guard and he never saw a war he didn't love. She has called for war with Iran multiple times. She is also on board of Boeing. I hated her as governor and hate her now even more. Electing her is electing Biden.
I believe you are mistaken. First, her husband served for a year in Afghanistan back in 2013. I really don't care about his height or weight. I am grateful that he is willing to serve (and I am grateful that you served). Second, she served on the Boeing board for about a year. She stepped down in early 2020 because she disagreed with the airline bailout the company was going to receive from the government. If you are going to bloviate, be accurate.
I also served in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well. Maybe I should be nominee, huh? They kick normal soldiers out for not being in compliance with Height/weight standards. Unless you are special, like the husband of a neocon warhawk. All military people know how this works and it wreaks havoc on morale. Haley is a MIC shill and has become a millionaire from her brief time at the UN. She is one of the more disgusting people in this regard. I live in SC, I have known her for a while. I will not vote for her if she gets the nomination. I will go for RFK Jr if that happens.
Whose husband? (Cease the robotic use of pronouns).
Haley
Really? I hadn't previously heard her call out the Davos crowd but glad to hear it!
Sad, true.
6 reasons why I'm watching Matt & Walter this evening (there are more)
CBS
Why are the Iowa caucuses so important? What to know about today's high-stakes vote
The Atlantic
The End Is Coming for Trump’s GOP Rivals
CNN
Opinion: The scramble for first loser in Iowa
NBC
We interviewed hundreds of Iowans over 7 months. Here’s what we learned ahead of the caucuses.
ABC
Nikki Haley's Iowa surge is giving anti-Trump Republicans hope. There's just one problem.
Matt Taibbi
"I’m looking forward to live Walter Kirn, and also at least vaguely interested in the result"
I'm also here for the live Walter 😎
they're gonna caucus, that's for sure
Okay, that's a pretty good one 😆
"BOTHUS?!"
"Outta my way, bitch, I'm declaring a police action against Liechtenstein"
Will there be interviews with huge prehistoric beavers?
That's Pennsylvania...
Why, did Nancy Pelosi say that she was attending?
Link please...!!!
That’s not fair. Beavers actually build useful things.
I'm guessing that you've never seen her in hot pants & a Hooter's t-shirt?
I think it's pretty safe to say that Dictator Trump will assassinate his opponents & then march any Iowa Democrats & anti-MAGA traitors off to camps.
Then again he may just order a Big Mac/McNugget/Large Fry/Chocolate Shake Very Freaking Happy Meal & sit around his hotel room in his gold plated bunny slippers & Tweet mean shit about DeSantis's hair.
And DeSantis’ Lifts...
Is there a drinking game involved? Or when Trump wins, an under over on which MSNBC minion loses their shit first?
1. The drinking game: take 2 shots or cannonball a tall boy whenever Walter complains about his hotel room. Drink yourself to oblivion if Walter uses the condition of his hotel room to generalize about the condition of the USA. 2. MSNBC minion: I suspect if Vivek garners more delegates/ precincts carried than "Darlin' Nikki" we may see a few minions' craniums combust.
Is Nicole Wallace back from maternity leave? My husband always tags her as a “possible jumper.”
They lose their S every single day. Mite expensive to stage a state-wide caucus just to give them an excuse to soil their underwear (if they even wear any).
Caption: “Barbiecore Rising: Can Nikki Haley Transform the TJ Maxx Coat Rack to Caucus Victory?”
LOL!! Wine on my IPad!! I keep saying she should call me for a wardrobe consult!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂
Caption: Nikki Haley accidently touches Iowa voter.
Interesting? Doubtful. Surreal? Likely. Cringe worthy? Indubitably.
“Hi, my name is Nikki, and I’m applying for the White House Mary Kay rep position …”