Earlier this morning, the wife of Democratic Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards paid a visit to Iowa Democrats who’re in Boston at their party’s convention. The visit of Elizabeth Edwards signals Iowa’s importance in the fall election. Iowa is among the states the Kerry/Edwards ticket will target next week, as the candidates and their families make a visit to eastern Iowa on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mrs Edwards says the candidates and their wives will campaign in Iowa as often as necessary to put Iowa in the Kerry column in November, but she urged the party activists in the room to do their part in turning out the vote, and turning out people for the rallies next week. Mrs. Edwards says she and her husband haven’t gotten much sleep lately, and with 97 days ‘til the election, they’ll wait to catch up on that lost sleep on November 3rd.Edwards finished a surprising second, garnering 32 percent of the vote in Iowa’s Caucuses, propelling him onto the national stage and eventually this bid for the vice presidency. Mrs. Edwards says a reporter asked her how tough the grueling campaign schedule was, and she replied that it wasn’t nearly as tough as the next four years would be if Kerry & Edwards don’t win. Mrs. Edwards and three of the couple’s children joined the Senator on stage last night after Edwards delivered his acceptance speech, and Mrs. Edwards revealed a bit of the behind-the-scenes action.Mrs. Edwards says she made a deal with the two younger kids, Jack and Emma Claire, who like to butt heads. She promised they could sleep in their parents’ beds last night if they behaved. The couple’s older daughter introduced Elizabeth Edwards to the crowd last night. The couple’s oldest son, Wade, died in a traffic accident and the family visited his grave this week before leaving for Boston.
Iowan hoping to make "The Daily Show"
An Iowa delegate at the Democratic National Convention is hoping he made the cut to appear on a national cable t.v. show. If you’ve seen “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, you know it’s a parody of the news, hosted by comedian Jon Stewart – he is cast as the “anchor” of the fake-news show. A couple of comedians who portray reporters on the program interviewed 45-year-old Patrick Johnson of Clinton, Iowa, a delegate at the Democratic National Convention. Johnson decided it was all in good fun, so he answered the fellow’s quirky questions. Johnson says he could tell the guy who was interviewing him was trying to lead him into saying something funny, but Johnson says he “tried to be respectful.” At the end, the two comedians joined to sing a duet of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Johnson says the rendition “wasn’t bad.” Johnson says he watches “The Daily Show” occasionally, so he knows the score and isn’t worried he’ll look silly or stupid.
A Rural Route to the White House?
While the overall election tally in the presidential race of 2000 was razor thin, George W. Bush beat Al Gore by just over 20 percentage points in rural parts of the country. “The encouraging thing is we are running much stronger with rural voters today than we were four years ago,” says John Norris of Ames, a long-time Iowa political operative who ran John Kerry’s Iowa Caucus campaign. He’s now working on Kerry’s nationwide campaign, charting ways to capture more rural votes. Norris says recent polling shows Kerry has gained ground in rural areas, and now trails President Bush by just 9 percentage points. That would mean Kerry has made up over half of the rural ground Gore lost in 2000. Norris, a former aide to Governor Vilsack and Congressman Boswell, says surveys show rural voters are interested in more than a candidates’ stand on price supports. Norris says unfortunately, there aren’t as many full-time farmers living in rural America, and that means rural residents are interested in affordable health care, accessible education and good jobs. He says Kerry has “made a real shift” in how he talks to rural voters. Norris and other Kerry operatives also plan new ways to connect the campaign with voters, especially those in rural areas. They’re holding community meetings, like the more than 70 scheduled around the state tonight that’ll let Kerry backers gather together to watch Kerry deliver his big speech. Norris is telling his field staff to invite people to these and other campaign meetings who aren’t traditionally involved in politics. Norris says it’s just one more way to “bring more people into the dialogue.” Not only are rural votes key in states like Iowa, but swing states like Ohio and Pennsylvania have huge rural sectors that Norris says could swing the entire state in Kerry’s tally. Norris says the rural vote “could very well prove to be the difference in this election.” Candidate Kerry arrived at this convention by boat yesterday flanked by his Navy crewmates from Vietnam, including Iowan Gene Thorson. The pool reporter on the boat ride says Thorson and another mate were in the back of the boat having a smoke when Kerry went back to call them forward for a picture.
