An Update on the Iowa Caucuses from the Heart of it All: If the Caucuses Were in Vermont, America Would be Making Fuel Out of Maple Syrup

I'm sitting at the 2007 Food and Family Farm Presidential Summit. The entire event is based on the policies of independent, private farmers represented by the state's Farmer's Union. Just met the guy who runs Niman Ranch, one of my favorite places to buy pork products from. Completely sustainable, just like all the farms represented here, everything is about organic foods created, packaged, bought, sold and enjoyed on your table LOCALLY. This is the Independent Farmers Network. Perhaps this should have headquarters with the Independent Artists Network of Iowa in my place.

Joe Biden is running late. I have a few minutes.

So far I've watched Obama, who was rather boring. All of the candidates speaking are essentially saying the same thing - (and they're all Democrats - although Ron Paul has a large booth set up behind me being the only Republican here) so you'd think each one would want to break out. Obama got up and spoke against Contained Animals, big corporations running everything, especially food and agriculture, and briefly alluded to how he is from our neighbor state and he knows Iowa, blah blah blah. Charlie Cook from the Cook Report was standing behind my table with the other press people, and I caught him saying: "Looks like the Senator's switch to decaf..."

Tonight is the big Jefferson Jackson dinner - the Democratic annual event when all the major players in the party come to Des Moines and listen to each other say the same things. I didn't get an invite to that, but I am here at this, and I'm rather enjoying myself.

The entire event is being emceed by the President of the Farmer's Union, an unassuming man who looks like Brian Doyle Murray and sounds like a typical mid-western farmer; soft spoken and to the point. As the candidates are coming in and out, there is plenty of time to schmooze...I make my way around the tables and while I am schmoozing as well (haven't schmoozed like this since NYC) I am mostly listening in...mostly to the press, who are circling the rooms like rabid dogs. The most disturbing image was at the table in front of me when Chris Dodd was giving a rather great speech, I thought.....

The table in front of me is full of elder, typical looking Iowan farmers, kindly faces, rotund bellies, sipping lemonade. They are hear to listen to what the presidential candidates would do for them, especially important as this week the Farm Bill is going through the Senate to much grumbling - those pesky democrats are at it again - not doing what they said, etc...and here are these farmers sitting in their get-up at the Marriott in downtown DSM, and there is a cameraman shoving his giant camera in their faces as Dodd is telling one story or another - it looked as though they were being probed by some alien device - they seemed so incredibly uncomfortable, and you know the only reason they were being filmed in the first place was because the cameraman thought: "Ooo! I can get the reaction of REAL farmers up close and personal reacting to what Dodd is saying - this will look great for the news tonight!" all the while the farmers, impossibly polite, squirm in their little seats terribly uncomfortable but not saying a word.

That is America. Right there.

Meanwhile, the rest of the press corp is right behind me yammering away, not even paying attention to what Dodd is saying. They could care less. A bit of conversation I picked up on...from one reporter to another behind me...:

"Yeah, I covered Edwards in '04..." / "Me too - I thought you looked familiar..." / "Yeah, I don't think he really has a sense of humor. I mean, I like what he says, but if you don't have..." / "....A sense of humor..." / "Yeah...but he's got great hair!" / "That's for sure..."

They went on like this for about 20 minutes. I gave up listening when Edwards showed up. I gotta say, of all the candidate speeches I've seen in my life, this one was amazing. Here's the deal, and really this has nothing to do with the fact that I support Edwards, it was just a great speech. I've seen him give crappy ones before...

Stage is set. Dodd has just spoken. It was a good speech, he got to a lot of people, and he did what all of the candidates who are not Clinton, Obama or Edwards are doing - making jokes like "Yes, I'm running for President as well..." and "Give a little thought to me...." and he listed what he's accomplished in his life which I was surprised to hear, and he did make one really good joke when he said, as the father of a 2 and 4 year old that he "is the only candidate who gets mail from both AARP and Pampers..." and there was milling around, lunch was served consisting of, you guessed it, all local products, delicious squash soup! and as everyone is sitting there satiated, Edwards arrives, about 12:30pm.

First off - being an Edwards supporter, I get the e-mails. I knew that at 1pm there is an Edwards Rally at the Hotel Fort Des Moines (right next to my apartment) that he has to be at. It's 12:30, he has to give a speech, and get about 20 blocks away in a half hour.

Secondly - he doesn't come in from backstage as the other candidates had. He comes in through the front door, camera lights flashing, that giant Edwards smile, and immediately the crowd erupts. Literally. The other speeches were full of muted applause, even for Obama. Everyone is on their feet, Edwards shakes hands, leaps up to the stage, and just goes for it. Here are two short clips, not the best quality as I have just learned how to do this with my phone, and not the best clips from the speech, but just to get an idea - they appear below cause I don't know how to put them here...

He walked in, gave the shortest speech of the day, rocked the house, and exited. Perfection. I loved it. Not to mention that he was right about all that he said.

Biden is here. I like Biden a lot, but not to be President. He should be Secretary of State. He has more foreign relations experience than anyone running in either party, the only one who comes close is Richardson, who I also like. It's that community thing - I just wish that everyone running for the Dem's, save Hillary, could be in the cabinet of an Edwards Presidency. A boy can dream.

God bless Biden. He's the only person in the world who can take nuclear proliferation of Iran and somehow tie it into local Farming issues. Amazing. The man is so incredibly honest. He's running with this "I've got nothing to lose" attitude. I love it.

But the big theme of the day: ETHANOL. I swear, if the caucuses were in Vermont, America would be making fuel out of maple syrup.

Z