Over 2,000 Iowa Democrats assembled in downtown Des Moines last night to see and hear Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. The Illinois Senator attracted large crowds during his first trip to Iowa 11 days ago, but Obama insists the crowds will eventually get smaller.
"I’ve been asked by several reporters, you know, ‘This is not the tradition of the Iowa Caucuses. We have these smaller meetings,’ and I keep on telling them people will get tired of me I’m going to be back to so often," Obama joked last night. "By about the tenth visit we’ll end up having about 10 people. We can all meet in a diner."
Obama told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that he wants to talk with Iowans in smaller settings. "That’s where you hear the stories that really matter," Obama said. "…That’s the kind of stuff that helps inform our politics and our campaign and the more we can do that, the better."
After speaking briefly with reporters gathered just outside the Iowa capitol, Obama walked inside to meet privately with Democrats who serve in the state legislature.