Iowans may recognize Edwards’ lines
John Edwards will officially be nominated as John Kerry’s running mate this evening, and he’ll give a speech some Iowans may find familiar. Edwards is expected to touch on themes from his Iowa Caucus campaign. As you may recall, Edwards finished a surprising second in Iowa’s Caucuses, getting about one-third of the vote. In late December, before the Caucuses, Edwards debuted a speech in Des Moines that focused on what he called the “Two Americas” – and this is what he had to say back then: “In George Bush’s two Americas, workers don’t matter; owners matter. The President’s got a new name for this. He calls it the ownership society. Well, after four years of George Bush, we know what the ownership society means, don’t we? It means an America where those who own the most get the most, while those who work the hardest get less and less. We cannot go on as two nations, one favored, the other forgotten.” Rob Tully, a Des Moines attorney and former Iowa Democratic party chairman, flew to Boston yesterday so he can be in the hall tonight for Edwards’ big speech. Tully jumped on the Edwards campaign bandwagon about two-and-a-half years ago. Tully, who met Edwards years ago at a Trial Lawyers meeting, encouraged Edwards to campaign on behalf of Governor Tom Vilsack and Senator Tom Harkin in 2002 when the two Toms were seeking re-election. Back then, Tully says few Iowans knew Edwards, and few who had met him could remember if he was from South or North Carolina. (Edwards was born in South Carolina, but grew up in North Carolina and is a U.S. Senator representing the Tarheel State.) “He’s come a long way and this will be a crowning achievement for what is really a meteoric rise in a political career,” Tully says. “He’s earned every bit of it.” Tully says he’ll enjoy the moment tonight, and then return to Des Moines tomorrow. Tully once ran for a northeast Iowa Congressional seat, but now Tully says he has no interest in moving to D-C to work for Edwards if the Kerry/Edwards ticket wins in November.
Christie Vilsack gets time in the DNC spotlight
Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack spoke last night during prime time at the Democratic National Convention. She held up a campaign trinket she’s kept since the 1956 election.Mrs. Vilsack’s parents took her to a rally, and at age three she was too shy to say much to former President Harry Truman. Truman gave her a pen to get her to shake his hand, and she says she’s kept the pen to this day. On the pen it says, “I stole this pen from Harry Truman.” Mrs. Vilsack says it shows she learned her political values early, from her parents who she says exemplified small-town values. They thought government should give people in need a helping hand, they taught thevalue of hard work, staying out of debt, saving for a rainy day, and accumulating mondey but, as her dad said, “Enough, and not too much.” Mrs. Vilsack says John Kerry shares the small town values she holds dear. She says Iowans feel safer knowing their next president’s made life-and-death decisions under fire, and we’ll be safer at home, work and traveling.
National Security Stoplight in Boston
John Kerry’s campaign is in full-court press on national security issues today. Kerry’s status as a Vietnam veteran was a centerpiece of activities here as Kerry sailed in to Navy Pier and was joined by the men who served with him in Vietnam. Gene Thorson of Ames is part of that group of crewmates, and Thorson has campaigned extensively for and with Kerry over the past year. Back in Iowa, a group of Kerry backers stood outside Iowa National Guard headquarters to complain about the Bush Administration’s heavy reliance on part-time soldiers for the war in Iraq. John Norris, a Kerry campaign advisor, says it’s an issue that is gaining Kerry ground in rural America. Norris, who is from Ames, says there is a real question mark in rural Iowans’ and rural Americans’ minds about Iraq, why so many rural residents are serving overseas, and so many rural soldiers are dying. Delaware Senator Joe Biden told Iowa Democrats who’re in Boston at their party’s convention that it’ll be women worried about security who decide the fall election. Biden says he discovered the worry while campaigning for re-election in 2002. Biden says not one woman between the ages of 18 and 50 asked him about health care, education or jobs. Biden says they all asked about safety issues, like “is it o-k to fly?” Biden says the crucial “soccer mom” vote of the 2000 election – representing independent, suburban women – has turned into the “security mom” vote of 2004. Biden is a long-time friend of party nominee John Kerry and is rumored to be among those Kerry would consider naming Secretary of State if Kerry wins in November. Biden ran for president in 1987, but dropped out of the race before the ’88 election after he quoted from a speech given by a British politician without giving credit to the other politician.
Kerry to campaign in Iowa next week
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry will return to Iowa next week. He’ll campaign in Dubuque on Tuesday evening, then strike out for points south, along the Mississippi River on Wednesday. Governor Vilsack says that shows “this is a Mississippi River election” with states up and down the river hanging in the balance. Vilsack says the Bush/Kerry race in Iowa is so close, it could be decided by a handful of votes. Iowa is considered one of a handfull of toss-up states where the presidential race is close, and that’s why Iowans are getting a close-up view of the candidates. President Bush stopped in Cedar Rapids last week. First Lady Laura Bush was in Iowa earlier this month, as was Vice President Dick Cheney. And once Kerry sets foot in Dubuque next Tuesday, it will be his third stop in Iowa in 30 days.
