Today, we get our televisions back.
After weeks of political ads filling daytime television, evening television, Christmas specials, and football games, it’s time for a few months of seed corn and herbicide commercials. (Remember, the Jan. 3 date is all Florida’s fault for blatantly and repeatedly violating both parties’ rules.)
The closest Iowa caucus in history went past midnight, until someone in Clinton County woke up.
I consider it my duty as an Iowan and someone interested in the political process to see as many candidates as I can. That’s true no matter which party. In the last week, I made it to see four of them, in addition to two I saw before the straw poll.
Four candidates in four counties in six days isn’t quite my 2008 mark of four candidates in four counties in three days, but it’s close.
Every time I go to an appearance I am reminded of what a massive logistical undertaking a campaign is. There are sticker rolls to distribute, materials to print and set out, yard signs to arrange, advance teams to get rooms and chairs, and someone to figure out if it is actually physically possible to be in Grundy Center or Guthrie Center after being somewhere else hours earlier. All of that is before the candidate and media entourage set foot in the building.
And in four years, despite the quadrennial outpouring of criticism, Iowa will do it all again.
The final score for 2011: Before the straw poll: Michele Bachmann, Urbandale; Tim Pawlenty, Indianola. Between Christmas and caucus: Rick Perry, Osceola; Ron Paul, Perry; Rick Santorum, Indianola; Newt Gingrich, Ames.
For comparison, this was 2007 (in chronological order): John McCain, Des Moines; Mitt Romney, Des Moines; John Edwards, West Des Moines; Fred Thompson, Urbandale; Rudy Giuliani(!), Clive; Mike Huckabee, Indianola, Hillary Clinton, Traer(!!); Joe Biden, Ames; Barack Obama, Boone; Chris Dodd, Indianola. Huckabee, Clinton, Biden, and Obama were the four in three days. Four years before that, I saw Edwards and Howard Dean in Toledo.
Cumulative by county: Polk 5, Warren 4, Tama 3, Dallas 2, Story 2, Boone 1, Clarke 1.