Pacific Views

Thursday In Iowa

Photo: From left to right, Chris, Gov. Dean, Lauren, and Terri. The three of them from Tokyo to volunteer.

I wound up in the same cabin with the Tokyo Expats for Dean folks last evening, and we all went to breakfast this morning before heading into the office to get trained for canvassing. We took the hopefully politic route of talking about science fiction in a little diner where the service was excellent, and an autographed photo of George W. Bush was hanging up on the wall.

Reporters and a couple camera crews were wandering around the lobby of the volunteer headquarters getting news and documentary footage. After running that gauntlet, we got educated on the particulars of the Iowa caucuses. For example, that they're at 6:30 pm, and the doors close at 7 pm. Also, participation is around 3-4%, so any extra turnout at all is crucial. I went with Terri, and a Dutch camera crew followed Lauren and Chris on and off for most of the day.

Morning Canvassing: Lauren and Chris left literature at a house where they thought no one was home, and an elderly lady called them back after they'd gone a couple doors down. She said "I'm for Dean", but she had a cold, and wanted to check with her doctor before going out. But she said, 'All my friends are going, and he's going to win anyway.' But she did say that she was hoping she'd be better in time to make the caucus.

I spoke with a gentleman who'd been leaning Dean, but had started looking at Edwards over tax issues. I explained some (by which I mean *some*) of Dean's positions on taxes, and his plans for the budget and tax reform, and he said that it sounded reasonable to him. He'd never been to a caucus before, but said that he'd consider going to support Dean. He was also amazed that so many people had come from all over, though, and after watching the news coverage he said that he'd been wondering when "his Dean supporter" was going to stop by and visit.

Lunch: We asked the cashier at the restaurant if she was going to the caucus. She said that she might, but didn't know the details. She had a favorable opinion of Dean, and came out to the table before we finished lunch to make sure we didn't leave before getting her some literature.

Afternoon Canvassing: Terri and I were walking down the street when a van pulled to a stop, and the driver asked us if we were canvassing. When she saw Dean's name on our stickers, she pointed to a house down the road and asked if we could come back in fifteen minutes when she got done with her errand. We covered a couple blocks and wandered back, where we were warmly invited in to sit. It seemed that canvassers never came to her door for some reason, and that she'd been waiting to talk to someone about the candidates.

She was a healthcare worker, and was concerned that insurance would be too expensive for her family in a couple years. She also wanted to know about Dean's stand on reproductive rights, was deeply concerned about the loss of the unity we'd shared as a nation after 9-11, and how we were perceived around the world. Also, whether or not her 16 year old daughter could come to the caucus to observe (yes, btw.) It was great talking to someone who was so educated about the issues, and after a conversation that we all really enjoyed, she'd said that she would attend the caucus for Dean.

After Dinner: We went back to headquarters to hook up the laptops and check email. But it didn't escape notice that the office was looking a little too well-used. We put together a cleaning crew to tidy up the bathrooms, mop the tile in the lobby, empty the trash, and run the carpet sweeper. A good time was had by all, we'll have no trouble sleeping tonight.

Finally posting this. Having technical difficulties once again.

Posted by natasha at January 16, 2004 08:27 PM | TrackBack